Ecosystems

Key Issues

Titles

Chapters

• A simple map of the distribution will highlight the main vegetation zones as determined by climate
• Changes occur in ecosystems as a result of natural processes and/or human activity
• Changes occur in ecosystems as a result of natural processes and/or human activity. The consequences of such changes may go beyond the immediate ecosystem
• Changes taking place could be recognised and judgements made about exploitation and/or conservation strategies being attempted by opposing groups. An example could be acid rain
• Changes taking place could be recognised and judgements made about exploitation and/or conservation strategies being attempted by opposing groups. An example could be deforestation/afforestation at the national scale
• Changes taking place could be recognised and judgements made about exploitation and/or conservation strategies being attempted by opposing groups. An example could be overfishing an ocean ecosystem
• Changes taking place could be recognised and judgements made about exploitation and/or conservation strategies being attempted by opposing groups. An example could be pollution of a delta ecosystem
• Changes taking place could be recognised and judgements made about exploitation and/or conservation strategies being attempted by opposing groups. An example could be rainforest issues in LEDCs
• Changes taking place could be recognised and judgements made about exploitation and/or conservation strategies being attempted by opposing groups. An example could be the Scandinavian coniferous forest ecosystem
• Conclusions should be drawn about how careful management could achieve sustainability of ecosystems
• current evidence suggests the process of desertification is not irreversible
• discuss the issues surrounding horticultural peat extraction, eg Cuilcagh, Co Fermanagh
• draining, peat extraction, grazing and afforestation in peatlands
• Ecosystems can be perceived as a resource for human benefit
• Ecosystems operate at a variety of scales
• Examples of sustainable forestry may be taken from all areas of the World, e.g. economic forestry in the UK
• Examples of sustainable forestry may be taken from all areas of the World, e.g. replanting strategies in Brazil
• Examples of sustainable forestry may be taken from all areas of the World, e.g. zoning and reserves in Sweden
• Recognition of large-scale ecosystems (biomes) as potential resource use by people and/or organisations e.g. use for leisure and tourism in LEDCs
• Recognition of large-scale ecosystems (biomes) as potential resource use by people and/or organisations e.g. use for leisure and tourism in MEDCs
• Recognition of large-scale ecosystems (biomes) as potential resource use by people and/or organisations e.g. use for sustainable living by rain forest tribes
• solutions such as irrigation schemes bring both advantages and disadvantages in such fragile environments, e.g. irrigation leading to salinisation as in SW Australia
• solutions such as irrigation schemes bring both advantages and disadvantages in such fragile environments, e.g. irrigation leading to salinisation as in the Sahel
• solutions such as out migration bring both advantages and disadvantages in such fragile environments, e.g. out migration causes problems in other areas - shanty towns and desertification on the margins of cities
• the conflicts of interest that exist in the debate over the development of the rainforests, e.g. Brazil
• the conflicts of interest that exist in the debate over the development of the rainforests, e.g. Indonesia
• the conflicts of interest that exist in the debate over the development of the rainforests, e.g. Malaysia
• The consequences of changes as a result of natural processes and/or human activity may go beyond the immediate ecosystem
• The impact of human activity on ecosystems needs careful management to achieve sustainability
• The impact of human activity on ecosystems needs careful management to achieve sustainability, e.g. a coastal ecosystem
• The impact of human activity on ecosystems needs careful management to achieve sustainability, e.g. a delta or other wetland ecosystem
• The impact of human activity on ecosystems needs careful management to achieve sustainability, e.g. a pond ecosystem
• The impact of human activity on ecosystems needs careful management to achieve sustainability, e.g. a woodland ecosystem
• The impact of human activity on ecosystems needs careful management to achieve sustainability, e.g. deciduous forest
• The impact of human activity on ecosystems needs careful management to achieve sustainability, e.g. the savannah
• The impact of human activity on ecosystems needs careful management to achieve sustainability, e.g. the tropical rain forest
• the impact of peat removal on Marble Arch Caves tourist attraction
• the interdependence of people in MEDCs on, eg medical research/cures from tropical ecosystems
• the use of tropical hardwoods in Western Europe
• vegetation clearance in a tropical ecosystem