3.1 Ecosystems

• Ecosystem


  A natural environment that includes flora (plants) and fauna (animals) that live and interact in a particular environment
• Biodiversity


  The variety of plant and animal species within a region
• Biotic component


  The living or biotic components of the ecosystem, which include flora, fauna, and bacteria
• Abiotic component


  The non-living components of the ecosystem, such as climate, soil, and water
• The main factor affecting ecosystem distribution is climate
• Tropical rainforests


  • Annual rainfall between 2000mm and 2200mm
  • Temperature range between 26 °C and 30 °C
• Deserts


  • Unpredictable and low rainfall
  • Average daytime temperature between 30° and 35° C
• Temperature

  • Lower at higher latitudes, so boreal forests are much colder than tropical rainforests
  • Longer growing seasons in warmer conditions
• Sunshine hours


  Lower in tundra ecosystems, meaning much less sunlight for plants to carry out photosynthesis than in tropical rainforests
• Soil types

  Different soil types can lead to different vegetation in the same ecosystem
• Biosphere


  The living layer between the atmosphere and the earth where all plants and animals are found
• Biome


  A large, distinct area of the Earth with similar climate, soil, plants and animals
• Resources provided by the biosphere


  • Food
  • Medicines
  • Building materials
  • Fuels
• The biosphere is exploited for commercial gain, including mineral resources, water, and energy
• As technology and demand increases

  The scale of biosphere exploitation increases
• Impact of mineral extraction on the biosphere


  • Destruction of habitats, large areas of cleared land, and pollution through the use of chemicals
• Impact of water exploitation on the biosphere


  • Less water available for other areas, such as wetlands, meaning plants and animals do not have enough water to survive
• Impact of energy resource exploitation on the biosphere


  • Reduced land available for growing food due to biofuel production
  • Flooding of large areas of land by HEP schemes
  • Damage to permafrost from oil extraction in the tundra
  • Pollution and groundwater contamination from fracking for shale gas
• Wetland ecosystem


  Contains waterlogged soils that are very fertile and support a variety of vegetation
• Common wetland plants


  • Reeds
  • Bulrushes
• Animal commonly found in UK wetlands

  • Otters
• Moorlands are found in upland areas with high rainfall
• Moorland


  Areas of rough grassland and peat bogs that develop in upland areas with high altitude, strong winds, heavy rainfall, and cloud cover restricting plant growth
• Heath


  An ecosystem dominated by heather and gorse plants, found in lowland areas with porous, sandy, acidic soils
• UK locations known for heathlands


  • The New Forest and Surrey Heaths
• Woodland covers 12% of UK land
• Marine ecosystem


  Ecosystems in ocean and coastal environments
• Benefits of UK marine ecosystems

  • Provide energy from sources like offshore wind farms, tidal currents, and waves
  • UK fisheries and aquaculture provide thousands of jobs, and sea angling contributes over £1.5 billion per year to the UK economy
  • Saltmarshes and seagrass provide coastal defence against flooding and coastal erosion
  • Coastal waters help regulate the climate by absorbing greenhouse gases and releasing oxygen
• Impact of energy production on marine ecosystems


  • Construction of offshore wind farms and oil/gas rigs disturbs and destroys ecosystems on the seabed
• Eutrophication


  Occurs when fertiliser runoff from farms leads to excessive growth of algae in the sea, reducing oxygen and light supply to the seabed and destroying marine ecosystems
• Impact of plastic waste on marine life


  • Marine life can get entangled in plastic waste or ingest it, causing suffocation, starvation and drowning