1) People And The Biosphere Flashcards
What is a biosphere
Living layer of earth
What is the biosphere divided up into
Biomes
What is a biome
Large area charactarized by certain types of plants and animals
3 types of biomes
Tundra - grasses
Boreal forest - coniferous trees
Temperature deciduous forest - deciduos trees
What is the location and characteristics lf a biome determined by
Climate as this affects the growth of plants
What are 3 main climate festures for tye location of a biome
Temperature- most plants need temp 5 degrees + to grow
Precipitation- plants need water
Sunshine snd intensity- affects photosynthesis
Where are forest biomes found
Areas of low pressure and high rainfall
What are some examples of local factors
Rock and soil type
Water availability and drainage
Altitude
How does rock and soil type affect plant growth
Rocks undergo chemical weathering which release chemicals and nutrients into soil. The acidity/alkalinity of soil infkuences the plants that will grow there
How does water availability and drainate afrect plant growth
Some plants can grow with their roots in waterlogged soil whereas some cant
How does altitude affect the biomes with plant growth
At high altitudes below freezint temperstures are common which limits the types of plants that can grow
Treee cannot grow above treeline as temperatures are too cold
What is biotic
Once living such as plants and animal
What is abiotic
Not living stuff such as atmosphere, water, rock and soil
What are large areas of biomes cleared for
Commercial farming
Construction of dams for hydroelectric power
Timber to make paper
Why doee commercial exploitation of biomes take place
Provides profits for TNCs , jobs for people and income for governments
Why are biomes so important
They keep the atmosphere in balance by regulating the levels of carbon dioxide. Without them natural hazards such as flooding would be much more common
What was the malthusian view
He believed that population would eventually outstrip food supply which woulf cause a high demsnd in the resources
What was the boserupiam view
She believed that as population grows humans invent new ways of producing more food ( through use of technology)
What kind of climate do temperature deciduous forests need
Mild climate
What do biomes provide humans with
Goods and services
Goods- physical material such as timber from trees or fish caught in a lake
Services - the prevention methods of flooding
What are large areas of biomes cleared for
Commercial crops such as palm oil, cocoa beans or cereals
Timber - used to make paper
Commercial farming particularly for beef cattle ranching
What are carbon sinks
Natural stores for carbon containing chemical compounds such as co2
