ecosystems

Question 1

ecosystem definition

Answer 1

somewhere, where biotic and abiotic things live together, with food and shelter.
can be any size, like a pond, or ocean

Question 2

biotic

Answer 2

living features of an ecosystem

Question 3

abiotic

Answer 3

non living environmental factors such as climate (temp and rainfall), soil, water and light

Question 4

what is the biosphere and what does it provide us with?

Answer 4

layer of the earth where life exists - made up of living organisms
provides us with food, medicine, shelter and fuel

Question 5

exploitation

Answer 5

the way in which people make use of the resources from the earth

Question 6

how do we exploit the biosphere?

Answer 6

• extraction of rocks (disturbs habitat)
• paper use (deforestation)
• over harvesting animals (endangers + extinction)
• animal testing
• car usage (carbon emissions + pollution can damage habitats and wildlife)
• water extraction (disturbs wildlife)
• clothing ( cotton plants + surrounding soil are overworked due to fast fashion)

Question 7

give local, national and global ways to help sustainably manage our biosphere

Answer 7

• walk or bike instead of driving
• animal protection laws
• REDD+ (reducing environmental degradation and deforestation)

Question 8

why are marine ecosystems important to the UK

Answer 8

they have great economic, environmental and social value

marine ecosystems around the uk make up an area that is 3 and 1/2 x as big as the uk

Question 9

what are marine ecosystems

Answer 9

the biotic and abiotic things in the seas and oceans (not ponds rivers or lakes)

Question 10

how is the marine ecosystem being degraded

Answer 10

• plastic pollution (kills animals by suffocation, cutting them + endangers habitats)
• deep water ports for global trade and economic development ( containers lost at sea - harms animals, destroys habitats. impacts food chains. stuff inside containers can be harmful)
• construction of wind farms (pile driving scares away sea animals + muddies water. sudden noise can kill them

Question 11

how is eutrophication degrading the marine ecosystem

Answer 11

increased nutrients into ocean — algae grows lots — sunlight is blocked — photosynthesis can’t happen — plants die — marine animals die too

Question 12

terrestrial definition

Answer 12

refers to the ‘land’ component of the earth

Question 13

characteristics of woodlands

Answer 13

many monoculture non native plantations

Question 14

characteristic of wetlands

Answer 14

low nutrient, water logged soil sledges, bog mosses, vital habitat for wading birds, dragonflies

Question 15

characteristics of heathlands

Answer 15

some are dry and sandy, others are marshy. has species rarely found elsewhere - marsh gentian sundews, lady bird spider and sand lizard

Question 16

characteristics of moorlands

Answer 16

rough grasslands + peat bogs: low growing plants. heather dominates, rare birds

Question 17

biome definition

Answer 17

large naturally occurring community/ecosystem of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat

Question 18

characteristics of the tundra

Answer 18

temp - below 0 for majority of year
precipitation - low rainfall (below 250mm)
vegetation - very few plants grow
animals - polar bears

Question 19

characteristics of the taiga/boreal forest

Answer 19

temp - warm summers(16-30) but cold winters (below 0)
precip - low rainfall (below 500mm)
vegetation - coniferous trees
animals - moose

Question 20

characteristics of the temperate biome

Answer 20

temp - hot summers (25) cool winters (5)
precip - all year (1000mm)
vegetation - deciduous trees
animals - rabbits

Question 21

characteristics of the tropical grasslands

Answer 21

temp - hot all year (25-30)
precipitation - 500-1000mm rainfall all year, with a dry season
vegetation - tall trees + shrubs
animals - giraffe

Question 22

characteristics of the tropical rainforest

Answer 22

temp - hot all year (27-30)
precip - wet all year (2000-3000mm)
vegetation - lots! the greatest variety on earth
animals - sloth

Question 23

characteristics of the desert

Answer 23

temp - very hot all year (above 30)
precip - low rainfall (below 250mm)
vegetation - plants

Question 25

what are the three basic nutrient stores

Answer 25

soil litter biomass

Question 26

explain the nutrient cycle

Answer 26

as plants and animals die their tissues fall into the litter store. as living tissue decomposes, nutrients are transferred into the soil store. some nutrients are lost from litter by surface runoff. plants take nutrients from the soil. soil loses nutrients by leaching, but gains nutrients from the weathering of the rock beneath it

Question 27

explain latitude

Answer 27

above the equator, the sun is directly overhead so the rays are more intense. as you move away from the equator the temperature decreases as the heat is less concentrated due to the curvature of the earth

Question 28

explain altitude

Answer 28

as air is forced to rise over high mountains it cools and rains so there is more rainfall in the mountains and a rain shadow forms on the other side

Question 29

(ecosystem distribution) distance from sea

Answer 29

in the interior of the worlds continents the summer temperatures are higher and in winter theyre lower than places near the coast as the sea moderates temperature extremes

Question 30

(ecosystem distribution) circulation cells

Answer 30

the earth is divided into six major air circulation cells. eg. at the equator, surface temps are higher all year round, this provides a convection cell of rising air. as the air rises it cools, the moisture condenses and it rains

Question 31

(ecosystem distribution) inter tropical convergence zone

Answer 31

- belt of low pressure which circles the earth generally near the equator where trade