1. What is an ecosystem?
A natural system made up of plants, animals and the environment. Biotic are the living features and Abiotic are the non-living factors such as sunlight.
What size are ecosystems?
They can be small scale like a pond or a hedgerow or they can be global such as Tropical Rainforests.
Food Chains and Food Webs
This shows the producers (plants) and the consumers (animals that eat the plants, and animals that eat other animals). The web is a bit more complex at showing the relationships.
Changes to an ecosystem
Changes can occur naturally or by human activity such as cutting down a hedgerow or farmers using fertilisers.
Tropical rainforest adaptations
Plants have drip tips to allow the rain to run-off so it doesn’t damage the plant. Large leaves to absorb the sunlight. Lianas use tree trunks to climb up to the sunlight.
Animals such as Howler monkeys have strong limbs to leap through the trees. Some frogs have suction cups for climbing. Many animals can swim to allow them to cross rivers e.g. Jaguars.
Distribution of Biomes
Large ecosystems called biomes and each one as its own characteristics depending on its climate.
Tropical rainforest
No definite season. Hot between 20-28c all year round. High rainfall over 2000mm per annum. Usually rains in the afternoon. Plants are evergreen and there are epiphytes which live on other plants and take their nutrients and moisture from them e.g. ferns.
Amerindians are hunter gathers and farm a small garden. After about 5 years they will move on as the soil in the rainforest is not very fertile. The soils are not fertile as the rain washes the nutrients away this is known as leaching.
Hot Deserts
Climate- less than 250mm of rain. Diurnal temp 40c in day to 0 at night.
Soil is shallow and coarse. Not very fertile due to lack of plant material and dry. Few plants. Mammals tend to be nocturnal. People tend to be nomadic and travel in search of food and water.
Hot Deserts- adaptations
Plants can have long roots to get to the water or shallow to get the rain as soon as it happens. Cacti- large stems to store water and thick waxy skin to reduce water loss.
Animals- Nocturnal –Fennec foxes. Snakes can have high body temps. Camels can close nostrils to keep sand out.
Amazon- deforestation- since 1978 an area 3X bigger than the UK gone.
65% is cattle ranching, large areas are cleared by fire for the cows.
20% small scale subsistence farming-farming for just themselves.
10% soy farming which is sold to make a profit.
100 billion tonnes of carbon has been released. In 2008 $6.9 billion made from trading cattle. Brazil the largest exporter of soy beans. Buenaventura mining company employ 3100 in Peru.
Thar- India/Pakistan- Opportunities
Minerals- Gypsum used to make plaster and cement.
Tourism- camel safaris in Jaisalmer.
Energy-solar Bhaleri uses solar in the water treatment.
Farming- most is subsistence. Some commercial due to irrigation- maize and mustard
Thar- India/Pakistan- Challenges
Extreme Temps- hard to work outside.
Water supply-High rates of evaporation and low rainfall make finding water difficult. Indira Gandhi Canal has been built.
Accessibility- Very limited roads. Some places use camels to get around.
Desertification- land to desert.
Causes- overgrazing by cattle. Over cultivation by farmers so no more nutrients. Population growth and demand for fuelwood.
Solutions- Planting trees to hold the soils together. Magic stones in Burkina Faso. A small wall is made to trap in water when it rains. Water management so irrigation doesn’t cause salinization which kills plants.
Tropical rainforest-sustainable management
Selective logging- only cutting certain trees- helicopter logging to remove huge trees.
Replanting trees
Ecotourism- tourists stay in tree houses- Costa Rica protects 21% of its country as it is important for their GDP.
Forest Stewardship Council- stamp products to show the product is sustainable.
Reducing debt- USA in 2008 reduced Peru’s debt by $25 million to save some of the rainforest.

2. What is an ecosystem?
A natural system made up of plants, animals and the environment. Biotic are the living features and Abiotic are the non-living factors such as sunlight.
What size are ecosystems?
They can be small scale like a pond or a hedgerow or they can be global such as Tropical Rainforests.
Food Chains and Food Webs
This shows the producers (plants) and the consumers (animals that eat the plants, and animals that eat other animals).
Changes to an ecosystem
Changes can occur naturally or by human activity such as cutting down a hedgerow or farmers using fertilisers.
Tropical rainforest adaptations
Plants have drip tips to allow the rain to run-off so it doesn’t damage the plant. Large leaves to absorb the sunlight. Lianas use tree trunks to climb up to the sunlight.
Animals such as Howler monkeys have strong legs to leap through the trees. Some frogs have suction cups for climbing.
Distribution of Biomes
Large ecosystems called biomes and each one as its own plants, animals and climate (characteristics)
Tropical rainforest
Hot between 20-28c all year round. High rainfall over 2000mm per year. Usually rains in the afternoon. Plants are evergreen.
Amerindians are hunter gathers and farm a small garden. After about 5 years they will move on as the soil in the rainforest is not very fertile (good). The soils are not fertile as the rain washes the nutrients away this is known as leaching.
Hot Deserts
Climate- less than 250mm of rain. Diurnal temp 40c in day to 0 at night.
Soil is shallow. Not very fertile due to lack of plant material and dry. Few plants. Mammals tend to be nocturnal. People tend to be nomadic and travel in search of food and water.
Hot Deserts- adaptations
Plants can have long roots to get to the water or shallow to get the rain as soon as it happens. Cacti- large stems to store water and thick waxy skin to reduce water loss.
Animals- Nocturnal –Fennec foxes. Snakes can have high body temps. Camels can close nostrils to keep sand out.
Amazon- deforestation- since 1978 an area 3X bigger than the UK gone.
65% is cattle ranching, large areas are cleared by fire for the cows.
20% small scale subsistence farming-farming for just themselves.
100 billion tonnes of carbon has been released.
In 2008 $6.9 billion made from trading cattle. Brazil the largest exporter of soy beans. Buenaventura mining company employ 3100 in Peru.
Thar- India/Pakistan- Opportunities
Minerals- Gypsum used to make plaster and cement.
Tourism- camel safaris Energy-solar Bhaleri uses solar in the water treatment.
Farming- most is subsistence. Some commercial due to irrigation- maize and mustard grown.
Thar- India/Pakistan- Challenges
Extreme Temps- hard to work outside.
Water supply- very little water available.
Accessibility- Very limited roads. Some places use camels to get around.
Desertification- land to desert.
Causes- overgrazing by cattle. Over cultivation by farmers so no more nutrients. Population growth and demand for fuelwood.
Solutions- Planting trees to hold the soils together. Magic stones in Burkina Faso. A small wall is made to trap in water when it rains.
Tropical rainforest-sustainable management
Selective logging- only cutting certain trees- helicopter logging to remove huge trees.
Replanting trees
Ecotourism- tourists stay in tree houses- Costa Rica protects 21% of its country
Reducing debt- USA in 2008 reduced Peru’s debt by $25 million to save some of the rainforest.