Ecosystems

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What is an ecosystem?

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A system in which organisms interact with each other and their environment

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What are biotic components?

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Living parts such as plants, insects, and animals

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113 Terms

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What is an ecosystem?

A system in which organisms interact with each other and their environment

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What are biotic components?

Living parts such as plants, insects, and animals

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What are abiotic components?

Non-living parts such as air, water, heat, and rock

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Where are tropical rainforests located?

Along the Equator between the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn

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Which regions have tropical rainforests?

South America, central Africa, and South-East Asia

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What do food chains show?

Energy transfer through one species at each level

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What is a food web?

A more realistic model of feeding relationships in ecosystems

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Why is decomposition fast on the forest floor?

Because it is hot and damp

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Why do nutrients not stay long in rainforest soil?

They are quickly absorbed by fast-growing plants

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What happens to soil if vegetation is removed?

It quickly becomes infertile

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What is the typical evening temperature in a rainforest?

Rarely below 22°C

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Why don't temperatures rise above 32°C in rainforests?

Cloud cover limits heating

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What kind of rain occurs most afternoons in rainforests?

Heavy convectional rain

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Why do temperatures drop at night in rainforests?

There are no clouds to insulate the heat

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How do rainforests show interdependence?

Plants and animals depend on each other to survive

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How do nutrients cycle in the rainforest?

Plants take in nutrients, animals eat plants, decomposers return nutrients to the soil

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What is litter in the rainforest?

Surface layer of vegetation breaking down

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What is biomass?

The total mass of living organisms per unit area

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What is the emergent layer?

The highest layer with trees reaching 50 metres

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What is the canopy?

The layer with 70% of the sunlight and 80% of life

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What is the under canopy?

Trees reaching up to 20 metres high

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What is the shrub layer and forest floor?

Lowest layer with small shade-adapted trees

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What happens to leaf litter in the rainforest?

It decomposes rapidly in heat

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What is the topsoil like in rainforests?

Shallow, red, and rich in decomposed matter and minerals

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What is the subsoil?

Deep layer formed by weathered rocks

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What causes subsoil formation in rainforests?

Underlying rock weathers quickly at high temperatures

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What is a biome?

A large geographical area of distinctive plant and animal groups, adapted to that environment

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Where are tropical rainforests located?

Centred along the Equator

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What is the temperature like in tropical rainforests?

Hot all year

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What is the rainfall like in tropical rainforests?

Very high

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What is the flora in tropical rainforests?

Tall trees forming a canopy with a wide variety of species

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What is the fauna in tropical rainforests?

The greatest range of different animal species, most living in the canopy layer

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Where are tropical grasslands located?

South of the equator

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What is the temperature like in tropical grasslands?

Warm all year

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What is the rainfall like in tropical grasslands?

Wet and dry seasons

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What is the flora in tropical grasslands?

Grasslands with widely spaced trees

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What is the fauna in tropical grasslands?

Large hoofed herbivores and carnivores dominate

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Where are hot deserts located?

Along the tropics

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What is the temperature like in hot deserts?

Hot by day and cold by night

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What is the rainfall like in hot deserts?

Very low

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What is the flora in hot deserts?

Lack of plants and few species, adapted to drought

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What is the fauna in hot deserts?

Many animals are small and nocturnal

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Where are temperate forests located?

North of the equator

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What is the temperature like in temperate forests?

Warm summers and mild winters

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What is the rainfall like in temperate forests?

Variable rainfall

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What is the flora in temperate forests?

Mainly deciduous trees

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What is the fauna in temperate forests?

Animals adapt to colder and warmer climates

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Where are tundras located?

Far latitudes north and south of the equator

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What is the temperature like in tundras?

Cold winters and cool summers

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What is the rainfall like in tundras?

Low rainfall

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What is the flora in tundras?

Small plants grow close to the ground

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What is the fauna in tundras?

Low number of species, most animals are found along the coast

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Where are coral reefs located?

South of the equator in tropical waters

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What is the temperature like in coral reefs?

Warm water all year round, with temperatures of 18°C

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What is the rainfall like in coral reefs?

Wet and dry seasons

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What is the flora in coral reefs?

algae and sea grasses

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What is the fauna in coral reefs?

polyps and a diverse range of fish species

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What adaptations do sloths have for their environment?

They are camouflaged to the forest environment

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What do buttress roots do?

They support tall trees and absorb nutrients

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What is the purpose of drip tips?

They allow heavy rain to run off leaves easily

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What do lianas and vines do?

They climb trees to reach sunlight at the canopy

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What does the rainforest provide inhabitants?

Food through hunting and gathering, natural medicines from plants, homes and boats from wood

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What is the most widely reported cause of destruction to biodiversity in rainforests?

Logging

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What is timber used for in logging?

To create commercial items such as furniture and paper

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What is the impact of large scale ‘slash and burn’ agriculture?

It increases carbon emissions and makes the soil infertile

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What are some precious materials found in the rainforest?

Gold, iron ore, and oil

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What is the effect of mining in the rainforest?

Soil and water contamination

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What is the effect of mass tourism on the rainforest?

It results in the building of hotels in vulnerable areas and exposes wildlife to human diseases

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What are some benefits of the rainforest?

Raw materials, water, food, health (modern medicines), and energy (hydroelectric power)

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What percentage of modern medicines come from rainforest ingredients?

25%

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What is a key source of energy in Brazil from the rainforest?

Hydroelectric power, generating 2

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Where is the Samasati Nature Retreat located?

Costa Rica

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What is the main focus of ecotourism?

Tourism directed towards natural environments and conservation

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How does Samasati Nature Retreat contribute to local communities?

It employs local people for various jobs and uses locally sourced produce

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What are some sustainable practices used at Samasati?

Homes are built using local materials, grey water systems, and biodegradable materials

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What is a disadvantage of ecotourism in Costa Rica?

Land prices have increased and it is expensive, limiting its scale

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What is a major threat to the Costa Rican rainforest?

Cattle ranching, agricultural development, and slash and burn methods

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How much rainforest was being cut down annually by 1990?

32,000 hectares

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How has the Costa Rican government worked to protect the rainforest?

They created 28 national parks, protecting 24% of the country’s land

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What effect did laws and enforcement have on deforestation in Costa Rica?

It reduced deforestation from 1.8% to almost zero by 2005

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What is afforestation?

The replanting of trees to replace lost forest

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What effect is global warming having on polar ice?

Ice sheets and glaciers are melting at an alarming rate

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What does the thawing of permafrost release into the atmosphere?

Methane emissions

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What does the decline of Arctic ice lead to?

Coastal erosion caused by waves

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What is the active layer in Arctic soil?

It thaws in the summer

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What is permafrost?

Permanently frozen ground all year

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What happens to bedrock in polar areas?

It weathers slowly due to low temperatures

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What are the average winter temperatures in polar regions?

Below -40°C

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Where is colder and drier, the Arctic or Antarctic?

Antarctic

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What is a major feature of Arctic land?

Large areas of permafrost

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What is a major feature of the Antarctic continent?

Large, thick ice sheets and a mountain range

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What types of plants grow in polar areas?

Lichens, mosses, and grasses

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What kinds of animals live in polar regions?

Polar bears, penguins, whales, seals, and plankton

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What natural resources does the Arctic contain?

Untapped oil and gas

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What environmental risk is linked with oil in polar areas?

Oil spills

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What was a major industry that harmed whale populations?

Whaling

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Why did whale populations decline?

Overhunting

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Do some countries still continue whaling?

Yes

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What has made fishing possible in polar areas?

Access to large untapped fish stocks

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Why is policing fishing in polar regions difficult?

Harsh conditions