Chapter 3 - Battle for the biosphere

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Mind Map on Chapter 3 - Battle for the biosphere, created by laurenclark90 on 04/16/2014.
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Mind Map by laurenclark90, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by laurenclark90 almost 11 years ago
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Resource summary

Chapter 3 - Battle for the biosphere
  1. Biomes
    1. Tundra
      1. within the arctic circle
        1. sun gives little heat
          1. little rainfall
            1. temp. below freezing
              1. only tough short grasses will survive
          2. Desert
            1. close to the tropics of cancer + capricorn
              1. hot dry air sinks down to the Earth's surface
                1. sun's rays are concentrated - hot during day
                  1. e.g Sahara
              2. Coniferous forest
                1. at higher latitudes
                  1. sun rays are weak
                  2. trees adapted to cold with needle-like leaves
                    1. reduce moisture and heat loss
                      1. snow slides easily of sloping branches
                    2. Deciduous
                      1. higher latitudes e.g. UK
                        1. high rainfall
                        2. seasonal variations in sun's rays
                          1. trees lose leaves in cool winters
                        3. Tropical rainforest
                          1. mostly either side of equator
                            1. sun's rays concentated
                              1. hot temp. + heavy rainfall
                                1. optimum conditions for evergreen forest
                        4. definitions
                          1. biome
                            1. a large eco-system - grouping of plants + animals over a large area of the Earth
                            2. eco-system
                              1. grouping of plants + animals that interact with each other + their physical environment
                              2. degradation
                                1. the character + quality are being constantly lowered caused by human actions
                              3. Local factors affecting biomes
                                1. Altitude
                                  1. temp. drops 0.5degrees every 100m increase
                                    1. tough grasses replace trees on mountains
                                  2. distance from sea
                                    1. in USA + australia
                                      1. inland areas have low rainfall as moisture is lost
                                        1. said to be a 'rain shadow'
                                    2. Geology + soils
                                      1. e.g. limestone - dry soil conditions because rainwater passes through the rock easily
                                        1. little trees here due to limited water availability
                                    3. A life-support system
                                      1. water cycle - plants slow flow of water to rivers + filter to make clean
                                        1. plants absorb CO2 and release O2 for us to breathe
                                          1. dead plants + leaves add nutrients to the soil
                                            1. insects + animals burrow allowing air to circulate
                                          2. goods provided to us by the biosphere
                                            1. Food
                                              1. natural vegetation is replaced with commercial crops
                                                1. e.g. central USA 'bread basket' naturally occuring grass replaced by wheat + corn
                                                  1. land used for biofuels
                                                  2. fish, meat, fruit, berries + nuts
                                                  3. Medicines
                                                    1. Quinine - painkiller
                                                      1. Periwinkle plant - leukaemia
                                                        1. St John's Wort - depression
                                                          1. Natural store of medicines is called the 'gene pool'
                                                            1. vitamins - oranges
                                                            2. Raw Materials
                                                              1. wood - construction of homes + boats
                                                                1. plant material - thatched roofs
                                                                  1. the baobab tree - stores water in trunk
                                                                    1. vital water source for people living in rural areas
                                                                      1. rainfall is rare
                                                                2. The importance of forests to human life
                                                                  1. Britain - deciduous forests helped make fuel which drove the industrial revolution
                                                                    1. coniferous forests in Scandinavia + North america provide much of world's softwood
                                                                      1. pine for lightweight furniture
                                                                      2. Tropical rainforest - wood, land + medicines
                                                                      3. Degradation of the biosphere by human activity
                                                                        1. mining
                                                                          1. the grande carajas development programme, Brazil
                                                                            1. mines aluminium + iron from huge areas where virgin forest once stood
                                                                              1. so people can make money (economic) from the minerals found
                                                                          2. Timber
                                                                            1. clearance of tropical hardwood e.g. mahogany - fuelled by demand for expensive furniture and flooring
                                                                            2. Agricultural land - landless farmers migrate along new roads in Amazonia
                                                                              1. deforest for firewood + to grow crops
                                                                                1. patterns of deforestation folow road networks
                                                                                  1. soya beans
                                                                                2. Rainforest
                                                                                  1. reasons for destruction
                                                                                    1. timber - buildings, furniture, fuel
                                                                                      1. agricultural land - crops, grazing animals
                                                                                        1. Mining/ Quarrying of minerals - contruction industry, jewellery
                                                                                          1. transport routes
                                                                                            1. Building human settlements
                                                                                              1. Building dams + power stations - power
                                                                                              2. The soya craze
                                                                                                1. the governer of Mato Grosso state is Blairo Maggi - also runs the world's largest soya bean production company
                                                                                                  1. 2003, first year as governer - rate of deforestation of Brazil rose by 40%
                                                                                                  2. response to increased global demand
                                                                                                    1. Cattle ranches (especially Europe) - switching to soya as a healthy + safe food souce for their animals
                                                                                                    2. people want meat-rich diets
                                                                                                      1. demand is high in emerging superpower countires e.g china
                                                                                                        1. citizens have become richer in recent years
                                                                                                          1. more soya bean needed to feed the ever-growing number of cattle
                                                                                                    3. People pressure
                                                                                                      1. over-fishing
                                                                                                        1. pantanal - giant wetland
                                                                                                          1. population of pacu fish has declined
                                                                                                            1. helps disperse seeds of trees
                                                                                                              1. species interdependecy
                                                                                                        2. population
                                                                                                          1. 72 million - 1960 200 million - Today
                                                                                                            1. 1.5% growth per annum
                                                                                                              1. need land for farming + housing
                                                                                                          2. Degradation
                                                                                                            1. direct human actions damaging biosphere
                                                                                                              1. deforestation
                                                                                                                1. mining
                                                                                                                  1. quarrying
                                                                                                                    1. Farming
                                                                                                                      1. overfishing
                                                                                                                      2. ways humans detroy the biosphere indirectly
                                                                                                                        1. pollution + climate change (cause by C02 + CH4)
                                                                                                                          1. sea temp. rise
                                                                                                                            1. seawater acidification
                                                                                                                              1. melting of polar ice caps
                                                                                                                                1. polar bears extending their hunting range inland
                                                                                                                                2. changing amounts of rainfall
                                                                                                                                  1. treeline changes
                                                                                                                                    1. stress within ecosystems
                                                                                                                                3. changes
                                                                                                                                  1. flora + fauna under stress from warming climate
                                                                                                                                    1. droughts reported
                                                                                                                                      1. 2005 + 2010 longer-lasting drought affected a large area covering northwest, central + southwest Amazon
                                                                                                                                        1. caused by unusual northerly shift in rain-bearing winds
                                                                                                                                      2. amphibians, reptiles + frogs are highly sensitive to environmental change
                                                                                                                                        1. rapid decline in frog population
                                                                                                                                          1. temp. change - more vulnerable to disease
                                                                                                                                4. changes for the UK
                                                                                                                                  1. winners
                                                                                                                                    1. growing season in central Enland already lengthened by a month sice 1900
                                                                                                                                      1. can grow exotic species e.g. yucca + olive in warmer , drier southern england
                                                                                                                                      2. new marine wildlife
                                                                                                                                        1. more whales, sharks + sea turtles
                                                                                                                                          1. changes in marine biodiversity caused by warmer water suface temp.
                                                                                                                                        2. Tree-line moving up in scottish highlands
                                                                                                                                          1. bring greater biodiversity to upland areas
                                                                                                                                        3. losers
                                                                                                                                          1. changes in precipitation patterns
                                                                                                                                            1. grasses instead of the naturally occuring deciduous forests in south-east
                                                                                                                                            2. severe heatwave - 2006
                                                                                                                                              1. fewer frosts and winter cold spells since the 1960s
                                                                                                                                                1. trees could become stressed wherever water supplies are limited (well-drained area with highly permeable soils)
                                                                                                                                              2. a 2-4 degree change in temp.
                                                                                                                                                1. major change in geographical distrubution of forests + plant communities
                                                                                                                                                  1. bird + animal species change
                                                                                                                                                    1. 1/2 of UK's migratory birds already seen rapid decline
                                                                                                                                            3. Biosphere conservation
                                                                                                                                              1. global scale
                                                                                                                                                1. The Ramsar convention
                                                                                                                                                  1. Scale: Global, 168 countries have signed treaty
                                                                                                                                                    1. Started: 1971, meeting in Iranian city Ramsar
                                                                                                                                                      1. What it conserves: 2.05 million km2 of wetlands around the world
                                                                                                                                                        1. why: Wetlands provide rich biodiversity eith many rare species
                                                                                                                                                          1. How is it threatened: Population growth means Wetlands are drained for farmland, also vulnerable to climate change
                                                                                                                                                            1. Management type: International treaty protects important wetlands by law
                                                                                                                                                2. National scale
                                                                                                                                                  1. National Parks, UK
                                                                                                                                                    1. Scale: National
                                                                                                                                                      1. Started: 1951, peak district first
                                                                                                                                                        1. What is conserves: areas of natural beauty in the UK - 22,000km2 in 15 parks
                                                                                                                                                          1. Why: important for people's leisure, enjoyment and culture + to preserve wildlife + environment
                                                                                                                                                            1. How they are threatened: any development that would degrade the ecosystems, e.g mining, construction, overdevelopment
                                                                                                                                                              1. Management type: each park has its own authority contolling any new developmet
                                                                                                                                                  2. Local scale
                                                                                                                                                    1. The Caledonian Forest
                                                                                                                                                      1. Scale: local
                                                                                                                                                        1. important biological resource + 'environmental inheritance'for people living in Scottish Highlands
                                                                                                                                                          1. EU funding for restoration of habitat - benefit of future generations
                                                                                                                                                            1. bring back lost aniaml habitat + populations within a part of forest - Glen Affric
                                                                                                                                                              1. restore biodiversity to natural level by management strategy known as environmental stewardship
                                                                                                                                                                1. reintroduce wild-boar - made extinct by hunting
                                                                                                                                                                  1. feed on forest-floor organisms e.g. fungi + insects
                                                                                                                                                                    1. aids growth of trees
                                                                                                                                                  3. Acheiving a sustainable outcome
                                                                                                                                                    1. sustainable - meeding the needs of today without compromsing the needs of future generations
                                                                                                                                                      1. econmic sustainability - continue to generate similar amounts of money without needing lots more money put in
                                                                                                                                                      2. prevent long term damage to an ecosystem
                                                                                                                                                        1. by not polluting it, destroying plants, overfishing
                                                                                                                                                        2. educate local people- why they need to manage ecoystem for their own benefit
                                                                                                                                                          1. e.g. teach sustainable farming methods that won't exhaust the ecosystem
                                                                                                                                                            1. help them benefit socially + economically without damaging environmentally
                                                                                                                                                              1. e.g. helping them to irrigate land better tp produce more crops to sell + eat + keep soil norished/ helping them to make a living through environmental tourism - help conserve environment whilst economically benefitting local people
                                                                                                                                                          2. tensions
                                                                                                                                                            1. social
                                                                                                                                                              1. reintroducing wolves + bears in Europe + North America - regarded as dangerous
                                                                                                                                                                1. must bebefit all groups
                                                                                                                                                              2. Economic
                                                                                                                                                                1. rising population + resource consumption due to poverty reduction e.g. Brazil, China
                                                                                                                                                                  1. want to build econmomic progress - may exploit environment to do so e.g. deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest
                                                                                                                                                                2. Environmental
                                                                                                                                                                  1. reintoducing species and protecting environments e.g. wetlands
                                                                                                                                                                    1. not harming natural resouces so they cannot regnerate
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