Ecosystems, biodiversity and management

• What is an ecosystem

  A community of living organisms in their non living environment
• How do local factors affect the distribution of ecosystems

  1. Altitude - the higher the area means its colder so less plants, animal species and thin or non-existent soils
  2. Soil type - nutrient rich soils means more plants grow
• How does climate affect the distribution of ecosystems

  • temperature
  • rainfall
• Climate of a tropical rainforest

  1. Always hot and rainy all year
  2. Day length is 12 hours and doesn't change
• Characteristics of a tropical rainforest

  1. Plants are evergreen and are adapted to grow quickly to take in maximum light
  2. Dense vegetation allows for a wide variety of animal species
  3. The soil is rich in nutrients because plants shed their leaves all year round. This means the nutrients are cycled quickly
• Climate of a temperate forest

  1. 4 seasons, warm summers and cool winters
  2. 1500mm of rainfall per year (very high)
  3. Shorter days in winter, longer days in summer
• Characteristics of temperate forests

  1. Board-leaved trees that drop their leaves in autumn
  2. Animals include mammals birds and insects
  3. Thick nutrient rich soil due to leaf litter in autumn
• Climate of a boreal forest

  1. short summers, long winters (-20 in the winter and 10 in the summer)
  2. Low precipitation (less than 500mm per year)
  3. long daylight hours in the summer, little to none in the winter
• Characterises of a boreal forest

  1. Evergreen trees that are commonly pine or fir trees. There is also moss and lichen
  2. few animals species but includes black bears, wolves, elk and eagles
  3. thin, nutrient poor, acidic soil. The ground can be frozen most of the year
• Climate of a desert

  1. Hot temperatures in the day (45 degrees) and cold temperatures at night (0 degrees)
  2. Rainfall is very low (less than 250mm a year)
  3. Very long daylight in the summer due to little cloud cover
• Characteristics of a desert

  1. Little amount of plants due to lack of rainfall. plants include cacti and thornbushes
  2. few animal species. the ones who are adapted includes reptiles, insects and scorpions
  3. Thin and nutrient poor soil due to spares vegetation
• Climate of a tropical grassland

  1. low rainfall (800-900mm per year)
  2. distinctive wet and dry seasons, fires are common during dry seasons
  3. temperatures are high before a wet season (35 degrees) and low after it (15 degrees)
  4. Lots of sunshine all year round due to being near the equator
• Characteristics of a tropical grassland

  1. plants include grass, scrub, small plants and scattered acacia trees which are all adapted to recover quickly after a fire
  2. Wide range of species which include insects and large animals such as lions, elephants, giraffes and zebras
  3. thin nutrient rich soil that is washed out during wet seasons
• Climate of a temperate grassland

  1. Hot summers (highest being 40) and cold winters (lowest being -40)
  2. 250-500mm of rainfall per year in late spring early summer
  3. daylight hours varies through the year
• Characteristics of a temperate grassland

  1. plants include grass and small plants with very few trees
  2. animals include mammals such as bison, wild horses and mole rats
  3. Thick nutrient rich soil
• Climate of a tundra

  1. 5-10 degrees in the summer and -30 degrees in the winter
  2. Very low rainfall (250mm per year)
  3. continuous daylight in the summer and no daylight in winter
• Characteristics of a tundra

  1. lack of light means lack of plants and hardly any trees. Plants include grass, moss and low shrubs
  2. Animals include arctic hares, arctic foxes and lots of birds. Some animals migrate south in the winter
  3. thin nutrient poor soil with a layer of permafrost below the soil
• Resources provided by the biosphere

  • food
  • medicine
  • building materials
  • fuel
• Humans exploiting the biosphere (energy)

  • Large scale deforestation for growing crops that can be used for biofuels
  • Areas of tropical rainforest are flooded by building of hydroelectric dams
  • Fracking can pollute the air and contaminate groundwater
• Humans exploiting the biosphere (water)

  • Water sources are being over-exploited due to high demand leaving plants and animals with not enough water to survive
• Humans exploiting the biosphere (minerals/mining)

  • Deforestation to clear land
  • Toxic chemicals from mines end up in rivers
  • Open pit mines reduce land surface for habitats
• Soil properties of a tropical rainforest

  • Isn't very fertile because heavy rain washes nutrients away
  • Decaying leaves provides a nutrient rich surface on the soil
  • The nutrient layer is very thin as decay is fast due to tropical rainforest climate
• Water properties of a tropical rainforest

  • Most rainfall is intercepted by the tree canopy
  • Some water is absorbed by plants
  • Water runs off soil into streams
• Plant properties of a tropical rainforest

  • Trees are evergreen
  • Trees are really tall
  • dense vegetation cover
  • There are epiphytes (plants that grow on other plants)
• Humans in a tropical rainforest

  • Humans make living in tropical rainforest have adapted by hunting, fishing, foraging and growing vegetables
• Examples of interdependence in a tropical rainforest

  • The warm and wet climate means plants grown quickly cause dense leaf cover which shelters the forest floor
  • the lack of wind on the forest floor means plants rely on pollination from bees and butterflies
  • Changes to the ecosystem can have effects. e.g deforestation
• The 4 canopy layers in a tropical rainforest

  • Shrub (<10m)
  • Under canopy (10m-20m)
  • Main canopy (20m-30m)
  • Emergent (30m-40m)
• Plant adaptations in a tropical rainforest

  • Lianas - woody vines that have roots in the ground but climb up the trees to reach the sunlight at the canopy
  • Tree trunks -  tall and thin to reach the sunlight, Bark is smooth to allow water to flow down to the roots easily.
  • Drip tips - pointy tips from leaves that allows water to run off the leaves quickly without breaking the leaves.
  • Buttress roots - large roots that help to support large trees due to large surface area
• Animal adaptations in a tropical rainforest

  • Sloths uses camouflage and moves very slowly to make it difficult for predators to spot.
  • Spider monkeys have long, strong limbs to help to climb through the rainforest trees.
  • Birds have modified wings so they can fly in the under canopy (e.g the wings are short and pointy)
  • Toucans have a long, large beak to allow it to reach and cut fruit from branches that are too weak to support its weight.
• The 3 stores in the nutrient cycle

  • Biomass (living organisms)
  • Litter (dead organic matter, e.g fallen leaves)
  • Soil
• Nutrient cycle in a tropical rainforest

  Most nutrients are stored in the biomass and the transfer of nutrients is very rapid. This is because...

  • Evergreen trees mean litter is dropped all year round
  • Warm, moist climate means dead matter is decomposed quickly. nutrients are then dissolved in water and soaked up by the soil
  • Dense vegetation and rapid plant growth mean plants roots rapidly intake nutrients from the soil
• Why do rainforest have high biodiversity

  • They've been around for a long time allowing animals and plants to evolve into new species
  • The structed layers have lead to a wide variety specialised of organisms that are adapted to their layer
  • Rainforest climate is the same all year round which means plants are very productive and organisms don't have to cope with changing conditions.
• Goods and services provided by a tropical rainforest

  • Food
  • Medicines
  • Timber
  • Recreation/Tourisms
• How climate change is impacting Tropical rainforests

  • Drier or hotter conditions caused by climate change can lead plants to die and cause wildfires due to drought
  • Climate change will reduce productivity of rainforest meaning they cannot support specialised organisms which will reduce biodiversity because tropical rainforest are highly interdependent#
• Economic reasons for cutting down a tropical rainforest

  1. Land is cleared for palm oil plantations and cattle ranches
  2. Land is cleared for to make room for mining activates
  3. Road building for logging
• Social reasons for cutting down a tropical rainforest

  • Increasing population means land is cleared to make room for new settlements and for fuel (charcoal)
• Soil properties of a deciduous woodland

  1. Thick layer of organic matter(humas) due to fallen leaves decomposing quickly as the climate is mild and wet
  2. Earthworms and other organisms mix the humas and rock minerals from weathered rock to make rich fertile soil
• Water properties in a deciduous woodland

  • rains all year round. water freezes in winter
• Examples of interdependent in a deciduous woodland

  • Components are connected by nutrient and water cycles
  • Trees get nutrients and water from the soil
  • Trees release oxygen which organisms breath in
  • Leaves fall of trees which decompose into nutrients in the soil
  • Trees rely on animals to transport their seeds instead of the wind
• 3 layers of a deciduous woodland

  • Herb layer (5m<)
  • Shrub layer (5m-20m)
  • Canopy layer (20m-30m)