Download 1 y9 revision material ecosystems and geographical skills • climate

Y9 REVISION MATERIAL

ECOSYSTEMS AND GEOGRAPHICAL SKILLS
CLIMATE GRAPHS AND INTERPRETING CLIMATE GRAPHS
Climate graphs are a combination of a bar graph and a line graph. Temperature is
shown on a line graph, with the figures being shown on the right side of the graph.
Rainfall is shown by a bar graph, with the figures being shown down the left side of the
graph.
Climate graph
The climate graph below shows average annual rainfall and temperature throughout the
year for a particular area.
Climate graph
Interpreting climate graphs
In the exam you may be asked to look at the information in a graph and describe the
area's climate.
1. Look for patterns in the temperature data
o
Is the temperature the same all year round? If it is different, how many
seasons does the location experience?
o
Which season is the warmest? Is it warm (10 to 20°C), hot (20 to 30°C) or
very hot (above 30°C)?
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o
Which season is the coolest? Is it mild (0 to 10°C), cold (-10 to 0°C) or very
cold (below -10°C)?
o
What is the range of temperature? (Subtract the minimum temperature from
the maximum temperature).
2. Look for patterns in the rainfall data
o
Does the rainfall occur all year round?
o
What is the pattern of the rainfall? Check which season(s) is/are drier or
wetter than others.
o
What is the total annual rainfall? Add each month's total together to get the
annual total.
o
Then put the rainfall and temperature information together - what does it
tell you about this area?

KEY COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM
1.
2.
3.
4.
FLORA – Plants
FAUNA – Animals
ATMOSPHERE – Weather and climate
SOIL/ROCK
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
LINKS BETWEEN THE KEY COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM.
1.
Rain is needed for plants to grow
2.
Heavy rain can wash soil away
3.
Transpiration from plant leaves makes the air more humid
4.
When it gets cold, some animals hibernate
JUST 4 EXAMPLES SEE BOOK FOR FURTHER DETAILS

LOCATION OF DIFFERENT BIOMES PARTICULARLY RAINFOREST AND DESERT.
Desert - Most of these are located at the latitudes of 30 North or South latitude; this is where air
that was warmed at the equator falls back to the ground as cool, dry air (having lost its water as it
rose wet and steamy over the equator).
Rainforest - The tropical rainforests are located in the tropics, a band around the equator from
23.5N (the Tropic of Cancer) to 23.5 S (the Tropic of Capricorn)

RAINFOREST & THE NUTRIENT CYCLE
The warm, damp conditions on the forest floor and the abundance of insects enables the rapid
breakdown of dead leaves and plant material. This humus provides nutrients that are easily
absorbed by plant roots. Because of the abundance of rainforest vegetation, nutrients are used up
quickly.
This cycle is continuous as long as deforestation does not occur. Unfortunately, if the protective
canopy (umbrella) of vegetation is removed, the soil quickly becomes infertile as nutrients are
leached out of the soil, and the topsoil is easily washed away into rivers by heavy rainfall.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/z79p34j/revision/8

THE ROLE OF CLIMATE IN INFLUENCING THE LOCATION OF BIOMES.
Climate affects the temperature, amount of water and amount of sunlight in an area. These factors
affect the look of the land, as well as what types of plants and animals can survive in the biome.
When the climate changes drastically, it can have seriously negative impacts on the biome.
The temperature and amounts of water and sunlight an area gets make up the basic building blocks
of the climate. Somewhere with low rainfall, high temperatures and large amounts of sunlight leads
to a dry, arid climate, for example. This in turn creates a desert-like biome. The plants and animals
evolve in response to this harsh climate to conserve as much water as possible, and the animals
often become nocturnal to deal with the high temperatures.
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Alternatively, somewhere with a lot of water, moderate sunlight and moderate to high temperatures
creates a tropical biome, filled with lush plant life and many different species of animals. Frigid
temperature
s with little
sunlight, such
as in the
Arctic and
Antarctic
regions,
evolve fewer
animals and
organisms
because of
the climate.

FOOD CHAINS
A food chain shows what eats what in a particular habitat. For example, grass seed is eaten by a vole,
which is eaten by a barn owl. The arrows between each item in the chain always point in the
direction of energy flow - in other words, from the food to the feeder.
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The Sun is the ultimate source of energy for most communities of living things. Green plants absorb
some of the Sun’s light energy to make their own food by photosynthesis. The other organisms in a
food chain are consumers, because they all get their energy and biomass by consuming - eating other organisms.
It helps if you can recall the meaning of some common words used with food chains.
Common words used with food chains and their meaning:Producers
Green plants - they make food by photosynthesis.
Primary consumers
Usually eat plant material - they are herbivores. For example rabbits, caterpillars, cows and sheep.
Secondary consumers
Usually eat animal material - they are carnivores. For example cats, dogs and lions.
Predators
Kill for food. They are either secondary or tertiary consumers
Prey
The animals that predators feed on.
Scavengers
Feed on dead animals. For example, crows, vultures and hyenas are scavengers.
Decomposers
Feed on dead and decaying organisms, and on the undigested parts of plant and animal matter in
faeces

GOODS AND SERVICES PROVIDED BY RAINFORESTS
The Tropical Rainforests provide a range of 'goods' and 'services':
Goods
They provide 80% of all western foods - like pineapple and coffee.
25% of all cancer fighting drugs are found in Tropical Rainforests.
They provide items such as rubber and timber.
One rainforest drug is used to help diabetics.
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Services
Many indigenous people in rainforests live the way they have lived for centuries they can teach us a
lot.
They help control the hydrological cycle.
Over 50% of the biological diversity (different species) on Earth are found in Tropical Rainforests.
Trees absorb carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas.
Trees and others plants slow the flow of rainwater to rivers, acting as a natural flood control.
They provide nutrients for soil to be productive.
Rainforests are places we can visit on treks and holidays, increasingly as eco-tourists.
They provide homes for many endangered animals species, such as Orangutans and poison arrow
frogs.

CASE STUDY OF SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT IN RAINFORESTS – COSTA RICA
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
DESCRIBING DIFFERENT COUNTRIES IN TERMS OF LOCATION ON A WORLD MAP.
Continent, country, hemisphere, meridian

RATIOS.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/maths/number/ratiosrev1.shtml

ABILITY TO PLOT AND INTERPRET A SCATTER GRAPH.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/maths/statistics/scatterdiagramsrev1.shtml

DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS AND UNEVEN DEVELOPMENT.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/development/contrasts_development_rev4.
shtml

WHAT MAKES A COUNTRY AN LIDC? (LEDC)
https://globalawareness1212.wordpress.com/what-is-ledc/
EXAM WEEK TAKES PLACE WEEK COMMENCING - 21ST NOVEMBER 2016
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