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Eco systems & enviro
Topics 8&9
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Why does Australia have a lot of endemic species? | Climate, Soils, and Geographical isolation leads to speciation, due to the populations being under different selective pressures. They begin to diverge genetically, may become unable to interbreed, 10,000years. - distinct species. |
| What are Endemic species? | Those that are unique to a particular region. Loss of endemic species means worldwide loss.Different to native species. |
| What is a vascular plant? | Specialised cells called Xylem for conducting water: Angiosperms-flowering plants, Gymnosperms-cones, ferns. |
| Trace the major changes in climate and biomes in Australia following its breakaway from Gondwana; | See notes |
| Give typical common examples of Australian flora and fauna and account for the fact that Australian flora and fauna are significantly different from those of other countries; | Marsupials, such as kangaroos and wallabies, koalas, womats. Monotremes, such as playtipus and ecidna.Some eutherans such as dingos. Sclerophylly such as eucalypts and acacias,banksias, grasslands such as saltbush.Diff-due to geographical isolation. |
| Outline the basic distinguishing characteristics of monotremes, marsupials and eutherians; | |
| give examples of animals which have come to Australia from south-east Asia; | Dingo, |
| define and give a brief description of sclerophylls, and explain why sclerophyll forests are well adapted to poor soil conditions | |
| comment on distinctive features of Australian deserts and forests; | |
| give a couple of examples of plants and animals found in Australian deserts, and indicate how they are adapted to the desert environment; | |
| compare the nature of tropical rainforests, temperate rainforests, wet sclerophyll forests, and dry sclerophyll forests, in terms of location, typical species and nature of canopy; | |
| give a brief description of strategies that Australian forest trees have evolved to survive fire; | |
| describe changes in the fire regime that have occurred after white colonisation of Australia, and the impacts that this might have on Australian ecosystems in the future; | |
| give examples of co-evolution of native plants and animals that have allowed both species to better survive the harsh Australian climate. | |
| What are sclerophylls | Sclerophylly describes a condition exhibited by many Australian plants, in which the leaves are rigid and have a thick waxy cuticle. Many of the Australian plant groups such as some acacias (wattles), eucalypts and banksias show this trait. |
| what are non vascular plants? | mosses, liverworts, algae, lichens, fungi |
| 3 ways to distinguish plants, | vascular non vascular, flowering or non flowering and seeds vs spores. |
| Characteristics of an angiosperm? | Sead bearing, vascular plant, flowers, seeds in fruit, Fruit trees-apple tree. Nut trees, Acacia, Eucalyptus, most food plants, decorative plants. |
| Characteristics of an gymnosperm? | seed bearing, vascular plants, NO flowers, seeds in cones, includes: conifers, pines, cycads, Ginko (maidenhair tree), |
| Characteristics of ferns? | Spores not seeds, vascular, terrestrial and aquatic, 10,000species, no specialised support tissues |
| Charactistics of Mosses and liverworts | spores not seeds, non vascular, BRYOPHYTES, no roots, no vascual tissue, no supporting tissues, no leaves. |
| Charactistics of Algae | Protista, spores not seeds, non vascular, water and nutrients via diffusion, very small or very large, kelp (brown algae |
| Charactistics of Fungi | Spores not seeds, non vascular plants, unable to photosynthesis-absorb food from surrounding environment |
| Charactistics of Lichens | a composite plant a sandwich of algae between two layers of fungi, a symbiotic relationship. About 14000 species, gorw in wide range of habitats, very slow growth. |
| What are the main phylums of animals in Australia? | Chordata-animals with backbones, Arthropoda-insects, spiders, crustaceans, Mollusca, snails, sqiuds, clams, Annelida, segmented worms, Echinodermata, starfish, sea urchins. |
| What are the different types of mammals? | Mammals are hair covered andmilk producing, monotremes lay eggs like platypus and echidna, marsupials have puches like the kangaroo and koala, eutherians-others, but mainly nowadays have a placenta horse, dog. |
| In terms of Geographical isolation, what is internal isolation? | Isolation that occurs within a continent. For example Aust; due to deserts, great divding range, inland seas (20 Ma)leads to different climatic zones and different biomes-different animals and plants. |
| What was Australia like 38 million years ago? | Warm, wet climate, rainforest;cycads, treeferns, nothofagus.Monotremes, marsupials, ratites and reptiles |
| When did Australia separate from south america? | 35-40 million years ago, and that is when the marsupials separated and there was then a barrier to gene flow. |
| As australia separated from antartica and started moving north, what happened to the climate and why? | The climate became, drier and cooler. Due to the change in ocean currents. rainforests decreased and new habitats emerges, open forests, wood,grass and shrub lands, deserts |
| As the climate changed what happened to the animals that were living on Aust? | They either, became extinct, retreated to the remaining rainforest or habitat that was left, or they adapted (most). |
| what did kangaroos and wallabies evolve from? | Small arboreal (tree dwelling) marsupials, after millions of years of evolutionary change and adaptations 35 new species have evolved. |
| What are the new features that kangaroos and wallabies have to help them survive in their habitat? | Hopping, covers long distances, molar teeths with ridges, serial replacement of worn molar teeth, specialised digestive system. |
| What are the characteristics of sclerophylls? | Leaves hang vertically, reduced heat effect with no loss of photosynthesis, hardwaxy cuticle,reduced transpiration and wilting,evergreen, adapted to insect and bird pollination.stomata recessed into both surfaces of leaf, all ofthis prevend water loss. |
| What are the characteristics of sclerophylls? | woody seed capsules(only open after fire), lignotubers, epicormic buds(fire recovery)fire resistant seeds-acacia. Nitrate producing bacteria and Mycorrhizas-root fungi |
| What adaptations do Dry sclerophyll forests have that equipped them for the changing fire regime? | Dry sclerophyll forest or mallee scrub have a "save the parent" defence, epicormic buds (leaves grow on trunk of tree) lignotubers.need frequent low intensity fires. |
| What adaptations do Wet sclerophyll forests have that equipped them for the changing fire regime? | Mountain ash, "sacrifice the parent", hat resistant seeds, required intense fire every 40-400yrs |
| Australian ecosystems- Deserts | The arid Zone-deserts 70% of the continent, only 15% is true desert (simpson desert) |
| Australian ecosystems- Forests | 7% of the continent, rainforests-temperate rainforest (gippsland) tropical rainforest, wet and dry sclrophyll forests. |
| What is the projected world population for 2050? | 9.3 billion |
| How do you calc population growth rate? | Growth rate=(birth rate-death rate)+ immigration rate-emigration rate) |
| Highest population that can be maintained indefinitely in the environment is called the | carrying capacity |
| What is population crash? | The likely outcome of exponential population growth over years, when all resources are consumed. |
| Major factor of reaching the carrying capacity on earth? | The living standards that people expect. |
| What is the total fertility rate ideal? | 2.1, Australia is currently at 1.9 |
| Have births increased or decreased since 1985? | decreased |
| Explain some things that control fertility rate? | availability of space and food • anticipated death rate – particularly high infant and child mortality rates • cultural aspects – economic value of children – age of marriage – use of contraception – education • government and religious influences |
| What is a world ecological footprint | the area of the Earth’s land surface required for the sustainable existence of a human being at current standard of living – WEF is increasing almost linearly – WEF is about 20% above biological capacity |
| What determines carrying capacity? | food production • availability of fresh water • availability of energy • expected quality of life. |
| What are the 3 demographic transitions? | 1. PRE-INDUSTRIAL – both death and birth rates high - stable population 2. EARLY INDUSTRIAL – death rates decline but birth rates remain high - rapid population growth 3. LATE INDUSTRIAL – birth rates decline and death rates remain low - stable po |
| What is I=PAT | Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology – Affluence = consumption per person – Technology = impact per unit of consumption • It is not population per se that degrades • Most pollution occurs in industrialised countries with stable populations. |
| With improvements in medical services and standard of living, death rates fall significantly, but birth rates remain high for several generations. There are many reasons for this, but the primary reason relates to....? | security. In undeveloped countries, with no social security and high infant mortality, children are essential to a family to care for the parents in their old age. |
| Why is an aging population problematic? | higher demands on heath care, less people paying taxes due to retirement, people having to work longer? |
| Under what conditions will zero-population growth occur? | |
| List three factors which could influence birth rates and fertility rates. | |
| Present an argument for the proposition that the world’s population will level off to a constant value during this century. | |
| What changes in population have occurred in the past as a result of demographic transition? | |
| Why does a pyramid-shaped age structure diagram indicate a high growth rate? Give some examples of countries where this occurs. | |
| In general, ‘developing’ countries tend to have higher birth rates. What are some factors that could contribute to this trend? | |
| Discuss at least three consequences of overpopulation. | |
| Suggest three possible causes for the high fertility rates in some undeveloped countries. | |
| Comment on the suitability of methods used by populated countries such as China, India and Mexico to reduce their populations. |
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TLC1819
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