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Geography > People and biosphere > Flashcards

People and biosphere Flashcards

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1
Q

Abiotic components

A

The non-living parts eg. soil, water, rock, atmosphere

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2
Q

Altitude

A
  • higher altitudes are colder so less plants limiting animal species
  • less organic matter so soil is thin
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3
Q

Biome

A

Are large-scale global ecosystems with distinctive vegetation

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4
Q

Biosphere

A

The living layer of Earth between the atmosphere and the lithosphere where all plants and animals are found

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5
Q

Biotic compounds

A

The living parts of a biome eg. plants (flora) and animals (fauna)

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6
Q

Consumers

A

Organisms that receive energy from consuming (eating) living organisms

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7
Q

Decomposers

A

Organisms that break down organic material and release the nutrient back into the ecosystem

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8
Q

Ecosystem

A

Includes all the living things and non-living things in an area

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9
Q

Food chain

A

Shows the biotic interaction within an ecosystem, from a producer to a final consumer

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10
Q

Water cycle

A

The movement of water between the land, bodies of water and the atmosphere

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11
Q

Industrialisation

A

The development of the industrial sector in a country or region

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12
Q

Nutrient cycle

A

The transfer of nutrients through an ecosystem, from the decay of organic material into the production of living organisms

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13
Q

Producers

A

Organisms that convert energy from the environment into sugars

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14
Q

Transpiration

A

The evaporation of water from plants

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15
Q

Urbanisation

A

The increase in the proportion of the population living in urban areas

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16
Q

Climate of a tropical forest

A
  • same all year round
  • stays around 20-28c
  • near the equator
  • high rainfall, rain everyday usually afternoon
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17
Q

Characteristics of a tropical forests

A
  • plants - evergreen trees take advantage of continual growing season, plants adapted to take in maximum light
  • animals - dense vegetation means lots of food + habitats
  • soil - leaves decompose so constant supply of nutrients in soil
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18
Q

Climate in temperate forests

A
  • 4 distinct seasons
  • summers are warm, winters are cold
  • rain all year round
  • days are shorter in winter longer in summer
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19
Q

Characteristics in temperate forests

A
  • plants - broad-leaved trees drop leaves in autumn
  • animals - range of plant provide food + habitat for mammals
  • soil - leave litter decomposes quickly meaning nutrient-rich soil
19
Q

Climate in boreal forests

A
  • short summer 10c
  • long winters -20c
  • low rainfall a lot falls as snow
  • lots of daylight in summer but little to none in winter
20
Q

Characteristics of boreal forests

A
  • plants - trees are evergreen/coniferous such as pine and fir
  • animals - less food and animals need to be adapted to cold climates
  • soil - needles from trees decompose slowly, soil thin, nutrient-poor and acidic
21
Q

Climate of tropical grasslands

A
  • low rainfall 800-900mm per year
  • distinct wet and dry seasons
  • highest temp 35c lowest 15c
  • found at equator so sunshine all year round
22
Q

Climate of temperate grasslands

A
  • hot summers 40c
  • cold winter -40c
  • 250-500mm per year
  • amount of light varies
23
Q

Characteristics of tropical grasslands

A
  • mostly grass, shrubs and small plants
  • some wildlife
  • grass dies in dry season grows back nutrient-rich soil
24
Q

Characteristics of temperate grasslands

A
  • dominated by grass and small plants very few trees
  • some mammals are bison, wild horses and elephants
25
Q

Climate of deserts

A
  • low rainfall less than 250mm per year
  • hot in day (45c) to cold nights (0c)
  • get lots of hours of sunshine
26
Q

Characteristics of deserts

A
  • plants - sparse, only a few plant (cacti, thornbushes)
  • animals - few animals species, adapted to cpe in conditions
  • soil - little leaf litter and dry climate organic matter slow to decompose
27
Q

Climate of tundra

A
  • temperatures are low (5-10c0
  • precipitation loq (250mm per year) most falls as snow
  • high latitudes so near-continuous daylight in summer and near to none in winter
28
Q

Characteristics in tundra

A
  • plants - hard for plants to grow, hardly any trees mainly mosses, grasses and low shrubs
  • animals - little vegetation (arctic hares and foxes), birds migrate south for winter
  • soil - little leaf litter organic matter decomposes slowly, soil nutrient-poor, layer of permafrost can stop water from draining away
29
Q

What are 4 different local factors that affects biomes

A
  • altitude
  • rock type
  • soil type
  • drainage
30
Q

How does water availability affect a biome

A
  • affects plants growth
  • if soil dry only cacti will survive
  • plants take in water from the soil and release it into the atmosphere
31
Q

How does the biosphere provide for indigenous people

A
  • food - some pick berries and some hunt food others grow crops
  • medicine - lots of plants have medicinal properties used to create over 7000 drugs
  • building materials - used for furniture, sap can be used as glue
  • fuel - use wood, moss and dried grass to cook food
32
Q

3 ways humans exploit the biosphere

A
  • energy
  • water
  • minerals
33
Q

how do humans exploit energy in the biosphere

A
  • demand increasing as population increases and more electronic devices
  • large areas cut down in forest to grow crops for biofuels/coal mines/power stations
  • some areas flooded by hydroelectric dams
  • drilling for oil and gas in tundra damages biosphere as pipelines are melting permafrost
34
Q

How do humans exploit water in the biosphere

A
  • demand increasing as global populations increases
  • underground water stores can be over-exploited occurring in arid areas
  • causing plants and animals not having enough water to survive
35
Q

How do humans exploit minerals in the biosphere

A
  • demand for gold and iron is increasing
  • minerals extracted by mining
  • mines in tropical forests cause deforestation and toxic chemicals washed into streams killing wildlife
  • open pit mining removes large areas of land surface
36
Q

How does the biosphere regulate gases in the biosphere

A
  • plants take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen
  • animals take in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide
37
Q

Why is maintaining the balance of gases in the atmosphere important

A
  • most living organisms need oxygen to survive
  • more CO2 leads to global warming
  • more CO2 can make oceans acidic affecting wildlife living there
  • some CO2 is needed to keep Earth warm enough to support life
38
Q

How does the biosphere maintain the soil nutrients and structure

A
  • plants root and animals spread nutrients through the soil maintains soil structure
  • roots of vegetation hold the soil together without this soil can be eroded by wind and rain
  • vegetation intercepts rainfall before it reaches the ground
39
Q

How is the biosphere important on the water cycle

A
  • water taken up by plants so less reaches rivers helps prevent flooding and soil erosion
  • plants store water and release it into the atmosphere slowly
  • large areas of forests can reduce the risk of drought and flooding
40
Q

Factors that increase demand on resources

A
  • population growth
  • increasing wealth
  • urbanisation
  • industrialisation
41
Q

Demand for resources - increasing wealth

A
  • economic development means people are getting wealthier
  • more disposable income meaning more money for food, cars, fridges which uses energy
  • more people afford flushing toilets, showers increasing water use
42
Q

Demand for resources - urbanisation

A
  • cities tend to be more resource-intensive then rural areas - street lights use energy and fountains require water
  • food and water have to be transported and waste needs to be removed increasing energy use
43
Q

Demand for resources - industrialisation

A
  • manufacturing goods use a lot of energy and water
  • when countries become more industrialised demand for energy and water increases
  • increase in production of processed goods, increasing demand for ingredients like palm oil which are often grown on huge plantations
44
Q

Malthus’s theory

A
  • population increasing faster than supply of resources
  • he believed when this happened illness and war would kill everyone until they got to a point where the population would return to a level supported by resources available
45
Q

Boserup’s theory

A
  • however big the population grew their would always be enough resources to meet their needs
  • if resources become limited we would think of new ways to increase production

Geography (9 decks)

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