Topic 7 - People And The Biosphere

Question 1

Ecosystem

Answer 1

Made up of all living and non living things in an area and their interactions

Question 2

Flora

Answer 2

Plants

Question 3

Fauna

Answer 3

Animals

Question 4

Biome

Answer 4

Large scale global ecosystems with distinctive vegetations

Question 5

How does climate affect biomes

Answer 5

The climate in the area determines what type of biome forms

E.g. deserts are found on each of the tropics. Found 30° north and south so the pressure is high so dry weather

Question 6

Why are biomes where they are?

Answer 6

Temperature and precipitation are the main factors affecting what grows in the biome

Question 7

Tropical rainforest biome

Answer 7

Year round high temperatures and high precipitation
Occurs at equator
Wet and warm

Question 8

Hot desert biome

Answer 8

Occurs around the tropics (30° north and south of the equator)
High pressure - dry weather
Sunny

Question 9

Local factors that affect biomes

Answer 9

Altitude
Rock type
Soil
Drainage

Question 10

Altitude

Answer 10

Height of an area
Forest biomes decrease with altitude - becoming stunted
E.g. slopes of Kilimanjaro

Question 11

Rock type

Answer 11

Some rocks are more permeable than others
Some rocks are more resistant
These leads to beech trees replacing oak - dominant species can prevent tree growth

Question 12

Soils

Answer 12

Different plants grow in different types of soil
- this affects the biomes and what humans can gain from them
Sandy soil- dry

Question 13

Drainage

Answer 13

Impermeable rocks may lead to waterlogged surfaces

Waterlogging can prevent trees from growing

Question 14

Biotic

Answer 14

Components of a biome that are living parts

- flora, fauna

Question 15

Abiotic

Answer 15

Components of a biome that are non living

- soils, rocks

Question 16

Biosphere

Answer 16

The part of the earths surface and atmosphere that is occupied by living organisms

Question 17

Biological weathering (2)

Answer 17

When living things break up the rock

Bird poo guano

Question 18

Living things breaking up rock

Answer 18

Tree roots grow into the joints of the rock and break them apart

Question 19

Bird poo- guano

Answer 19

Guano contais uric acid - dissolves the rocks when excreted on cliffs

Question 20

Photosynthesis and respiration

Answer 20

Oxygen produced by plants
Oxygen breathed in by animals
Sugar molecules broken down by animals
CO2 released by animals
CO2 taken up by plants
CO2 used by plants to make sugar molecules

Question 21

Nutrient cycle

Answer 21

As plants and animals die, their tissues fall into the litter store
As living tissue decomposes, nutrients are transferred to the soil store
Some nutrients are lost from litter by surface run off
Plants take nutrients from the soil
Soil loses nutrients by leaching but gains nutrients from the weathering of the rock beneath it

Question 22

Desert

Answer 22

Sand

Question 23

Mediterranean

Answer 23

Cork

Question 24

Tundra

Answer 24

Snow

Question 25

Coniferous forest

Answer 25

Oak

Question 26

Temperate deciduous

Answer 26

Mushrooms

Question 27

Temperate grasslands

Answer 27

Wicker

Question 28

Tropical rainforest

Answer 28

Bananas

Question 29

Tropical rainforest

Answer 29

Mahogany

Question 30

Food from the biosphere

Answer 30

Sustainable harming of fruits, berries and nuts | Fish and meat are part of the biosphere

Question 31

Fuel resources from the biosphere

Answer 31

Animal dung is dried and burnt as fuel | Wood from trees ad shrubs

Question 32

Medicine from the biosphere

Answer 32

Poppies are a source of the painkiller morphine Aloe plant has soothing properties Periwinkle is used to treat lukemia

Question 33

Building materials from the biosphere

Answer 33

Tiber essential for construction- comes from trees Animal dung can be mixed with clay and straw to make bricks Straw is used for roofing and insulation

Question 34

Tropical rainforests | Positives and negatives

Answer 34

Positives - 25% of all cancer drug ingredients are found in the rainforest - 50% of all species live in the rainforest - provides oxygen Negatives - deforestation - mining

Question 35

Why demand for resources is rising? (4)

Answer 35

Increasing wealth Urbanisation Industrialisation Population growth

Question 36

Increasing wealth

Answer 36

Economic development = people getting wealthier - more money to spend on food - can afford cars, fridges, TVs = all use energy - can afford flushing toilets, showers, dishwashers = more water use

Question 37

Urbanisation

Answer 37

Urbanisation increases resource consumption - Cities tend to be more resource-intensive than rural areas e.g street lights and neon signs = more energy use - good and water has to be transported a long way = more energy use

Question 38

Industrialisation

Answer 38

- Manufacturing good e.g cars, chemical and electrical appliances uses a lot of energy - Manufacturing also uses a lot of water Industrialisation is increasing the production of processed goods - this increases the demand for ingredients e.g palm oil

Question 39

Population growth

Answer 39

More people require more resources so demand increases | - increased demand for one source increases the demand for another source

Question 40

Malthus’s theory

Answer 40

- Population was increasing faster than supply of resources - There would then be too many people for the resources available - People would then be killed by catastrophes and the population would return to a level that could be supported by the resources available

Question 41

Boserup’s theory

Answer 41

- People would always produce sufficient resources to meet their needs - if resource supplies became limited, people would come up with new ways to increase production e.g technological advances - always be enough resources available for the population