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Parts of the BiosphereThe biosphere is composed of various Biomes across the world. Each biome is represented my many ecosystems.
Within ecosystems, different communities of plants and animals exist. The different communities are composed of populations of various species. The different species are represented by individuals with differing genetics. Collectively, all these parts of the biosphere are referred to as biodiversity. |
Ecosystem functioningEnergy is cycled through ecosystems vi the food chain.
Food chains start with Producers capturing the sun's energy. This is then passed to consumers. Eventually all organisms will be broken down by decomposers. Each time an organism is consumed by another it is refer to as a trophic level. Large amounts of energy are lost at each trophic level, so ecosystems cannot support large numbers of higher level predators. |
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Variety and distribution of ecosystems
Ecosystems show patterns of variation across latitudes and altitudes. The main reasons for this change are changes in temperature and availability of water.
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local variation of ecosystems
Locally ecosystems show variety due to a range of factors.
a. Aspect
b. Light intensity
c. Water availability
c. Local wind patterns
d. Soil fertility
a. Aspect
b. Light intensity
c. Water availability
c. Local wind patterns
d. Soil fertility
Human impacts on the biophere
There are many human impacts on the biosphere.
a. Climate Change
b. Land Clearing
c. Oversimplification.
d. Trophic Cascades
e. Biomagnification
a. Climate Change
b. Land Clearing
c. Oversimplification.
d. Trophic Cascades
e. Biomagnification