Starter quiz
- What term is used for the living ‘layer’ of Earth below the atmosphere?
- aesthenosphere
- biosphere ✓
- hydrosphere
- lithosphere
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- The tropical rainforest is a rich source of __________ for people.
- climate change
- housing
- resources ✓
- savanna
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- Match the following terms to their definitions.
- commercial exploitation⇔the extraction and trading of materials (such as wood) for profit ✓
- indigenous people⇔people who have inhabited an area from the earliest times ✓
- resources⇔materials in the environment that support our wants and needs ✓
- self-sufficient⇔needing no outside help in order to support themselves, e.g. via trade ✓
- The tropical rainforest biome is being increasingly exploited for its resources. Mining is an issue on the Indonesian island of Halmahera, for example, because …
- companies mining nickel are going bust.
- electric vehicle batteries no longer require nickel so demand is shrinking.
- indigenous people are being displaced by forest clearance. ✓
- indigenous people face losing their livelihoods. ✓
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- Coal, oil and natural gas are all ______ fuels and so create greenhouse gas emissions when used to generate electricity.
- 'fossil' ✓
- Hydro-electric power is an alternative to burning fossil fuels for power. However, large-scale hydro-electric dams typically …
- increase greenhouse gas emissions.
- pollute water bodies as they leak chemicals into the river.
- reduce the flow of water downstream of the dam. ✓
- trap sediment which farmers downstream may have relied upon. ✓
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Exit quiz
- To regulate means to ______, for example, the flow of water in a pipe.
- 'control' ✓
- The atmosphere is the air above our heads. Which of the following are components of the atmosphere?
- gases, e.g., nitrogen and oxygens ✓
- liquids, e.g., water droplets ✓
- solids, e.g., ash from volcanic eruptions ✓
- metals, e.g., gold and silver
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- Which of these is a globally-important regulating service that is provided by the biosphere?
- forests have cultural benefits such as human happiness
- forests provide products or goods such as food and fuel
- forests remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere ✓
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- Soil health depends on the ongoing addition of nutrients. The biosphere is involved in two key processes, namely …
- decomposition and weathering.
- leaching and runoff.
- littering and decomposition. ✓
- weathering and runoff.
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- Another term for the hydrological cycle is the ______ cycle.
- 'water' ✓
- Put the following statements in the correct order to show the chain effect the large-scale felling of the tropical rainforest has, with deforestation as the starting point.
- 1⇔deforestation
- 2⇔a reduction in evapotranspiration
- 3⇔a reduction in atmospheric moisture
- 4⇔a decline in local and regional rainfall
- 5⇔farmers are affected by reduced harvests
Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The biosphere regulates the composition of the atmosphere.
- The biosphere maintains soil health and regulates water within the hydrological cycle.
- The biosphere provides globally important services.
Common misconception
The biosphere is affected by the atmosphere but has little impact on it.
The biosphere has significant impacts on the composition of the atmosphere, affecting the concentration of gases and moisture content.
Keywords
Atmosphere - the air above our heads, made up of gases, solids and liquids
Ecosystem services - benefits gained from the day-to-day functioning of the world's ecosystems that support human life
Regulate - to control, for example, the flow of water in a pipe or the temperature in a room
Soil health - the structure, composition and nutrient content of a soil; a measure of soil fertility
Hydrological cycle - the continuous recycling of water in its different states, for example via rainfall and evaporation
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