Living Things 1

Living Things 1

1. Ecosystem - The links between plants, animals and non living things around them

   • The environment is the natural or physical surroundings where plants and animals live
   • The non-living environment includes rocks, soil, the air and climate
   • The living environment includes animals, birds, fish, insects and people
   • An ecosystem is the interaction of plants and animals with their non-living surroundings
   • A natural ecosystem is a community of plants and animals unaffected by human activity

2. Biome - An ecosystem on a global scale (e.g Savannah, Tropical Rainforest)

3. FACTORS THAT AFFECT BIOMES

   • Prevailing Winds
     • The direction of the wind. Comes from the ocean (maritime region:will bring precipitation) (continental region:will bring dry conditions). Winds from the sea are wet, winds from land dry.
   • Latitude
     • Heat at the surface of the Earth is not spread evenly. Due to the curvature of the Earth, the same amount of sunlight is spread out. It is hotter closer to the equator and cooler at the poles.
   • Altitude
     • Large mountains are colder because of the lapse rate. Also they are wetter on the wind ward side and have rain shadows leeward sides because they cause relief rainfall. Mountains cause their own climates - colder and wetter.
   • Air Pressure
     • There are belts around the earth where air rises causing high pressure. In low pressure areas the air rises; cools and causes precipitation. In high pressure areas the air sinks, warms and causes clear skies. Air rising:wet. Air sinking:dry.

4. HOW DOES LATITUDE AFFECT BIOMES?

   • Latitude is a major factor in controlling temperature. The heat at the surface of the Earth is not spread evenly. Due to the curvature of the Earth, the same amount of sunlight is spread over a much greater area in the Polar Regions than at the Equator. This is purely due to the suns heat/light travelling in straight lines before hitting the curved surface of the Earth. Due to this same relationship, the suns rays also have to pass through a greater thickness of atmospheres.

5. <-- NUTRIENT CYCLE

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