The concepts of environment, natural and anthropogenic biomes, land cover change, ecosystem structure and dynamics, biodiversity loss, climate change and sustainability

Question 1

Environment

Answer 1

The living and non-living elements of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere. It includes human changes to the Earth’s surface, for example, croplands, planted forests, buildings and roads.

Question 2

Natural biome

Answer 2

Community of life forms adapted to a large natural area often named after the dominant vegetations type e.g., grassland, desert, and tundra biomes.

Question 3

Anthropogenic biome

Answer 3

‘Human biomes’ showing patterns of human activity that have been created as a result of sustained direct human interactions with ecosystems, therefore changing natural ecosystems and environments e.g., villages, croplands, and dense settlements.

Question 4

Land cover change

Answer 4

The changes that have taken place to natural environments due to a variety of natural and/or human-induced causes.

Question 5

Ecosystem

Answer 5

A community of living organisms and their interactions with the non-living features of an environment.

Question 6

Ecosystem structure/dynamics

Answer 6

Abiotic (non-living): components which consist of climatic features such as sunlight and humidity, inorganic substances such as water and organic substances such as protein.

Producers (autotrophic organisms): convert solar energy into chemical energy and can store energy for later use

Consumers (heterotrophic organisms): relient on other organisms for nutrients and can be categorised into herbivores and carnivores

Decomposers (heterotrophic organisms): breakdown dead organic matter and water matter e.g., fungi

Question 7

Biodiversity loss

Answer 7

A decrease in species, genetic and/or ecosystem diversity

Question 8

Climate change

Answer 8

The long term permanent shift in some or all parts of the weather conditions experiences in an area

Question 9

Sustainability

Answer 9

Meeting the needs of current generations without compromising the needs of future generations through simultaneous environmental, economical and social adaptions and improvements.

Question 10

Account for Forest Environments

Answer 10

An example of natural biomes which cover approx. 1/3 of the world. They store much of the world’s carbon and contain about 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity.