Component 3 Topic 7 Flashcards
How does the biosphere regulate gases in the atmosphere?
Plants take in CO2 and give out oxygen during photosynthesis while animals take in oxygen and breathe our carbon dioxide. This needs to be done because most living organisms require oxygen to survive and increased levels of carbon dioxide leads to global warming.
How does the biosphere keep soil healthy?
The biosphere hells maintain soil nutrients and structure which is shown through the nutrient cycle. Plants and animals spread nutrients through the soil allowing for future plants to grow. Roots of vegetation also protects soil by holding it in place to protect it from simply being eroded away by wind and rain. Vegetation also intercepts the rainwater further protecting the soil from becoming saturated and waterlogged.
How does the biosphere regulate the water cycle?
Water is taken up by plants so less reaches rivers, thus preventing flooding and major soil erosion. Plants also store water and release it into the atmosphere slowly helping to reduce the risk of drought and flooding.
How does population change affect the demand for resources?
Increasing population equals an increased demand for resources. An increase in demand for one resource can also increase the demand for another. For example, more people, means more food needs to be grown, meaning more water is needed or more energy is needed to produce food. As water demand increases in countries that need it, energy use will increase as the water needs to be transported.
What impact does urbanisation have on the demand for resources?
Urbanisation means more energy demand and use because cities require lots of lights which means a lot of energy use. People in urban cities also consume a lot more water which may need to be transported long distances to reach peoples homes.
What impact does increasing wealth have on the demand for resources?
As people become wealthier they can afford to spend more meaning they want more. Because they can afford it many richer people over-shop meaning a lot of food will go to waste and richer people often buy expensive goods which require a lot of electricity and energy to use, further putting pressure on global resources.
What impact does industrialisation have on the demand for resources?
Industrialisation and manufacturing goods within factories often requires a lot of energy to run machines and create goods. The increased production of processed goods also increases the demand for goods such as palm oil from the rainforest.
What is malthus’s population theory?
Malthus believed that the population was increasing much faster than supply of resources, so eventually there would be too many resources for the amount of resources. He believed that when this happened many people would die through war and illness until the population returned to a level that was supported by the amount of resources.
What is Boserup’s population theory?
Boserup believed that no matter how large the population grew, man would always find a way to produce sufficient resources to meet their needs. She thought if a resource became limited, science would find a technological way to reproduce the resource or to make a new resource.
