People and the biosphere Flashcards
What is a biome?
A biome is a global scale ecosystem, where all the plants and animals interact perfectly together with a living or non-living environment.
What the characteristics of rainforests?
- hot all year round
- rainfall
- dense forest
- layers of trees
What are the characteristics of tropical grassland?
- hot all year
- tall grasses
- shrubs
- rainfall
What are the characteristics of deserts?
- very hot all year
- cool nights
- less rainfall
- scarce plants
- spines not leaves
What are the characteristics of temperate grassland?
- hot summers
- very cold winters
- short grasses
- very few trees and bushes
What are the characteristics of temperate forest?
- warm summers
- cool winters
- deciduous trees such as oak
What are biotic components?
A biome or ecosystem are all living parts:
- the flora and fauna
- all fungi
- bacteria
- any other form of life
What are abiotic components?
Non-living elements of a biome or ecosystem. Such as:
- rocks
- soil
- air
- water
How does biological weathering components interact?
- when rocks get broken down by living things in Situ for example tree roots.
- some flora and fauna also secrete acids which dissolve rocks
How does photosynthesis and respiration components interact?
- living organisms interact with the atmosphere.
- the process of photosynthesis extracts carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and produce oxygen
How does the nutrient cycle components interact?
- the transfer of nutrients around an ecosystem.
- all ecosystems have three compartments these are: soil, litter and biomass
- nutrients are transferred between the stores.
How does the hydrological cycle components interact?
- trees intercept and slow its passage to the ground reducing surface run-off and therefore reduces flood risk.
How does the atmosphere act as a life support system?
-plants absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen instead.
How does the soil act as a life support system?
- dead leaves and plants add nutrients to the soil.
- insects and animal burrows help soil breathe.
How does the hydrological cycle act as a life support system?
- trees and other plants slow the flow of rainwater to rivers, acting as a natural flood control.
How does food provide us with vital resources?
- fish and meat are part of the biosphere
- sustainable harvesting of fruits, berries and nuts
- natural vegetation can be replaced with crops like wheat and rice
How does building materials provide us with vital resources?
- straw, the dry stalks of cereal plants, is used for roofing and for insulation.
- animal dung can be mixed with clay and straw to make bricks.
- timber, essential for construction, comes from trees
How does fuel provide us with vital resources?
- animal dung is dried and burnt to make fuel.
- wood from trees and shrubs
- biofuels convert plant products to fuel through a range of different processes
How do medicines provide us with vital reasources?
- the periwinkle plant is used to treat Leukaemia and Hodgkin’s disease
- the aloe plant has soothing properties and aloe is used in many cosmetics
- poppies are the source of the painkiller morphine
Why does the altitude affect biomes?
- temperate fall between 0.5 and 1 degrees every 100m in height.
- mountains are exposed to wind, slopes become steeper and soils become thinner.
- forest biomes decrease with altitude
Why does the rock types affect biomes?
- some rocks are permeable and soak up water.
- limestone produces alkaline soils and are dry suitable for beech trees e.g limestones pavement in Yorkshire
Why does the soil affect biomes?
- Sandy soil, quite dry and small air gaps
- clay soil, sticky, poor drainage and holds nutrients
- chalky soils, well drained, grass and barley
- peat, acidic, no rock and decayed plants
Why does the drainage affect biomes?
- impermeable surfaces lead to waterlogged conditions
- can prevent trees from growing with only specially adapted plants able to cope
What are the characteristics of boreal forest one of the world’s major biomes?
- mild summers
- low rainfall
