Geo

Created by: Hussianehdoei
Created on: 14-10-19 23:41

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Humans and The Biosphere
- Biomes
  - Tropical Forests
    - 23.5° north - 23.5° south of the equator.Hot and wet all year.Rich in plants and animals.Poor soils.
      - Near equator so high radiation causing heat to rise and causes condensation and precipitation
  - Temperate Forests
    - 40-60° north and south of the equator.Cool summers and mild winters.Rain throughout the year.Rich deciduous woodlands.
      - High altitudes, low pressure systems, rising air helps rainfall all year round, In winter, little photosynthesis so trees lose leaves to conserve energy
  - Boreal Forests (Taiga)
    - 60° north of the equator and on mountains.Long, cold winters.Short, mild summer.Limited rainfall.Coniferous trees.
      - Temoerature cold as high pressure system, also low precipitation.
  - Tropical Grasslands
    - Within the tropics. Mainly between 5° and 15° north and south of the equator.Hot with a wet and dry season.Mainly grass and a few specially adapted trees.
      - Located further from equator where temp is high but there is a dry season so tree growth is prevented
  - Temperate Grasslands
    - 40-60° north and south of the equator.Warm summer and very cold winter.Quite low rainfall.Mainly grassland vegetation.
      - Often away from coasts, mild summers and very cold winters which limits plant growth
  - Deserts
    - 15-30° north and south of the equator.Very hot and dry.Limited plants.
      - Air sinks so there is a higher hold of moisture so little condensation and cloud formation leading to higher temp during day
  - Tundra
    - Far north.Below freezing for most of the year.Ground permanently frozen.Light snow.
      - Close to poles, low precipitation and little sunlight hours and high pressure systems and high winds.
  - Local factors affecting biome distrinbution
    - Altitude
      - Different plants grow at different temperatures within the same biome - the higher the altitude the lower the temperature
    - Rock and Soil Type
      - This can affect how fertile different areas are within a biome.So if two different soil( one from two different biomes) got mixed together, the trees/plants, and any other organisms in the ground may not survive.
    - Drainage
      - Swamps and bogs occur where drainage is poor, with fewer, more specialised plants growing there
    - Biotic=living and abiotic=non-living. They interact as if there is low precipitation (abiotic) then plant growth may be limited (biotic)
- Biosphere as vital life support
  - Indigenous and local people
    - Food
      - Fish and meat are part of the biosphere
      - sustainable harvesting for fruits and nuts and berries
      - water is sourced from the sea and filtered to drink.
    - Medicine
      - The aloe plant has soothing properties and aloe Vera is used in many cosmetics.
      - vitamins from veg and fruit.
    - Building materials
      - vitamins from veg and fruit.
      - straw from plants can be used as roofs and insulation
    - Fuel
      - mining from the mountains
      - wood from trees and shrubs.
      - oil and gas
      - bio-fuels convert plant products to fuel through a different range of resources.
  - Exploitation of resources
    - Water
      - Gold mining requires immense amounts of water to break rocks with high pressure cannons
      - Aquifiers are being used to supply increasing demand of water
    - Energy
      - Hydro-electric dams provide energy but also result in deforestation. Problems include:flooding of large areas of forestpeople may have to movedrowned forest rots and adds carbon to the atmosphere
      - Fuel wood also being used
    - Food
      - Demand for beef (and soya to feed cattle) has led to mass deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Destroying habitats and indigenous people’s homes.
      - Major areas of forest are being cut down for crop harvesting
      - Palm oil is used in pizza dough, shampoo, soap, noodles and ice cream. And is majorly exploited in some Biomes
  - Helps maintain life
    - Regulatory- Stores carbon, emitting oxygen, purifying water.
    - Provisioning- Food, nuts, water berries, fish, fuelwood, timber etc
    - Cultural- recreation, tourism, education, well being and happiness
    - Supporting- Nutrient cycling, photosynthesis, food waste, soil formation
  - Global trends increasing
    - 2 main theories that connect population and resources- Malthus and Boserup
      - Malthus theory- 1766-1834 was pessimistic and thought it was impossible to increase food population as rapidly as population growth as population grows geometrically (1,2,4,8,16) and population is arithmetic (1,2,3,4,5,6)
      - Boserups theory- 1910-1999 thought technology would outgrow population so there wouldnt be a deficit.

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