Battle for the Biosphere Flashcards
What is a biome?
A biome is a large ecosystem on a global scale.
Name the five major biomes in the world?
1) Coniferous forest Biome
2) Deciduous temperate forest Biome
3) Tundra Biome
4) Desert Biome
5) Tropical Rainforest Biome
What three main things does the biosphere do for us?
1) It regulates the gases that make up the atmosphere - plants absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen for us to breathe in.
2) It regulates the water, plants slow the flow of water to rivers and filter water to make it clean
3) It keeps soil healthy for plants to grow, new nutrients are provided by rotting plant material.
Name 3 medicines provided by the biosphere.
Vitamins
St John’s wort - made from plants
Periwinkle - made from plants
Name 5 raw materials provided by the biosphere.
1) Bamboo
2) Timber
3) Rubber
4) Water
5) Oil and gas store carbon
Give four ways in which humans threaten the biosphere directly.
1) Deforestation
2) Mining and Quarrying
3) Farming
4) Overfishing
Give six ways in which humans threaten the biosphere
indirectly.
Pollution and climate change causing:
1) Sea temperature rise
2) Seawater acidification
3) Melting of polar ice caps
4) Changes in amounts of rainfall
5) Treeline changes
6) Stress within ecosystems due to rapid change
Give six reasons for deforestation.
1) Timber used as a building material, furniture and fuel
2) Creation of agricultural land for growing crops or grazing animals
3) Mining or quarrying of minerals for construction or jewellery
4) To create transport routes
5) To build human settlements
6) To build dams and power stations
Give one example of biosphere conservation at a local/national scale.
National Parks, UK
Started in 1951
Set up to conserve areas of outstanding natural beauty
Important for people’s leisure, enjoyment and culture and to preserve wildlife and environment
Each park has it’s own authority controlling any new development
Give one example of biosphere conservation at a global scale.
Why is it important to protect wetlands?
How does the treaty protect wetlands?
Ramsar, 1971 - 168 countries have signed up to it
Conserves wetlands around the world
Wetlands provide rich biodiversity with many rare species
International treaty protects important wetlands by law as they are vulnerable to climate change and have been drained for farmland in some areas
Give four local factors and explain how they affect biomes?
1) Altitude - Different plants grow at different temperatures within the same biome, the higher the altitude the higher the temperature.
2) Rock and soil type - this can affect how fertile different areas are within a biome
3) Rainfall - Different types and amounts of plants will grow in different parts of the biome depending on the amount of rainfall received, inland areas are usually drier.
4) Distance from the sea - this affects the amount of rainfall and temperatures within the same biome.
5) Drainage - swamps and bogs occur where drainage is poor, fewer more specialist plants grow in boggy areas.
What is sustainability?
Sustainability is the ability to keep something going at the same rate or level, usually using natural resources and as little money as possible.
Something is sustainable if it meets the needs of present generations without preventing future generations having the capability to meet their needs.
What does sustainable management of the biosphere involve?
4
1) Ensures the biosphere can recover quickly from any use
2) Prevents damage to the ecosystem/environment
3) Helps local people to benefit for the local environment/ecosystem
4) Helps local people to understand why this method of management benefits them
Case study Sustainable management.
What has been done in this area?
What is the core conservation area?
What is the buffer zone?
Kiluum Cameroon
It is a sustainable forest reserve, the land is divided into zones all used for different purposes and with different levels of protection.
The core conservation are is an area of selective logging where some trees remain to maintain tree cover and tree nurseries to replace cut down trees.
The Buffer zone is used lightly on a rotational basis, large scale planting maintains biodiversity, surrounds the core
