People And The Biospshere

Question 1

What is a biome?

Answer 1

A large scale global ecosystem with distinctive vegetation and animals
-they are dependent on climate

Question 2

What is a ecosystem?

Answer 2

A grouping of plants and animals as well as abiotic factors that interact with each other and their local environment

Question 3

Where are the taiga and tundra biome found?

Answer 3

• at higher latitudes where the sun rays are weak, it has dense coniferous forests
• tundra is within the arctic circle so there is little guest and rainfall, sparse vegetation

Question 4

What are the tropical and temperate biomes?

Answer 4

• Tropical are found mostly either side of the equator, heavy rainfall and hot temperatures, dense vegetation
• temperate bio,es have high rainfall and also seasonal variation in the sun’s rays, shrubs and deciduous trees

Question 5

What is the desert biome?

Answer 5

Close to the tropics of cancer and Capricorn due to high pressure that sinks and forms arid climates
-close to the equator so sun beams are concentrated overhead leading to extreme temperatures and sparse vegetation

Question 6

In what ways is altitude a local factor?

Answer 6

• the higher the altitude the lower the temperature, it falls at a rate of 1° for every 100m
• mountain slopes are more exposed to wind and precipitation so hardier species and stunted growth
• slopes are steeper and therefore soil is usually thinner and less effective at supporting life

Question 7

How do costal regions act as a local factor?

Answer 7

• land dissipates heat more easily than water
• costal areas have warm summers and more mild winters as the sea water can retain heat for longer heating surroundings areas
• prevailing winds concentrate warm wind to costal areas so more vegetation can grow

Question 8

How does drainage effect local factors?

Answer 8

Swamps and blogs occur where drainage is poor

-fewer more specialist plants grown in boggy areas

Question 9

What is a biotic factor and biodiversity?

Answer 9

The living component of an ecosystem such as the flora and fauna
-biodiversity is the variety of biotic factors in an ecosystem

Question 10

What is an abiotic factor?

Answer 10

The non living components of an ecosystem like soil, water and atmosphere
-interacting of both helps keep the ecosystem in equilibrium

Question 11

Why do soil and rock type act as a local factor?

Answer 11

• this effects how fertile different areas are and what can grow
• e.g. sandy soil has air gaps so water drains easily but clay has few air gaps so holds nutrients and water
• some rocks are harder than others so wear away quicker and have varying permeability

Question 12

What are some interactions in ecosystems?

Answer 12

• biological weathering
• biochemical weathering like bird droppings contains uric acid that dissolved rocks
• nutrients cycle and Gersmhels Model showing transfers
• carbon cycle and photosynthesis

Question 13

What is an example of a biotic/abiotic interactions in the taiga?

Answer 13

Low biodiversity

• abiotic component: long cold waters, little precipitation and heat
• biotic component : only specialist plants can grow so small number of animals and plants

Question 14

Why are trees an important local factor?

Answer 14

Hydrological cycle regulation

• interception of water decreasing surface run off and loss of nutrients preventing flooding and starving of minerals
• transpiration increases chances of drought as gives of moisture proving it for future rainfall
• photosynthesise

Question 15

What are biosphere resources?

Answer 15

• food sources can be harvested and planted
• clothes e.g of animals
• fuel through burning trees, dung, bioethanol and oil
• furniture through wood, straw and mahogany
• medicines like morphine from poppies and aloe plants with soothing properties

Question 16

What is shifting cultivation and commercial exploitation?

Answer 16

• removing large areas through deforestation with no effort to sustain it for economic gain by large scale companies
• subsistence farming sustainably clears areas in a cycle so species have a change to regrow usually done by indigenous tribes

Question 17

What does the biosphere do that is important?

Answer 17

• regulates the water cycle by slowing the flow of water to rivers and filtering it to make it clean
• keeps soil healthy for new plants to grow for example new nutrients are provided by rotting plants material
• regulates gases that make up the atmosphere by photosynthesis

Question 18

Why are people deforesting?

Answer 18

• cattle farming
• crops like palm oil and cocoa
• mining materials like copper
• timber for paper and construction

Question 19

Why is pressure on resources increasing?

Answer 19

• Population has grown exponentially so there is a greater demand for food resources
• urbanisation is land is cleared and more resources are used (developed use 10 times more natural resources than those in developing)
• affluence due to the rising wealth of people and GDP
• water shortages as demand will increase by 55% by 2050

Question 20

What is Malthus’s view towards pressure on resources?

Answer 20

Pessimist
-as population increased the food supply would struggle to keep up leading to death, war or famine as a result all of which would reduce the population back down to a safe number

Question 21

What is Boserup’s view towards pressure on resources?

Answer 21

• optimist
• believed that as population increases so would human innovation and cultivation methods so that the population could increase safely

Question 22

What is evidence to support Malthus?

Answer 22

• in 2007 people fought over rising food prices
• countries are fighting over water resources like the Nile
• many believe Iraq wars was based of control over oil supplies
• 10 million in Africa are facing food shortage and famine due to failed crops and no water

Question 23

What is evidence to support Boserup?

Answer 23

• sea water can be distilled to make it safe to drink
• renewable energy resources will replace need for oil
• China’s one child policy slowed population growth
• new plants have been made stronger through genetic engineering etc so can be grown in poor conditions

Question 24

How does the biotic factor of trees regulate the biotic factor of gas concentration?

Answer 24

-they regulate gases through photosynthesis reducing carbon dioxide and increasing oxygen