(5.4.1-5.4.2) How do people use ecosystems and environments?

What is an ecosystem?

an area where abiotic and biotic factors interact

What can ecosystems be used for by humans?

fuel

food

resources

shelter

How can coastal environments in Wales be used to provide energy?

the building of the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon

onshore + offshore wind farms

What are the positive impacts of the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon?

clean energy

job production

reduced emissions

What are the negative impacts of the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon?

damage to bird habitats

inhibit natural wildlife

harm the landscape of Wales

eyesore

alters coastal processes

How can the rainforest provide food, energy and water?

• slash and burn farming

• large scale plantations

• hydroelectric dams

• deforestation for wood

• key to water cycle

What is a key threat to rainforests and why?

Deforestation for:

farming

• plantations

• slash-and-burn

infrastructure

logging

mining

energy

How is deforestation in the rainforest a positive feedback cycle?

deforestation for roads

roads increase access which enables more use

• farming

• energy

• industry

the scale leads to high levels of damage

more areas need to be cleared to supply the demand

What are the effects of deforestation due to farming in the rainforest?

slash and burn farming

• increased air pollution

• soil exhaustion

• small scale wouldn’t be a threat

monoculture- one crop only

• soil degradation

• loss of nutrients

• reduced diversity

• infestation risk

large scale plantations

• machinery compacts soil

• large areas cleared

• exacerbates wealth gap

• fertiliser washed into streams

On a local scale, how does rainforest deforestation impact nutrient cycles + soil?

loss of vegetation- reduces uptake

decreased decomposition of litter

soil erosion due to lack of roots

nutrient leaching + compacted soil feeds into infertility

On a regional scale, how does mono-culture and intensive farming of rainforests impact water cycles and climate?

climate shifts, water scarcity, temperature increases, exacerbated climate change

one type of plant will not carry out evapotranspiration at the same rate as a diverse collection

• less cloud formation → less rainfall

monoculture farms have reduced water storage capacity

• waterlogging/soil dryness

• reduced groundwater storage

temperature changes

• reduced humidity due to monoculture

• heat island effect due to lack of shading

feedback loop:

• temp increases

• rate of evaporation increases

• land dries

• rainfall decreases

  etc

What human activities affect the savanna?

logging

desertification

hunting

over-grazing

commercial farming

tourism

What has happened to farming in the Serengeti?

Maasai tribe- subsistence farming

has been disrupted as commercial farmers encouraged by government

so Maasai farmers have been forced into smaller areas- leading to over-grazing.

What are some impacts of human activity in the savanna?

tourism

• conservation

• employment

• investment

• infrastructure

• inequality

• environmental damage

• loss of culture

• water cycle damage

Explain + describe desertification in the savanna.

population increase

cattle increase

more vegetation lost to grazing

land farmed more intensively + more firewood collected

extracts nutrients from soil

climate change = less reliable rainfall

reduced interception + coverage from vegetation

soil bakes and cracks + eroded by rain + wind

soil loses fertility and structure

due to lack of organic input

less vegetation supported

environment declines further

What are the effects of savanna desertification on the water cycle?

crops need to be irrigated due to lack of rain

diverting water is causing a decline in biodiversity

less vegetation = less evapotranspiration

less rain exacerbates cycle