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Life in the Earth System
Chapter 15
The biosphere is the part of the Earth where life
exists.
The hydrosphere is all of the Earth’s water regardless
of the state of matter (solid, liquid, gas).
The atmosphere is the blanket of air surrounding a
planet’s surface.
The geosphere represents the Earth’s surface features
such as the continents, rocks, and the sea floor.
The Gaia hypothesis proposes that Earth is a kind of
living organism with the different spheres interacting
with each other.
The canopy is the uppermost branches of the trees. It
prevents most of the sunlight from reaching the forest
floor.
A grassland is an area where the primary plant life is
grass.
Two general kinds – 1) tropical grasslands 2)
temperate grasslands.
Tropical grasslands (savannahs) receive very little
rainfall. Animals here have adapted to shifting levels
of moisture.
Temperate grasslands receive much more rainfall.
Desert biomes receive very little rainfall (less than 10
inches per year). They are very arid.
Deciduous trees have adapted to winter
temperatures by going dormant during the cold
season.
Temperate Deciduous Forest are characterized by
hot summers and cold winters. Dominant plant
species include oak, maple, and beeches.
Coniferous Trees retain their needles all year round.
Temperate rain forests are characterized by having
one long wet season and a relatively dry summer.
Evergreen conifers dominate this biome.