Ecosystems Questions

Flashcards for review

What are some examples of terrestrial ecosystems?

Mountains, grasslands, deserts, forests

What are some examples of marine ecosystems?

Freshwater and saltwater

What do ecosystems provide?

Sustenance, shelter, energy, fuel, construction material, development of medicines and poisons

How does freshwater provision work?

Filtering through ecosystems, recharges underground stores and aquifers

How do ecosystems contribute to climate regulation?

Influencing climates and air quality on a local scale

Explain the spiritual value of ecosystems.

Religious stewardship, connections to indigenous people and localities

What are the different advantages or benefits of coral ecosystems?

Food and shelter, jobs in tourism, fishing, pearl culture, coral extracts for medicines

What is the global value of coral reefs?

£5.7 trillion p.a

How do coral reefs act as a buffer?

Natural buffer against flooding and erosion, reducing wave energy by 95%

Give a statistic about coral reef loss

50% coral reef loss over recent 30 years

Explain coral bleaching.

Polyps becoming stressed, algae leaving, preventing food production for polyps, causing death and color loss

What is the symbiotic relationship in coral ecosystems?

Between polyps and zooxanthellae

Define biome.

A complex biotic community characterised by distinctive plant and animal species and maintained under climatic conditions of the region, particularly climax communities

What are plant adaptations in deserts?

Drought avoidance, drought resistance, water shortage adaptations

What is another term for Grassland?

Savannah

Describe the climate of the Taiga biome.

Long cold winter, short mild summer, 2 seasons, large temperature range, low precipitation

Describe the typical climate of the Tundra biome.

Freezing, long, dark, cold winters, dry summer, little precipitation

What are the main functions of ecosystems?

Redistribution of energy (food web) and recycling of nutrients (nutrient cycle, nitrogen cycle)

What do ecosystems consist of?

Biotic and abiotic factors

What is the main store in a tropical rainforest Gershmel diagram?

Biomass

What is the main store in a Taiga Gershmel diagram?

Litter

What is the main store in a desert Gershmel diagram?

Soil

Define Net Primary Productivity (NPP).

The rate at which new organic matter is produced by photosynthesis per area per unit time

Which ecosystems have the highest NPP?

Shallow warm water estuaries, marshes, tropical rainforests

What are the natural threats to Caribbean coral reefs?

Hurricanes, global warming, coral diseases

What are the human threats to Caribbean coral reefs?

Fishing, tourist developments, agricultural developments

Define biodiversity.

Variety of life in a site, ecosystem or landscape, measured by richness (no of species) and evenness (proportion of species)

Reasons to measure biodiversity

More diversity means more stability and productivity, diverse habitats, forage provided, stability of plant resistance, wildlife and organisms maintain genetic diversity

Malthus Theory

human population growth is exponential, hypothetically 9 billion people by 2050, exceeding carrying capacity of the Earth

What are the UN’s top threats to biodiversity?

invasive species, overexploitation, climate change, pollution, deforestation,

List general threats to biodiversity

Habitat destruction, disease, habitat fragmentation, eutrophication, pollution, overexploitation,invasive species, climate change

List the local threats to biodiversity.

Local deforestation, tourism, overfishing/harmful fishing, siltation, surface runoff from farms, mining/ranching/overgrazing, poaching

Describe the typical climate of a tropical rainforest

Hot and humid, high intensity/duration rainfall

What are the major threats to wetlands?

Unsustainable development, loss of wetlands, land drained for housing/industry/agriculture, pollution, invasive species

What are the major threats to tropical rainforests?

Deforestation, climate change, poaching, fires

What are the fragile environments (UN)?

Semi/arid areas, mountainous areas, polar locations, freshwater/intertidal marshland, coral reefs

Define conservation.

Seeking proper use of nature

Define preservation.

Seeking protection of nature from use

Outline the conservation issues.

Location as comprehensive or hotspot, maximum diversity, lower in profile or endemic/rarity value, high profile or keystone, SLOSS, Minimum dynamic area, Minimum viable population of species, Buffer zones, In situ vs ex situ, Legislation and financing

Define microfinancing.

Small loans eg. to farmers

Describe debt for nature swaps.

Relief from debt by directing money to conservation

What are the threats in the Ainsdale Sand Dunes case study?

Scrub growth and invasive species, public pressure by tourism

What is ecosystem succession?

Changed phases of a dominant plant species occupying particular ecosystem

What is lithosere?

Plants colonise bare rock

What is psammosere?

Plants colonise sand dunes

What is hydrosere?

Plants colonise fresh water at a pond margin

What is halosere?

Plants colonise salt marshes and mudflats

What is pioneer community?

First plants to colonise an area

Define primary succession.

Development of natural communities in a barren habitat with little to no soil at all

Define secondary succession.

Development of plants in an area where soil was present but natural vegetation had been removed naturally or by human activity

Where are the Tundra biomes found?

Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia

What adaptation do polar bears have for the tundra biome?

Short ears

What are gelisols?

Soil with permafrost

In the tundra, what is a pingo?

Raised mounds where ice has frozen below

In the tundra, what is an ice lens?

Pocket in soil where water has frozen

Define resilience.

The ability of an ecosystem or landscape to withstand human/physical pressure and stay intact

What is carrying capacity?

The ability of an area to deal with number and demands of those who use the area