Geography- Changing Biomes and Skills

• What is latitude and what is it measured by? What line is at 0 degrees?

  • Imaginary parallel horizontal lines around the Earth
  • Measured in degrees, minutes and seconds e.g. _`N, _`S
  • The Equator is at 0` and divides the Earth into the northern and southern hemisphere
• What is longitude and what is it measured by? What line is at 0`?

  • Imaginary vertical lines drawn on Earth
  • Measured in degrees, minutes, seconds e.g. _`W, _`E
  • The Prime Meridian is at 0` and is located in Greenwich, England
  • The Prime Meridian splits the Earth into the Western and Eastern hemisphere
  • Lines meet at the North and South Pole and are the furthest away at the Equator
• What is altitude and how many meters above sea level is considered as high altitude?

  • Altitude is known as elevation
  • It is the distance of an area above sea level
  • If an area is above 2400m, it is considered as high-altitude
  • As altitude is raised, the amount of oxygen, the temperature and air pressure reduces
• What is direction and what is a compass?

  • Direction can help us find the location of something on a map
  • We do this by looking at a compass
  • A compass is a tool to show direction
  • There are 4 immediate cardinal points on a compass (NESW)
• What are bearings?

  • An angle measured clockwise that is made up of a fixed zero line
  • Calculated by measuring the angle north from a clockwise direction
  • Any line that falls from the east of the NS line is 0-180`
  • Any line that falls from the west of the NS line is 180-360`
• What is a climate graph and what does it show?

  • A climate graph shows the general climate of a place and what the long-term trend is in a certain location
  • Shows temperature and rainfall (precipitation)
  • Useful to summarise statistics and give a visual impression of the climate changes throughout the year
  • Precipitation -> column graph and scale on the left
  • Temperature -> line graph and scale on the right
  • Climate graphs are a great way to compare the climate in different areas
• What is an ecosystem?

  • Specific areas of an environment made up of living organisms and is the result of the interaction of the Earth's 4 spheres (lithosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere)
  • It includes abiotic (e.g. sunlight) and biotic (e.g. microorganisms) features
• List and briefly explain the Earth's 4 spheres.

  1. Hydrosphere

  • Relating to all of Earth's bodies of water e.g. lakes, oceans, rivers, streams, icecaps, and groundwater

  2. Biosphere

  • Relating to all of Earth's living things e.g. plants and animals

  3. Atmosphere

  • Relating to the layers of gases surrounding the Earth

  4. Lithosphere

  • Relating to Earth's solid part of the crust, consisting of rocks and soil
• What is a biome?


  A biome is a large-scale community of plants and animals that are adapted to a specific climate and environment.
• What are the 9 main types of biomes?

  • Tundra
  • Tropical rainforest
  • Savanna
  • Taiga (boreal forest)
  • Freshwater
  • Marine
  • Grasslands
  • Desert
  • Temperate rainforest
• What are the main features that influence where a particular biome is?


  • Solar insolation ->the amount of solar energy (sunlight) that reaches a particular area on Earth
  • Solar insolation at the Equator receives the most sunlight
  • The lowest amount of solar insolation is at the north and south pole
• What are some ways that humans change biomes?

  1. Agriculture
  2. Overfishing
  3. Irrigation
  4. Deforestation
• How does deforestation impact biomes?

  NEGATIVELY

  • Loss of habitat; 80% of Australia's land animals live in forests
  • Extreme temperature swings; this can be harmful to plants and animals
  • Reduced rainfall; forests play an important role in the water cycle
  • Increased greenhouse gases; which are usually absorbed by trees
• How does aquaculture affect biomes?


  NEGATIVELY

  • Pollution; fish and other animals are fed artificial food with chemicals that can also pollute the areas surrounding it
  • Loss of fish stock; Most fish-food pellets are made from other species. This means it might take 2-3kg of wild fish to produce 1kg of farmed salmon
  • Loss of biodiversity; many fish species are selectively bred to improve growth rates and native species can change their genetic makeup
  • Loss of wetlands; wetlands provide many ecological benefits such as protecting the shoreline from erosion
• How does rice terracing affect biomes?


  NEGATIVELY

  • Rice crops require an extensive amount of water
  • Stone and mud are used to make the terraces

  POSITIVELY

  • Alternate rice farming techniques are proposed to reduce water usage to grow crops
• What is irrigation?


  The process of artificially supplying water to land or crops to help them grow. (aka canals or sprinklers)
• What is a community?


  • All populations of species within an area.
• What is an organism?


  • Any form of life. Classified as plants (producers), animals (consumers), and bacteria, and fungi that break down organic matter (decomposers).
• What is land degradation?

  Refers to the decrease in quality of the land to the extent where it is no longer productive.
• What are some human causes of land degradation?

  Unsustainable land management practices such as:

  • Land clearance
  • Deforestation
  • Overgrazing of agriculture (done by hard-hooved animals that roam on the land e.g. sheep and cows)
• What is the impact of land degradation?

  • Results in desertification which on extreme levels can cause over-clearing of vegetation, overgrazing, and cultivation.
• What is the impact of over-cultivating?

  Over-cultivating will deplete the nutrients in the soil which is essential for plant growth.

  Farmers will have fewer products to sell which means less profit.
• How does irrigation positively affect an area?

  • Helps with growing crops and increases food production during dry seasons
  • As the population increases, the demand for food increases as well. Without water, food cannot be produced.
  • Provides arid areas with water.
  • If irrigation did not exist, people living in dry areas would suffer from dehydration and starvation.
• How does irrigation negatively affect an area?

  • Places pressure on water supply due to the substantial amount of water used
  • Salinity problems will arise e.g. salt will rise to the surface which kills crops that don't survive in salty environments.
  • Due to the salinity problems, erosion will occur and make the land unuseful for farming
• What is overfishing?


  Fishing more than there is reproduced.

  Includes impractical fishing strategies e.g.

  • Cyanide poisoning, dynamiting of coral reefs and sea floor (which creates pressure on coastal habitats)
• What are the negative effects of overfishing?


  • Causing the collapse of important marine ecosystems
  • Relying on aquaculture which contributes to the decline of the fish population
  • Juvenile fish can die
• What is aquaculture?

  Also known as fish farming, aquaculture involves the process of cultivating aquatic organisms on controlled conditions
• Why is aquaculture good?

  It can bring economic benefits and increase food security.
• What is modern irrigation?


  Irrigation systems such as sprinklers and pivot irrigation are taken through pipe sources to the fields
• What is flood irrigation?

  Water transported by ditch, pipe and simply flows through the crop.
• What are greenhouses used for?

  Allows the temperature to stay warm even during Winter to grow crops.

  Its clear figure allows sunlight to shine through which warms the air and plants inside.

  Light and temperature control allows to turn non arable land into arable land (land that can be used to grow crops)

  Allows crops to grow all year round
• What are some management strategies for deforestation?

  • IBAMA (a police force that searches for illegal deforesters)
  • Expanding the forest code and protected land
  • Soy and beef moratorium which only allows soy to be grown from previous farms and for cows to be raised in existing farms
  • Punishments and regulations
• How does agriculture contribute to habitat loss and fragmentation?


  To make way for croplands and pastures, natural habitats such as forests and grasslands are cleared leading to habitat loss and fragmentation.

  This disrupts ecosystems, reduces biodiversity and displaces native species.
• How does agriculture contribute to soil degradation?

  Intensive agricultural practices such as monoculture and the excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides can degrade soil quality.

  Soil erosion, depletion, and compaction are common consequences.

  This will affect the biome's ability to support diverse plant and animal life.
• How does agriculture contribute to water pollution?

  Runoff from agricultural fields carries pesticides, nutrients, and sediments which can negatively affect water bodies by polluting them.

  Nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus can lead to eutrophication, harming the aquatic ecosystem and organisms that live within it.
• How does agriculture contribute to a loss of genetic diversity?

  Industrial agriculture relies on limited high-yielding plant crop varieties, leading to a loss in genetic diversity within plant species.

  This reduces resilience to pests, diseases, and changing environmental conditions which will lead to long-term risks to food security.
• What are the benefits of deforestation?


  Forest biomes may offer us plenty of goods and services such as wood and food products, clearing forests allows trees to be harvested for paper production and timber, and ores and minerals and be mined from below the Earth's surface
• What are the causes of deforestation in the Brazillian Amazon?

  1. Cattle ranching 65-70%
  2. Small-scale agriculture 20-25%
  3. Large-scale agriculture 5-10%
  4. Logging 2-3%
  5. Other 1-2%