Unit 3: 7-People and the biosphere Flashcards
What is a biome?
Large scale ecosystem with distinctive vegitation e.g. tropical rain forest.
Name the 7 major biomes.
What chariteristics determine a the location + charateristics of each biome?
Climate as it affect plant growth:
1. Temp-> most important, e.g most seeds nees +5 to grow=> lenght of growing season varies form place to place.
2. Peripitation+ water avalibility-> Plants need water, if spread out=plant grow no dry/ water frozen seasons
3. Sunshine hours/light intensity-> affects photosynethsis=>plant growth
How does latitude influence biome type?
Temp +sun shine are controled by latitued:
-e.g equator has more intense sunlight then ones closer to poles
-Near equator= suns rays are at high angle all year.
-As latitued increases (toward poles)= winter=colder + longer=>more seasonal climate
-Polar areas: sunshine intensity=low, lack of heat+ light= limits plant growth
Precipitation, high/low preasure zones:
-North+ south of equator= 3 major cells.
-Precipiation= higher at rising part as preasure is low ( visa versa).
High and Dry
What would the Uk be if it was total naural?
Almost all coverd in** temprate** forest with Deciduous trees (lose leafes in autumn)
What local factor can cause forest to alter? What does this produce?
-rock + soil type->
-Water avalibilty + darinage
-altitude
-Man’s introduction of foriegn species
=>Produce diff ecosystems=localised biomes as diff conditions may favour some plants more than others
Describe how rock and soil type can create a new ecosystem?
-Rocks undego chemical weathering = relase nutrients/chemicals into soil.
-Soils can be nutral, acidic or alkine depending on rock type wich influnce plants growing there
Describe how water availability+ drainage can create a new ecosystem?
Plant have water prefrances: some can groe in waterlogged soil/ boggy areas some prefere drier soil dependant on:
-amount of percipiation
-Amount of evapouration influenced by temp.
-How permeable soil is, sandy=dry clay=wet
Describe how altitude can create a new ecosystem?
- temp drops 6.5 every +1000m
- High altiudes= below freezing is common= limits plant growth.
- Rainfall usally increase with hight
- Below 1000m= tropical rainforest
- As temp fall with hight=chages to mountian + cloud forest
- Trees cannot grow above treeline as temp= too cold
=>Pattern of altitudinal zonation-> temp + percipitaion changes with height= change to ecosystem
What is biotic and abiotic part of a biome?
-Biotic->living part mde of flora + fauna ( plant + animal life)
-Abiotic->Non-living, atmosphere, water, rock +soil.
How do biotic and abiotc compents interact in an biome
- Water availbility affects plant that can grow e.g dry soil= only cacti ect can grow. Plant take in water from soil an relase into atmosphere= mostur provided for futher rainfall.
- Density + type of vegation=>affects soil that forms=>affects type of vegition that can grow e.g dense veg= cover lots of leaf fall= lots lof nutrents added= support new plants
- Some organisms cause biological weathering. Rocks in ground brocken up into smaller becoies by living things e.g rooks braking rock as grow
What is the biosphere?
-All parts of earth occupied by living organismse.g plant anmials fungi ect as well as soil they live in
How do humas extract food out of the biosphere?
-Many indigenous get food direct fom plants+ anmals
-some forage for fuit, nuts, veg
-Hunting+ trapping animal ching fish
-Growing ceral veg + raising live stock
How do humas extract medicine out of the biosphere?
-Many plants have medical properties, may used to cure/ treat
-Plants form tropical rain forest- 7000 drugs
How do humas extract building materials out of the biosphere?
-Trees+ plants can be used to build e.g.pine form taiga for funiture
