Living with the physical environmentSection B: Living WorldWhat you need to know

Specification content You should be able to…Ecosystems An example of a small scale UK ecosystem to illustrate the conceptof interrelationships within a natural system, an understanding of producers, consumers, decomposers, food chain, food web and nutrient cycling.

Name your small scale ecosystem (Epping Forest).

Define the key term ecosystem (use the diagram below to help you)

Describe and explain how the biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components interact (how they depend on each other).e.g. How does soil help vegetation? How does vegetation help soil? How does climate (precipitation and temperature) affect vegetation? How does vegetation help animals? How do animals help vegetation?

Know where each of the following get their energy from:producers, consumers, decomposers

Define the key terms food chain and food web.

Describe how nutrients move around an ecosystem (use the nutrient cycle diagrams below to help you):

The balance between components. The impact on the ecosystem of changing one component.

Describe the ways in which food webs can be disrupted by human and physical changes.

E.g. Humans clearing pond weed or adding a zander fish (a fish that eats other fish). Physical changes such as droughts, floods, fires, and diseases. Describe one impact of reintroducing the grey wolf into Yellowstone’s ecosystem:

An overview of the distribution and characteristics of large scale natural global ecosystems.

Describe the distribution of biomes (e.g. tropical rainforests, deserts, temperate deciduous forests).

Describe the climate of tropical rainforests, deserts and temperate deciduous forests.

Explain how the climate has affected the soil and vegetation of the above biomes (global ecosystems). E.g. How does the precipitation affect a latosol (rainforest soil)?

Tropical rainforestsThe physical characteristics of a tropical rainforest.

Describe the stratification of the rainforest. i.e. the different layers of the rainforest.

Describe the climate (precipitation and temperature) and soils.

The interdependence of climate, water, soils, plants, animals and people.

Explain how the tropical rainforest:- vegetation has adapted to a rainforest climate- animals have adapted to a rainforest climate- climate leads to the formation of a latosol (rainforest

soil)- human deforestation has contributed to climate

change- human deforestation has led to soil erosion- tribes work in harmony with the rainforest (shifting

cultivation and slash and burn)- provides useful goods and services for humans

How plants and animals adapt to the physical conditions.

Explain how the tropical rainforest:- vegetation has adapted to a rainforest climate- animals have adapted to a rainforest climate

Issues related to biodiversity. Define biodiversity.

Explain why tropical rainforests have high biodiversity.Explain how humans are affecting the level of biodiversity in tropical rainforests. E.g. How is deforestation in Malaysia reducing biodiversity? Think orangutans….

Changing rates of deforestation. Describe how deforestation rates are changing (even though deforestation is continuing in all countries). Look at the graph below:

A case study of a tropical rainforest to illustrate:

•• causes of deforestation

•• impacts of deforestation

Name your case study (Malaysia).

Explain why trees are being cut down for:- subsistence farming (be able to explain how shifting

cultivation/slash and burn works)- commercial farming of palm oil- logging- road building- mineral extraction- energy development- settlement- population growth -

Make sure you are clear why they are deforestinge.g. Logging means trees are cut down so that they can be sold so that the country can use the money to develop.

Describe and explain how deforestation has affected:- the economy- people (social)- the environment-

These impacts can be positive or negative. You need to explain clearly.

E.g. An economic positive of deforestation is that the logging of hardwood trees has made Malaysia a lot of money.

Value of tropical rainforests to people and the environment.

Describe the goods and services that rainforests give to people.

Strategies used to manage the rainforest sustainably,

Describe how each of the strategies below uses the rainforest.

Explain how each of the strategies below are sustainable uses of the rainforest (can continue forever without harming the environment or local people’s way of life).

Strategies to describe and explain:a) Selective Management Systemb) Replantingc) Conservation and educationd) Education e) International Agreements about the use of tropical

hardwoodsf) Debt-for-Nature agreements

Hot Deserts The physical characteristics of a hot desert.

Describe the climate (precipitation and temperature) and how this has affected desert soils.

The interdependence of climate, water, soils, plants, animals and people.

Explain how the desert:- vegetation has adapted to a desert climate- animals have adapted to a desert climate- climate leads to the formation of a desert soil- climate is challenging for humans to live in- has expanded (desertification) due to humans over

cultivating and overgrazing the land.

How plants and animals adapt to the physical conditions.

Explain how the desert:- vegetation has adapted to a desert climate- animals have adapted to a desert climate

Issues related to biodiversity. Define biodiversity.

Explain why deserts have a low biodiversity.

Explain how humans are affecting the level of biodiversity in deserts. E.g. desertification

A case study of a hot desert to illustrate:

•• development opportunities in hot desert environments

•• challenges of developing hot desert environments

Name your case study (Western Deserts Region, USA)

Describe the development opportunities available in hot deserts: Describe how why people earn a living in the following industries:

- Farming- Mineral extraction- Energy- Tourism

Describe the challenges that people face when trying to live and develop industries in deserts:

These are the challenges: - Extreme temperatures- Water supply- Inaccessibility

How have these challenges been overcome by people living in the Western Desert Region?

Causes of desertification Define desertification.

Describe the location of regions at risk of desertification.

Explain how the following have caused desertification:- Climate change (changes to precipitation)- Population growth and removal of fuel wood- Overgrazing, over-cultivation and soil erosion

Strategies used to reduce the risk of desertification.

Explain how the following have reduced the risk of desertification:

- Water and soil management (terracing of land and bunds to trap water)

- Tree planting (the Great Green Wall of Africa)- Appropriate technology (Ghana’s Toyola stoves and

solar powered cooking)