G7:People and the biosphere

Question 1

What are temperature and sunshine intensity controlled by?

Answer 1

Latitude

Question 2

What is the temperature like near the equator? This means the climate is ______seasonal

Answer 2

the sun is more intense and is at a high angle all year, thus the climate is not seasonal (constant)

Question 3

What is the temperature like towards the poles? This means the climate is ______ seasonal

Answer 3

winter is longer and colder: the climate is more seasonal

Question 4

Why is plant growth limited in polar areas?

Answer 4

sunshine intensity is low

Question 5

What is precipitation influenced by?

Answer 5

Latitude

Question 6

What does climate effect that determines the characteristics of a biome?

Answer 6

The growth of plants

Question 7

How does temperature affect the growth of plants?

Answer 7

It determines the length of growing season

Question 8

How does precipitation affect the growth of plants?

Answer 8

Precipitation provides water

Question 9

How do sunshine hours affect the growth of plants?

Answer 9

Sunshine hours affect photosynthesis

Question 10

List all biomes in order

Answer 10

Tundra, Taiga, Temperate, Mediterranean, Desert, Rainforest, Savanna

Question 11

What does the acidity/alkalinity of soil influence?

Answer 11

the different types of plants that will grow

Question 12

What do rocks release into the soil? Why?

Answer 12

Rocks release nutrients and chemicals into the soil due to chemical weathering

Question 13

What does soil type depend on?

Answer 13

depends on rocks type: soil can be acidic, neutral or alkaline

Question 14

What three factors affect the wetness of the soil?

Answer 14

• amount of precipitation
• amount of evaporation
• permeability of the soil

Question 15

What happens to rainfall and temperature as altitude increases?

Answer 15

Temperature decreases and precipitation increases

Question 16

What pattern is formed due to the differences in temperature and rainfall?

Answer 16

altitudinal zonation

Question 17

What are biomes estimated to be worth?

Answer 17

US$4-6trilllion

Question 18

List the 4 services provided by a biome

Answer 18

Provisioning, Supporting, Regulating, Cultural

Question 19

What are provisioning services?

Answer 19

Products obtained from the ecosystem

Question 20

How do regulating services keep areas and the planet healthy?

Answer 20

-storing carbon and emitting oxygen
-purifying water and regulating the flow of water in the hydrological cycle

Question 21

What do supporting services do?

Answer 21

They keep the biome healthy

Question 22

What are cultural services?

Answer 22

Benefits people get from visiting or living in a healthy ecosystem

Question 23

What are some examples of cultural services provided by a healthy ecosystem?

Answer 23

-recreation and tourism
-education and science
-spiritual well-being and happiness

Question 24

Who profits from commercial exploitation of biomes?

Answer 24

TNCs, jobs and income

Question 25

What are large areas of biomes cleared for?

Answer 25

commercial farming, mining for metal ores, timber construction of dams for HEP and water supply

Question 26

What are the consequences of biomes not growing back once cleared for commercial exploitation?

Answer 26

they cannot store carbon, prevent flooding or provide recreation, ecosystem services are destroyed

Question 27

How many Efe people depend on the rainforest?

Answer 27

30,000

Question 28

What do indigenous people depend on the forest for?

Answer 28

-wood for housing & cooking fires - food - hog for selling - wild honey for medicine - faith

Question 29

How much carbon is stored by biomes and in what form?

Answer 29

120 billion tonnes of Carbon is locked up in biotic material

Question 30

What is the process of locking up carbon called? It works through ________

Answer 30

Carbon sequestration works through photosynthesis

Question 31

Biomes store carbon as _____

Answer 31

biomass

Question 32

How is the soil a carbon sink?

Answer 32

when plants and animals die, the dead biomass ends up in the soil

Question 33

How is soil fertility (health) maintained in a biome?

Answer 33

By the nutrient cycle

Question 34

How can the nutrient cycle be disrupted?

Answer 34

- removing biomass takes away nutrient stores - heavy rain can wash litter away - deforested areas at rick form soil erosion

Question 35

What is the effect of destroying forest biomes on soil?

Answer 35

interception is reduced and soil is eroded

Question 36

What is the consequence of a reduced amount of infiltration?

Answer 36

Groundwater supplies become low