Flashcards
GCSE Geography Ecosystems
Cards in this deck (63)
- 1What are Biomes?Biomes are large-scale global ecosystems with distinctive vegetation
- 2What is an ecosystem?An ecosystem includes all the living and non living things in an area
- 3Why do we have different biomes?There are different biomes due to different climates around the world
- 4Describe Tropical Forest Climate:1. The climate is the same all year round - there are no definite seasons
2. It's hot (the temperature is generally between 20-28 degrees celsius and only varies by a few degrees). This is because at the equator the sun is overhead all year round.
3. Because tropical forests are near the equator, the day length is the same
(about 12 hours) all year round
This means the forests get plenty of sunshine all year round
4. Rainfall is very high, around 2000mm per year. It rains everyday, usually in the afternoon - 5How does the climate affect the plants, animals and soil in tropical forests?Plants - most plants are evergreen to take advantage of the continual growing season
Plants grow quickly and are adapted to take in maximum light
Animals- dense vegetation provides lots of food and different habitats, so there are lots of different species of animal, for example Jaguars, Anacondas,Tree frogs
Soil- plants grow quickly and shed leaves all year round. These decompose quickly so there's a constant supply of nutrients in the soil, and these nutrients are cycled quickly - 6Describe the climate of Temperate Forests:1. Temperate forests have four distinct seasons- the summers are warm and the winters are cold
2. Rainfall is very high (up to 1500 mm per year) and there's rain all year round
3. Days are shorter in the winter and longer in the summer - the hours of sunshine vary through the years - 7How does the climate affect the plants, animals and soil in temperate forests?Plants - the mild, wet climate supports fewer plant species than tropical forests but more than than Boreal forests
Forests are often broad-leaved trees that drop their leaves in autumn, shrubs and undergrowth
Animals - the mild climate and range of plants provides food and habitats for mammals,birds and insects
Soil - plants lose their leaves in autumn and the leaf litter decomposes quite quickly in the moist, mild climate. This means soils are thick and nutrient rich - 8Describe the climate of Boreal Forests:Boreal forests have a cool and dry climate..
1. Boreal forests have a short summer and a long winter. In winter, average temperatures are below -20 degrees celsius and in the summer, average temperatures are about 10 degrees celsius
2. Precipitation is low- generally less than 500 mm. A lot of this falls as snow
3. Boreal forests get lots of daylight during the summer months but little or none during the winter
Skies tend to be clear, so during daylight hours there's plenty of sun - 9How does the climate of Boreal Forests affect plants,animals and soil?Plants : Most plants are evergreen so they can grow whenever there's enough sunlight
Coniferous trees such as pine and fir are common, as are low growing mosses and lichen
Animals: There are relatively few animal species in boreal forests compared to tropical forests.
This is because there is less food available and animals need to be adapted to the cold climate to survive
Animals that do live there include black bears, wolves, elk and eagles.
Soil: The cool, dry climate means that needles from the trees decompose slowly, so soils are thin, nutrient poor and acidic. In some areas the ground is frozen for most of the year - 10What are the two types of grassland?The two types of grasslands are:
Tropical Grasslands
Temperate Grasslands - 11Describe the climate of Tropical Grasslands:1. Tropical grasslands have quite low rainfall (800-900mm per year) and distinct wet and dry seasons
2. Temperatures are highest (around 35 degrees celsius) just before the rainy season.
Temperatures are low (15 degrees celsius) after it.
3. They are found around the equator , so they get lots of sunshine all year round - 12Describe the climate of Temperate Grasslands:1. Temperate grasslands have hot summers (about 40 degrees celsius) and very cold winters (about -40 degrees celsius)
2. They receive 250-500 mm precipitation each year, mostly in the late spring and early summer.
3.Because they are further up from the equator, the amount of light they receive varies through the year - 13What are the characteristics of tropical grasslands?- Tropical grasslands consist mostly of grass, scrubs and small plants, with a few scattered trees e.g. acacia
- They are home to insects including grasshoppers, beetles and termites
- Larger animals include lions, elephants,giraffes, zebras and antelope
- Grass dies back during the dry season forming thin, nutrient-rich soil, but nutrients are washed out of the soil during the wet season - 14What are the characteristics of temperate grasslands?-Temperate grasslands are also dominated by grasses and small plants, and have very few trees.
- They are home to fewer animal species than tropical grasslands - mammals include bison and wild horses and rodents such as mole rats
-High temperatures in summer mean that decomposition is fast, so soils are relatively thick and nutrient rich - 15Describe the climate of deserts:1. Rainfall is very low - less than 250mm per year. It might only rain once every two or three years
2. Temperatures range from 45 degrees celsius in the day and very cold at night at 0 degrees celsius
3. Hot deserts get more daylight during the summer than in winter.
Because there is little cloud cover they get lots of hours of sunshine everyday - 16What are the effects of the climate in deserts on plants,animals and soil?Plant- plant growth is sparse due to lack of rainfall. A few plants do grow e.g. cacti and thornbushes
Animals - relatively few animal species live in the deserts- those that do are adapted to cope with the harsh climate.
Animals that do live there include lizards, snakes, insects and scorpions
Soils - the sparse vegetation means that there is little leaf litter, and the dry climate means that decomposition is very slow. As a result, soils are mainly thin and nutrient poor. - 17Describe the climate of Tundras:Tundras have a cold dry climate
1. Temperatures are low - around 5-10 degrees celsius during the summer and lower than -30 degrees celsius in the winter
2. Precipitation is also very low - less than 250 mm per year. Most of this falls as snow.
3. Tundra is found at high latitudes, so it gets near-continuous daylight in the summer and little or no daylight in the winter.
There is more cloud cover in the summer - 18What are the effects of the climate in Tundras on plants,animals and soil?Plants: The cold climate and lack of light in winter makes it hard for plants to grow, and there are hardly any trees
Vegetation includes mosses,grasses and low shrubs
Animals: the cold climate and lack of vegetation means that relatively few animal species live in the tundra.
Those that do include: Arctic Hares, Arctic Foxes, Mosquitoes and lots of birds
Some birds migrate south or the winter
Soil: the sparse vegetation produces little leaf litter, and the cold,dry climate means that organic matter decomposes slowly, so soil is thin and nutrient poor
There is a layer of permafrost (permanently frozen ground) below the soil surface which can stop water from draining away - 19What factors affect biome distributions?1. Altitude
2. Rock type
3. Soil Type
4. Drainage - 20Explain Altitude:Higher altitudes are colder so fewer plants grow there, which also limits the number of animal species.
This means there's not much organic matter, so soils are thin or non-existent - 21Explain Rock type:Some rock types are easily weathered to form soils and different rock types contain different minerals.
This affects how nutrient-rich the soil is.
Some rocks are also permeable and others are impermeable - 22Explain Soil type:More nutrient rich soils can support more plants.
The acidity and drainage of soils also varies, affecting the plants that can grow
For example peat soils are very acidic, so only acid tolerant plants such as conifers can grow - 23Explain Drainage:If drainage is poor, soil gets waterlogged and only plants and only plants adapted to wet conditions can grow there.
Very wet areas may be home to aquatic species of plants and animals - 24What are biotic components?Biotic components are the living parts of a biome - e.g. plants (flora) and animals (fauna)
- 25What are abiotic components?Abiotic components are the non-living parts of a biome - e.g. soil,water,rock,atmosphere
- 26How do abiotic and biotic factors interact with each other?1. Water availability affects the plants that can grow.
If the soil is dry then only desert plants such as cacti will be able to survive.
Plants take in water from the soil and release it into the atmosphere, providing moisture for further rainfall
2. The type and density of vegetation that grows affects the type of soil that forms, and the type of soils that form affects the type of vegetation that can grow
e.g. dense vegetation cover and lots of leaf fall means that lots of nutrients will be added to the soil, which can then support more plant growth
3. Some organisms cause biological weathering . This is when rocks in the ground are broken up into smaller peices by living things, e.g. tree roots breaking rocks as they grow - 27What is Biosphere?The biosphere includes all the parts of the earth which are occupied by living organisms
- it's the plants, animals,bacteria and fungi as well as the soil and water that they live in - 28What are the resources provided by the biosphere?The biosphere provides lots of resources ....
1. Food
2. Medicine
3. Building Materials
4. Medicine - 29Food:Many indigenous people get all of their food directly from plants and animals.
Some forage for food, picking wild fruit,vegetables and nuts,hunting and trapping animals as well as catching fish.
Others grow food for their own use, e.g. growing cereals,fruit and vegetables and raising livestock - 30MedicineLots of plants have medical properties and are used to cure illnesses and keep people healthy.
Plant species in the tropical rainforest have been used to create over 7,000 drugs, e.g. quinine from the cinchona tree is used to treat malaria - 31Building materials:Trees and other plants are often used as building materials e.g. pine from taiga forests is used to make furniture and build houses.
Sap from trees can be used as glue or to make buildings waterproof,reeds and straw can be used for roofs and plant fibres can be used to make rope - 32Fuels:Indigenous people rely on plants and animals for fuel for cooking and keeping .
Wood, moss, dried grass and dried animal dung is burnt as fuel.
Some indigenous people in areas of little vegetation (like tundra) use animal fat e.g. blubber from seals as fuel - 33How do humans exploit the biosphere?Humans exploit the biosphere for ....
1. Energy
2. Water
3. Minerals - 34Explain Energy:Demand for energy is increasing as the world's population increases and people have more electronic devices , e.g. Laptops and Iphones
Large areas of land are being cut down to clear the land for the growing of crops to make bio-fuels, or to make way for coal mines or power stations
Drilling for oil and gas in the tundra is damaging the atmosphere because pipeline are melting permafrost - 35Explain Water:Demand for water is also increasing because of the increase in global population - people use water for washing, irrigating farmland etc.
Water resources such as lakes,river and aquifers can be over exploited
This is happening in arid areas such as the Sahara desert. This can cause damage to the biosphere, as plants and animals no longer have enough water to survive - 36Explain Minerals:Minerals such as gold and iron are used in buiding, scientific instruments, electrical appliances and lots of other things - and demand for them is increasing.
Minerals are often extracted by mining.
Mines in tropical forests are responsible for lots of deforestation and toxic chemicals are released into rivers and streams killing wildlife - 37How does the biosphere help to regulate the gases in the atmosphere?The biosphere helps to control the proportion of different gases:
Plants take in carbon dioxide dioxide and give out oxygen during photosynthesis
Animals take in oxygen from the air and give out carbon dioxide when they breathe - 38Why is maintaining the atmosphere important?Maintaining the atmosphere is important because most living organisms need oxygen to survive:
Increased levels of CO2 leads to global warming
Increased levels of CO2 can also make the oceans acidic, affecting the organisms that live there
Some CO2 is needed to keep the Earth warm enough to support life - 39How does the biosphere maintain soil health?1. Plant roots and animals (e.g. earth worms) spread nutrients through the soil- this helps to maintain soil structure and fertility, which allows the plant to grow.
2. The roots of vegetation also hold the soil together - without this the soil can be eroded by wind and rain
3. Vegetation intercepts rainfall before it reaches the ground.
This helps to prevent leaching (where nutrients in the soil are washed downwards out of reach to plants) - 40Describe the stages of the water cycle:1. Energy from the sun causes water to evaporate from the surface of the sea
2. The water vapour rises and cools forming clouds
3. Water falls from the clouds as precipitation to the ground (hail, sleet, snow,rain)
4. Once the water hits the ground, some of it simply evaporates back into the atmosphere as water vapour
Some of the water passes through the soil and aquifers
A lot of the water forms rivers or streams
5. Living organisms play a role in the water cycle
Plants take up water in their roots and this water moves up the plant in the xylem and passes out of the leaves through stomata as water vapour (transpiration)
Animals take in water through drinking and in their food
Animals lose water in their faeces, urine and when they exhale
Water taken up by plants prevents flooding and soil erosion - 41What are population projections?Population projections are predictions of how many people will be in the world in the future
- 42How does the increase in demand for one resource lead to increase in demand for another resource?More people means that more food needs to be grown, which increases demand for water.
As demand for water increases, it may need to transported from areas where there's plenty to areas where there's not enough - this takes lots of energy - 43What factors increase the demand for resources?1. Wealth
2. Urbanisation
3. Industrialisation - 44Explain Increasing Wealth:Economic development means that people are getting wealthier (more affluent)
Wealthier people have more disposable income which affects their resource consumption
*They have more money to spend on food and they often buy more than they need
* They can afford cars,fridges, televisions etc all of which use energy . Manufacturing these goods and producing energy to run them also uses lots of water
*More people can afford flushing toilets, showers, dishwashers etc. This increases water use - 45Explain Urbanisation:Urbanisation is the growth in the proportion of a country's population living in urban areas.
Urban areas tend to increase resource consumption because:
* Cities tend to be more resource intensive than rural areas - street light and neon signs use energy, and fountains and urban parks require water
* Food and water have to be transported long distances to meet the demand in cities, and waste needs to be removed- this increases energy use - 46Explain Industrialisation:1. Manufacturing goods requires a lot of energy. Manufacturing also requires a lot of water for cooling and washing components.
As countries become more industrialised their demand for energy and water increases
2. There is also an increase in ingredients such as palm oil. - 47What is Malthus's Theory?- Thomas Malthus was an 18th century economist
- He thought that the population was increasing way faster than the supply of resources, so eventually there would be too many people for the resources available
- He believed that when this happened people would be killed by catastrophes such as famine, illness and war and that the population would return to a level that could be supported by the resources available
- The point where the two lines meet is the point of catastrophe - population starts to decrease until it is low enough that there are enough resources to support it again - 48What is Boserup's Theory?- Ester Boserup was a 20th century economist
- Her theory was that however big the population grew, people would always produce sufficient resources to meet their needs
- She thought that, if resource supplies became limited, people would find new ways to increase production (e.g.technological advances) in order to avoid hardships - 49How are the abiotic and biotic factors in tropical rainforests closely related?The warm and wet climate means that plants grow quickly
The dense leaf cover protects the forest floor from wind and heavy rainfall, while root systems hold the soil together - this stops it being eroded - 50What are symbotic relationships?Symbiotic relationships between plants and animal where they depend on each other for survival
- 51How are nutrients stored in an ecosystem?Nutrients are stored in three ways in an ecosystem:
1. Living Organisms (biomass)
2. Dead organic matter e.g. fallen leaves
3. The soil - 52How are nutrients transferred rapidly in tropical rain-forests?1. The evergreeen trees means that dead leaves and other material fall all year round
2. The warm, moist climate means that fungi and bacteria decompose the dead organic matter quickly. The nutrients released are soluble and are soaked up by the soil
3. Dense vegetation and rapid plant growth mean that nutrients are rapidly taken up by plants' roots - 53What is biodiversity?Biodiversity is the variety of all the different species of organisms on earth
- 54Why does the rainforest have a high biodiversity?The layered structure of the rainforest provides lots of different habitats
Rainforests are stable environments so have a stable community
They are productive because of the high rate of nutrient cycling therefore there's always plenty to eat - 55Why are areas of tropical rainforests being destroyed ?1. Local demand for fuel wood
2. Mineral resources (e.g. gold,copper, and iron core)
3. Electricity (HEP) - many tropical rain-forests have large rivers. Building dams to generate hydroelectric power floods large areas of forests behind the dam.
4. Commercial hardwood logging (to make furniture and for construction)
5. Commercial farming (forest is cleared to make space for cattle grazing or for huge palm oil or soya plantations)
6. Subsistence Farming
7. Demand for biofuels - 56What are the environmental impacts of deforestation? Deforestation is a direct threat to tropical rainforests1. With no trees to hold the soil together, heavy rain washes it away (soil erosion)
This can lead to landslides and flooding
2. Without a tree canopy to intercept the water,more water reaches the soil. This reduces soil fertility as nutrients in the soil are washed away
3. Deforestation means more CO2 is in the atmosphere, which adds to the greenhouse effect - 57What is an indirect threat to tropical rainforests?Climate Change
- 58How does climate change affect tropical rainforests?In some areas temperatures are rising and rainfall is decreasing which leads to drought
Droughts lead to ecosystem stress because animals and plants in tropical rain-forests are adapted to moist conditions
Frequent or long periods of drought can lead to extinction of some species
Drought can also lead to forest fires, which can destroy large areas of forest - 59Why are deforestation rates rising?Deforestation rates are rising because of ....
1. Poverty
population growth and poverty mean that more people are having their own small-scale subsistence farming
2. Foreign Debt
It's an easy way for poor countries to make money to pay back the debt they owe to richer countries
3. Economic development
due to economic development many areas require materials for construction.
Projects to promote development open up e.g. mining, logging, farming etc - 60How are some areas reducing deforestation?1. Government policies
e.g. Costa Rica and Brazil
Some governments have invested in ecotourism and now pay landowners to reforest areas
2.International Condemnation
Puts pressure on companies by naming and shaming those that are involved in deforestation
3. Monitoring Systems - e.g. Global Forest
Watch (GFW) provides satellite data to track forest loss. This means authorities can act more quickly and stop illegal logging - 61What are REDD and CITES?They are global actions to protect Tropical Rainforests
- 62REDDREDD is a scheme which rewards forest owners in poorer countries for keeping forests rather than cutting it down.
Advantages:
1. It deals with the cause of climate change as well as the direct impacts of deforestation
2. The forest is protected so the habitats remain - biodiversity is not lost
3.Everyone benefits from reducing emissions and it is relatively cheap
Disadvantage:
1. Deforestation may continue in another area
2. Aspects of REDD are not clear, meaning that it may be possible to cut down trees but still receive the rewards if they are replaced with other types of forest
3. Preventing activities e.g. agriculture may affect local communities who depend on them for income - 63CITESCITES is an agreement to
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- Flashcards on GCSE Geography Ecosystems, created by Britney Bullen on 07/06/2018.
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