Geography GCSE AQA Ecosystems

Geography GCSE AQA Ecosystems

1. Background: An ecosystem is a natural environment and includes the flora ( plants) and fauna (animals) that live and act within the environment

   • Flora, Fauna and Bacteria are the biotic (living) components of the ecosystem
   • Ecosystems are reliant on abiotic components such as climate (Temp & rainfall determine which species can survive in an ecosystem), soil (soil type important; provides nutrients which will support different plants) and water ( amount determines which animals and plants can be supported)

2. Fresh Water pond ecosystem

   • Pond bottom - little oxygen,light- decomposers, scavengers inhabit- feed on dead material
     • Mid-water - fish main predator - food found at pond bottom or surface- animals whom inhabit breathe through gills or skin
       • Pond Surface- breathe through gills,skin,lungs- plenty oxygen,light
         • Pond Margin - plants provide shelter for insects,small animals e.g frogs- lots of light,oxygen
           • Above the surface

3. Food chain: shows how each living thing gets food. In a food chain energy and nutrients are passed from one organism to another. Producer provides basic source of food in which consumers eat

   • Food Web: includes all connections between producers and consumers in ecosystem

4. Ecosystems sensitive to change - biotic, abiotic components of ecosystem can be altered by natural factors and human management

   • Natural Factors could be drought, flood, fire , disease etc.
   • Human management may include intro of more fish, drainage of land altered may affect amount of water, ph level in water changed, altering the nutrient levels of water if fertilisers are leached (nutrients washed out of soil due to high rainfall) into the water resulting in eutrophication (hyper nutrition)

5. Biome charcteristics

   • Tundra - near north and south poles- many flora and fauna cannot survive here
     • Taiga/Coniferous forest - found in Scandinavia, Russia, Canada - cool temperate climate - evergreen trees thrive
       • Temperate deciduous forest - found in Europe, USA- trees lose leaves each yr - mild and wet conditions - temperate maritime climate
         • Temperate Grassland - found in Hungary, SA, Argentina, USA - consists of grass and trees - thrive temperate continental climate of moderate rainfall and mild conditions
       • Meditteranean - found around the Mediterranean sea - Australia and USA
         • Desert - near tropics of cancer/Capricorn - very hot/dry - plants and animals specially adapted to harsh climate
           • Tropical rainforests - near the Equator - hot/humid - large variety of species inhabit
     • Savanna Grassland - Found in central Africa, south India, North Australia, central South America - long grasses and a few scattered trees - hot/dry conditions

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