Biomes
A large geographical area with similar climate, plants and animals.
What is a biome?
The term for water that falls from the atmosphere as rain, snow or hail.
What is precipitation?
The large-scale removal of forests.
What is deforestation?
Meeting current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
What is sustainability?
The Great Barrier Reef is an example of this type of biome.
What is a marine biome?
This biome has high temperatures, high rainfall and dense vegetation.
What is a tropical rainforest?
The two climatic factors that have the greatest influence on biome characteristics.
What are temperature and precipitation?
The wearing away and removal of soil by wind or water.
What is soil erosion?
The protection and careful management of natural environments.
What is conservation?
The variety of living organisms within an ecosystem.
What is biodiversity?
This biome receives very little precipitation and has sparse vegetation.
What is a desert?
As this increases, temperature generally decreases.
What is altitude?
When livestock eat vegetation faster than it can naturally regrow.
What is overgrazing?
Planting vegetation in an area where it has been removed or damaged.
What is revegetation?
When stressed coral loses the algae living within its tissues and turns white.
What is coral bleaching?
This biome is dominated by grasses and is often used for grazing and agriculture.
What is a grassland?
Rocks and minerals influence biomes because they affect the nutrients found in this.
What is soil?
This happens when land loses its quality and ability to support ecosystems or agriculture.
What is land degradation?
This Aboriginal land-management strategy uses small, controlled fires to care for Country.
What is cultural burning?
Name ONE human activity that can threaten the Great Barrier Reef.
Pollution, coastal development, overfishing, agricultural runoff, etc.
Explain why tropical rainforests generally have greater vegetation than deserts.
High rainfall and warm temperatures provide favourable conditions for plant growth.
Explain how precipitation influences the characteristics of a biome.
Precipitation determines water availability, influencing vegetation growth and the animals the biome can support.
Explain the chain reaction: deforestation → ______ → ______ → land degradation.
Less vegetation → increased soil erosion → land degradation.
Explain ONE way cultural burning can help sustainably manage Australian biomes.
It can reduce fuel loads, encourage regeneration, support biodiversity and reduce the risk of severe fires.
Explain how rising ocean temperatures can affect the Great Barrier Reef.
Heat stress can cause coral bleaching; prolonged or repeated bleaching can cause coral death and habitat loss.