Battle For The Biosphere

Question 1

What is a biome?

Answer 1

A large ecosystem- grouping of plants and animals over a large area

Question 2

What is a coniferous biome?

Answer 2

• Coniferous forests are at higher latitudes where the suns rays are weak.
• Trees are adapted to the cold with needle like leaves
• Canada

Question 3

What is a deciduous biome?

Answer 3

• deciduous forests have high rainfall
• seasonal variations in Suns rad
• lose leaves in winter
• New Zealand

Question 4

What is a tundra biome?

Answer 4

• within arctic circle
• very little hear from sun
• little rainfall
• only short tight grasses live here

Question 5

What is a tropical biome?

Answer 5

• tropical rain forests abound near equator

- hot temperature and heavy rainfall

Question 6

What is a desert biome?

Answer 6

• found close to tropics of cancer and Capricorn
• hot dry air sinks down to surface
• Suns Rays are concentrated
• very hot

Question 7

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 7

A grouping of plants and animals that interact with each other and their local environment

Question 8

How is the biosphere a ‘life-support system’

Answer 8

• it regulates the gases that make up the atmosphere
• it regulates the water cycle (plants slow flow of water to river and filter water to make it clean
• it keeps soil healthy or plants to grow (new nutrients are provided by rotting plant material)

Question 9

What are some goods provided by the biosphere?

Answer 9

• fish/meat/fruits/nuts/berries
• vitamins
• plants used to make medicines
• timber/bamboo/rubber/water

Question 10

What are direct human impacts to the degrading of the biosphere?

Answer 10

• deforestation
• mining
• farming
• quarrying
• overfishing

Question 11

What are indirect human impacts to the degrading of the biosphere?

Answer 11

• sea temperature rise
• seawater acidification
• melting of polar ice caps
• tree line changes
• change in rainfall
• stress within ecosystems due to rapid change

Question 12

What are reasons for rainforest destruction?

Answer 12

• timber for buildings/furniture/fuel
• land needed for agriculture
• mining and quarrying of materials for construction industry
• transport routes
• building human settlements
• building dams/power stations

Question 13

Name and describe a global management scheme for conserving the biosphere

Answer 13

RAMSAR- 168 countries signed up

• 2.05 million km2 wetland conserved
• wetlands provide rich biodiversity of species
• population growth means wetlands drained for farmland
• international treaty protects important wetlands by law

Question 14

Name and describe a national management scheme to conceive the biosphere

Answer 14

NATIONAL PARKS-UK

• conserves 22,000km2 of beauty in UK
• preserves wildlife/environment
• for people’s enjoyment/culture/leisure
• each park has own authority controlling any new development

Question 15

Name and describe a local management scheme for conserving the biosphere

Answer 15

LALO LOOT DRY FOREST RESERVE-Ecuador

• conserves 500 acres of rainforest
• untouched, home to animals+plants
• threatened by clearance for soya production
• owner off land agreed a conservation deal where volunteers care for land, run reforestation schemes+ sustainable tourism to raise funds

Question 16

What are factors affecting biomes?

Answer 16

• rock/soil type: how fertile the area is
• altitude: different plants grow at different temps, the higher the altitude the colder it is
• rainfall: different plants will only grow in certain amounts of rainfall
• distance from sea: affects temperatures+rainfall
• drainage: swamps and bogs occur when drainage is poor

Question 17

How is sustainable biosphere management a benefit?

Answer 17

• ensures environment can recover quick from any use
• prevents damage to ecosystem
• helps local people benefit from environment
• helps local people understand why biosphere is important

Question 18

What are possible economic tensions with biosphere management?

Answer 18

• people and communities want to make money
• this often involves using the biosphere
• they are most likely to cause long term damage to biosphere
• it’s not economically sustainable- comprise lives of future generations

Question 19

What are possible social tensions with biosphere management schemes?

Answer 19

• everyone needs to benefit+not at the expense of another
• socially sustainable means consulting people on an equal basis
• some businesses may flourish at the expense of others

Question 20

What are some possible environmental tensions in biosphere management schemes?

Answer 20

-to be environmentally sustainable involve not harming natural resources so they are unable to regenerate or continue long-term