Theme 5 - Weather, Climate and Ecosystems Flashcards
What is Climate change?
Climate change is a natural phenomenon and over the past 11,000 years, the Earth’s surface temperature has changed a great deal.
What evidence is there that climate has changed in the past?
Fossils of plants
Ice cores
Tree rings
Historical records such as diary extracts, crop yields for local registers and paintings
What recent evidence is there of climate change?
Increasing CO2 levels in the atmosphere
Shifting seasons leading to changes in the migration patterns of birds and insects
Glaciers and ice sheets melting and retreating
Temperature increase
What are the natural causes of climate change?
Changes in the earth’s orbit
Changes in the tilt of the Earth
Changes in the output of solar radiation
Volcanic activity
What is the carbon cycle?
The process by which carbon moves from the atmosphere to the Earth and the oceans, through various plants and animals, and then back into the atmosphere again.
What is the greenhouse effect?
The natural process by which the atmosphere warms up.
How does human activity affect the carbon cycle?
Burning fossil fuels
Deforestation
Dumping waste in landfill
Farming
What is a tropical storm?
A severe low-pressure weather system which develops over tropical maritime seas.
What is a heatwave?
An extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions at that time of the year
What is a drought?
A lack of precipitation in an area for a long period of time
What areas are affected by drought?
Australia South America - Brazil Africa - the Sahel (South of the Sahara Desert) Asia - areas of China and India The Mediterranean
Why do droughts happen?
Lack of rainfall
An environment, soil or bedrock which is poor at storing and retaining water
Hot weather which increases evaporation of water
How do high-pressure systems lead to weather hazards?
High pressure leads to light winds, dry weather conditions and sometimes drought
What factors affect the UK’s climate?
Latitude
Altitude
Aspects
Ocean currents
What weather is associated with low-pressure?
Cloudy, rainy and windy weather
What weather is associated with high-pressure?
Low wind speeds and stable conditions with no clouds
In summer, rapidly rising warm air may result in convectional rainfall and thunderstorms
In winter, clear skies bring cold nights and perhaps ice and fog
What is a microclimate?
A microclimate is the climate of a small-scale area. e.g. a garden, valley, uplands, coasts, forests, urban areas or city
What is the water cycle?
The movement of water between stores of water in the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere.
What is the nutrient cycle?
The movement of nutrients in the ecosystem between the stores in the hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere.
What is the food web?
The system of interlocking and interdependent food chains
What is the food chain?
The interconnections between different organisms that rely on one another as their source of food
What is biodiversity?
A measure of the variety of plants and animals that live in an ecosystem
What are the key services provided by ecosystems?
Timber for building Food and clean water Flood control Preventing soil erosion Providing medicines Spiritual and leisure resources Maintaining conditions for life on earth
What are the 3 main kinds of habitat loss?
Habitat destruction- deforestation, draining wetlands and damming rivers
Habitat fragmentation- urban development, dams and water diversions
Habitat degradation- pollution, the introduction of a new species and disruption of ecosystem processes such as nutrient cycles
How can ecosystems be managed sustainably?
Clean water in rivers
Reducing risk of flooding
Providing natural resources such as timber and air to breathe
Producing food such as fish and honey
