Mrs Rees(GEO)

What causes tsunamis?

Disturbances on the sea floor create large waves. Seismic energy like Earthquakes, Volcanic eruptions and Debris/landslides causes them.

Tsunamis there height, speed and distance they can travel

Height 1m/3.3ft, Front/back distance 100

How tsunamis are formed

When Oceanic plate is subducted under continental plate causes it to rise and oceanic sinks.

How tsunamis are formed step 2

Water is displaced causing the wave to spit into two the front one reaches the coast and grows in height the water onshore recedes causing shallow coasts

How tsunamis are formed step 3

The second wave goes in the opposite direction then catches up with the other wave causing friction with the coast then slows down and increases in height

Causes of tsunami example of plates being affected

Indian plate/Indo

Responses to Tsunami

Stay on high ground, warning centre and aid from other countries

Effects of tsunamis

Houses washed away, business lost, locals/foreign vistors killed, infrastructure damaged

What is a ecosystem?

Community of organisms plants/animals their abiotic environment they live in

What is biotic?

Living

what is Abiotic

Non

Terrestrial ecosystem

Land

Aquatic ecosystem

water

Value of Ecosystems

For enjoyment and to protect land e.g sand dunes and rainforests

Direct Benefits

Resources like wood, water, hiking, swimming, and shelter. It is aesthetics/cultural experiences/educationally/recreationally getting something out of it like basic materials

Indirect

Wetland improves water quality, bees for pollen, mangroves for protection from storms

What is a biome?

Large scale ecosystem has distinctive plants/animals linked to climate zones

Energy Flow

Energy cannot be created or destroyed it must be transferred from one state to another.

Input Sun's energy

Non

Producers

Food source from sun they are plants Autotrophs.

Consumers

Depends on producers for food known as heterotrophs. Types herbivores, carnivores, omnivores and detritivores. Decomposition

Decomposers

Bacteria/fungi breakdown dead organic materials for food. Releases material resulting in carbon exchange

Biomass

Total weight of organisms per unit area most is terrestrial 5

Climate Factors

Sun's energy, latitude/location, wind belts, ocean currents, altitude, average temperature, precipitation.

Topography

Layout of land in terms of elevation and gradient. South

Altitude

height above sea level temperatures decreases with laitude

Soils

Rich ecosystem with abiotic/biotic elements

vegetation

Food for habitats the type influences plants/animals that thrive

Net Primary production(NPP)

The element used for growth

Gross primary production(GPP)

The total amount of energy absorbed for life processes and growth in Green plants is called(GPP)

Trophic Levels

Energy is food for the next level decreases in size by 90% lost through life processes. 10% is food organisms decrease trophics levels increase.

Nutrients Cycling

chemical elements and

compounds required for

organisms to grow and

function. Nutrient cycling

and energy flow are

interdependent.

Gersmehl diagrams

Illustrates size of nutrients stores. Arrow thickness indicates proportion of nutrients transferred

what is biomass, litter and soil

Total weight of living

organisms.

Decaying leaves and branches

on the forest floor.

Nutrients stored in the soil

Measures of biodiversity

Threat direct/indirect actions local to global risk to ecosystem.

What is richness?

Groups of functionally related individuals. The number of species called species richness

What is evenness?

Proportions of species on site the more equal species to each other greater the evenness few species dominate the site

Simpson's diversity index (D)

High value D is good meaning it's diverse withstands environments impact. Low value D is opposite

Why measure biodiversity?

High biodiversity similar to ecosystems health leads to increased stability, productivity and resistance

Benefits of Diverse Habitats

Forage for insects and plants. Genetic material for long

causes of biodiversity decline

conversion to cropland, reservoir capacity quadrupled, 35% of mangroves lost to Tourism, 20% of coral reefs lost to Overfishing, Pollution, and coral bleaching. Logging, slash, burn. Land lost urbanisation

Signs of decline slowing down

13% recognition of world's designated protected areas, 55% of countries have policies to manage invasive species, Regulations on harvesting less pollution and habitat restoration and financing biodiversity conservation

Coral Reefs

Colonies of marine animals little nutrients held together by calcium carbonated structures secreted by corals. Built from stony corals consist of polyps in groups

tropical rainforest

Hot, moist near equator largest in S America, Africa SE Asia. Receives 60

Wetlands

Water bodies adapted aquatic plants to hydric soil. Types swamps, marshes, bogs/fens. Hydric soil seasonally saturated by water result in anaerobic conditions

habitat destruction

Important to protect habitats for biodiversity pressure due to increasing population

Disease

Reduction in habitat causes high population densities encourages spread of disease

Global climate change

change in abiotic elements of ecosystems leading to biotic change

Over

exploitation

Pollution

nutrients overloading with nitrate tetillzer as well more immediately harmful chemicals

coral reef

diverse underwater held together by calcium carbonate structures secreted by coral. Colonies of tiny animals in marine water have few nutrients most coral reefs built from stony coral consist of polyps that cluster groups.

Management strategy total protection

scientific preserve with no access for the public. wildlife parks and nature reserves

Exploitation

Paper parks, zoos, genes banks, conservation and development areas national parks

conservation

the protection of natural resources proper use of nature

Preservation

Protection of building, objects and landscapes seeks protection of nature from use

design of reserves

SLOSS debate large/small reserves enough to be a minimum dynamic area for ecological habitat to survive and support.

in situ conservation

maintenance of organisms in their wild

state difficult on poor people

ex situ conservation

moving viable population management in captivity it's expensive so only a small number of plants/animals includes gene pools/banks e.g Oxfordshire and Gateshead's Derwent Valley.

debt

for

Microfinancing

low

ecosystem succession

changing phases of dominant plant

species occupying a particular climatic habitat

Pioneer Community

The first plants to colonize a new area. These plants alter the microhabitat and soil conditions, creating a new environment that may be suitable for other species to take root and dominate the landscape.

Sere

Each phase of plant dominance in an ecosystem succession.

Climatic Climax Community

The final phase of ecosystem succession, when a dominant species is well

Lithosere

Ecosystem succession on a new rock surface, such as after a volcanic eruption or glacial retreat.

Hydrosere

Ecosystem succession in a wet freshwater environment, such as a lake or river bank, that becomes drier over time as plants grow, die, and decay, raising the level of the bed and trapping more sediment.

Halosere

Ecosystem succession in saltwater environments, such as tidal mudflats or lagoons and salt marshes

Psammosere

Ecosystem succession on sand dunes, as plants colonize and stabilize the surface, changing the nature of the dune ecosystem

What is coastal sand dune succession?

The process of plant and animal communities changing over time in a series of dunes located at the back of a beach, with the youngest dunes closest to the shore and the oldest furthest away.

What is the pioneer stage in coastal sand dune succession?

the growth of salt

What is the yellow (white) dune stage in coastal sand dune succession?

the presence of yellow dune grasses and other pioneer plants, which continue to stabilize the sand and help to build the dune.

What is the grey dune stage in coastal sand dune succession?

grey dunes, which may be either calcareous (containing pulverized sea shells) or acidic (lacking shelly components or nutrients). The growth of shrubs and the potential for the development of conifer plantations.

What is the dune scrub stage in coastal sand dune succession?

The final stage of dune development the growth of shrubs and the potential for the development of woodland. This stage is marked by more stable and nutrient

What is sub

climax?

What is plagioclimax?

A vegetation state that emerges in a human

What is an example of plagioclimax?

Heather moorland, such as that found in the North Yorkshire Moors in Britain, which is maintained by burning to reinvigorate heather bushes for grouse hunting.

What is secondary succession?

A vegetation change that occurs more rapidly when a sere succession takes place on abandoned farmland or other previously disturbed land.

What is permafrost?

Ground that remains frozen (0°C) or colder for two years straight. permanently frozen grounds are most common in regions with high mountains and in Earth's higher latitudes near the North/South Pole.

How does the depth of permafrost vary in areas that were covered by glaciers compared to areas that were not covered by glaciers?

Permafrost is deepest in areas that were not covered by glaciers, as the weight of the glaciers raised temperatures above freezing.

What is a potential problem with water availability in tundra areas?

Water availability can be a problem in tundra areas due to the shallow soil depth and limited thawing period during the growing season.

What does vegetation do in the tundra?

Vegetation helps to retain permafrost by preventing direct solar radiation from heating the soil.

Why are burrowing insects uncommon in tundra?

Burrowing insects are uncommon in tundra due to the limited thawed depth of the soil.

What's the relief like in tundra

Tundra is flat with little relief, resulting in significant runoff after rains.

What are polygon soils?

Patterned ground, is formed through shrinkage and expansion due to freezing and thawing.

what does frost heaving result in

Results in the sorting and movement of rocks in tundra areas, and mass wasting on slopes can lead to vegetation loss and bare ground.

What factor may cause succession in the tundra to differ from typical patterns seen in temperate areas?

Frequent mass wasting events.

What is a Systems

A set of inter

What are closed systems?

The transfer of energy but not matter between the system and its surroundings.

What are open systems?

Receives inputs and transfers outputs of energy or matter. The water and carbon cycle are both open systems.