A biome is a geographic region characterized by distinct plant and animal communities adapted to specific climate conditions, soils, and ecological relationships. When describing a biome, key details to include are the definition, location, formation process, climate (temperature and precipitation), soils, plant life, and animal life present in that environment.

1. A Biome is a world region that is characterised
by groups of plants and animals adapted to
specific conditions of climate, soils and biotic
inter-relationships
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Geoecology

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Characterised by inter-relationships of:
Climate
• Soils
• Plants
• Animals
• When answering a question on biomes always include:
• Definition
• Location
• Formation of that biome
• Climate (temperature & precipitation)
• Soils
• Plants
• Animals

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Deciduous
ForestTaiga
Desert
Grassland
Tropical
Rain Forest Tundra

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Californian
•Great Basin
•Mohave
•Sonoran
•Chihuahuan
Atacama
Namib
Sahara
Great
Australian Desert
Turkestan Gobi
Kalahari
Arabian

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Hadley Cells
1. Equator 0o – LP – Air Rises
2. Convectional Rainfall
Moves away from Equator
3. Tropics 30o – HP – Air Sinks
4. Moves towards equator
Compressed Warm air holds
moisture – DRY
5. Desert - Sahara

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Rain Shadow Effect
1. Coastal Mountains act as
barrier to moist air
2. Forced to rise & cool
3. Precipitation on windward
side
4. Leeward Air dry
5. Mountains – Sierra Nevada
6. Desert - Mohave

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Cold Ocean Currents
1. Wind that blows over cold
currents are cooled
2. Cannot hold moisture so
precipitates
3. On reaching hot land – air is
warmed – retains moisture
4. Desert – Namib / Atacama

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Algeria
Belize - Rainfall

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Aridisols
Sandy to Coarse textured
Deep Soils (Basin)
Little organic matter
Light Grey Clour
Intense Evaporation
Alkaline Soil
Calcification
Salinisation
Caliche

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Prickly Pear CactusBarrel Cactus Desert Paintbrush
Mesquite

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Black Widow
Cactus Wren Lizard
Dingo
Vulture Chameleon
Grasshopper
Sand Rat
Gecko
Camel

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EFFECTS OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES
-4 effects to be studied
• Early Settlement – Clearing Forests
• Felling of Tropical Rain Forests
• Intensive Agriculture
• Industrial Development
DESERTS

16.  European Forests
 Irish Forests
• Started in Neolithic Age
• Mid 1800s almost devoid of forest cover
• 1900 only 1% forest cover
• 2003 - 9.4%
• EU average 31%
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17. Country Forest Cover (% of land area) 2003
Ireland 9.4 %
Netherlands 9.5 %
Denmark 12.7 %
Belgium 22.4 %
Germany 30.2 %
France 31.6 %
Sweden 73.5 %
Finland 75.5 %
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Source OECD

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Dark Green: > 40 % cover
Mid Green: 10 – 40 %
cover
Light Green: woodland,
shrubland
bushland

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Average Annual % 1990 - 2000

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Importance of Tropical Rain Forests
• Home to Tribal Cultures that have survived for
thousands of years
• Home to 50% of plant and animal species
• Winter home to birds that breed in temperate climates
• Help to reduce Global CO2 levels
• Help to maintain global rain and weather patterns
• Source of pharmaceutical Drugs

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Reasons for Felling
• Firewood, charcoal, building materials, furniture
• Conversion to pasture for cattle ranching
• Mining for gold, bauxite (aluminium) etc.
• Cultivation of Cash Crops
• Overpopulation - migration

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Brazil
Source UNEP

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Argentina: Source UNEP

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Bolivia
Source: UNEP

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Bolivia Source: UNEP

26. Trends in Atmospheric Concentrations
and
Anthropogenic Emissions of Carbon
Dioxide
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27. World Carbon Dioxide Emissions 1999
Metric Tons of Carbon Equivalent per capita
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28Source: angelfire.com

29. Effects of Acid Rain
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Source: angelfire.com

30. Pollution of Rivers and Lakes – Faecal Coliforms
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31. Pollution of Rivers and Lakes – pH values
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32. Pollution of Coasts and Seas
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33. Pollution of Coasts and Seas
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34. World
Ecosystems Undisturbed
Partially
Disturbed
Human
Dominated
51.9 % 24.2 % 23.9 %
Adjusted for
Rock, Ice &
Barren Land
27 % 36.7 % 36.3 %
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Source Hannah et Al 1994