Biomes
What are the two broad categories of biomes?
Terrestrial and Aquatic
Describe where most Tropical rainforests are located on the world map.
Along the equator, spanning 10 degrees North and South.
Explain why certain foods grow better in certain places (E.g. rice in Vietnam or Canola in Canada).
Climate (temperature, rainfall, seasonal shifts) determines which crops will grow best in certain places.
What are 2 ways to reduce overconsumption?
- Reduce, reuse, recycle
- Purchase second-hand goods
- Waste less food (meal prep)
- Don't be influenced by others
Where does Perfect Italiano Parmesan Cheese come from?
New Zealand
What are the six terrestrial biomes and two aquatic biomes?
Terrestrial: Tundra, Tropical rainforest, Temperate forest, Desert, Grassland, Shrubland.
Aquatic: Marine (Ocean, Corel Reef) and Freshwater (River, Lake, Stream)
Describe some of the types of flora and fauna that would be found in a desert biome.
Flora: Cacti, succulents, shrub bushes
Fauna: Camels, Snakes, Lizards, Mice, Scorpions, Fennec Foxes, Greater Roadrunner.
Explain how poaching is impacting the environment
Poaching decreases animal populations (Elephants) and can push some species to extinction (White Rhino). Further, it disrupts ecosystems and food chains.
What are the five human impacts on biodiversity loss listed in Extinction with David Attenborough?
1. Overconsumption
2. Pollution
3. Commercial/Industrial Fishing
4. Destruction of Habitats
5. Climate Change
What are the three factors which are used to measure Food Security
Food availability, food accessibility, knowledge and resources to use food appropriately.
Define Biome.
A very large ecological area characterised by specific climate, flora (vegetation) and fauna (animals). Biomes are often defined by their abiotic factors such as climate, elevation, geology, soils and water.
Describe the four types of Coral Reef biomes.
Fringing - grows near the coastline around islands and continents.
Barrier - parallel to the coastline, it reaches the water's surface forming a 'barrier' to navigate.
Atoll - rings of coral formed when the island they surrounded sink into the ocean.
Patch - small, isolated reefs which vary in size and rarely reach the surface of the water.
Explain how a biome differs from an ecosystem.
A biome is a large geographical area characterised by specific climate conditions and dominant flora and fauna, while an ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with each other and their non-living environment within a specific area.
What are three ways to slow/stop climate change?
- Change from fossil fuels to renewable energy
- Increase public transport use
- Buy sustainably sourced goods
- Save energy at home (solar, switch to LED, double glazed windows)
- campaign against corporations who are destroying habitats (deforestation, water pollution)
Define Food Security.
Food Security refers to a state where all people always have access to enough safe, nutritious food to sustain a healthy life.
What are all the different biomes in Australia?
Grassland, Desert, Tropical rainforest, Temperate forest, Coral reef (bonus: Mountain vegetation)
Describe 3 characteristics of a Coral Reef biome.
1. Found in warm, shallow water (23-29 degrees C).
2. Promote high biodiversity.
3. Formed by coral polyps, tiny animals which secrete calcium carbonate.
4. Need clear water so Zooxanthella algae can create energy through photosynthesis.
5. Very vulnerable to change.
Explain why having the knowledge and resources to use food appropriately is important.
Different countries and cultures will consume foods which may seem strange to us. But by being able to turn these possibly dangerous food sources into edible foods can stave off food insecurity and contribute to a balanced diet.
Explain two ways that humans can help to reduce biodiversity loss post COVID-19.
- Investing in sustainable companies will help change who makes decisions about how the land is used.
- Reduce food wastage will mean our agricultural industry doesn't need to produce as much food.
- Government's can introduce more policies to protect the environment.
- Reduce consumption of certain foods (E.g. meat and dairy).
- Reduce consumption of fast fashion (Temu, Shein, Alibaba, TikTok shop etc.)
Identify and explain what example was used for poor food availability in the jigsaw activity.
The Irish Potato Famine (1845 -1852) is a devastating example of food insecurity caused by crop failure. A disease known as late blight destroyed a significant portion of the potato crop yield, and with few alternative food sources, the Irish people began to starve. Approximately 1 million people died as a result of the famine.
Why are Tropical rainforests so important for the planet (think for humans AND animals)?
Tropical rainforests have high biodiversity, being the home to 50% of the worlds terrestrial species. They also help regulate the Earth's temperature by 'inhaling' the Carbon Dioxide and 'exhaling' Oxygen. Without the Tropical rainforest, thousands of animals would go extinct and the air quality would decrease drastically.
Describe the three factors which measure food security.
Food availability means people have enough food of appropriate quality available on a consistent basis.
Food accessibility means physical and economic access to food.
Appropriate use of food means using food safely and applying knowledge about nutrition, clean water and sanitation when preparing food.
Explain the difference between Environmental and Human factors of Food Production.
Environmental factors refer to climate, soil quality and location, which are naturally occurring and region specific. Whereas, Human factors refer to a country's economic strength and technological advancements, which are influenced by how much money a country has.
Explain one of the ways that human's destruction of the environment can cause pandemics.
1. Humans are building roads and settlements in previously untouched areas, coming into contact with animals and their unknown viruses, then spreading the viruses around.
2. Different cultures capture and eat animals which carry viruses, the humans become infectious and spread the virus (E.g. COVID-19).
3. Humans kill animals and harvest their furs, skins, scales for fashion purposes. These stressed animals are more likely to carry viruses and spread them to the poachers.
How can a geographically small country, like the Netherlands, be such a big producer of crops?
The Netherlands have advanced farming technologies such as vertical farming, greenhouses and fertilisers which help them maximise their crop yields. They also have well good roads and ports to export their goods.