How does the biosphere support life on earth? Aim: To understand the interdependence between ecosystems and people.

costa-rica/3091.html watch this clip and answer the questions in notes at the back of your bookhttp:// costa-rica/3091.html Where do you find rainforests? What distinguishes them from other forests? What’s the average annual rainfall? How does the rainforest return moisture to the atmosphere after rainfall? (2 ways) How much of the rainfall is transpired back and falls as rain again? How much sunlight does the rainforest receive each day? orest-photosynthesis/3093.html What does rainforest take in? release out? Which 3 things do rainforests rely on?

Biosphere= life support system. Why?

Contrasting uses of a rainforest. For each image create a spider diagram to illustrate the use of and effect on the rainforest.

Biomes – Goods and Services What do you think is the difference? Goods – products and items sourced from the biome for survival or commercial use. Services – measures the biome takes to serve the planet. e.g. regulating the composition of the atmosphere, maintaining the health of the soil.

List as many different goods and services you can think of. GoodsServices

What goods and services are provided by rainforests Sort the cards you have been given to determine the goods and services produced by our most productive land biome

They provide 80% of all western foods- like pineapple, coffee They are a source of Illegal drugs like cocaine Many indigenous people in rainforests live the way they have lived for centuries they can teach us a lot They provide saleable commodities like Rubber and timber Rainforests are places we can visit on treks and holidays, increasingly as eco- tourists 25% of all cancer fighting drugs One rainforest drug, Rosie Periwinkle improved childhood leukaemia sufferers survival chance from 10 to 90% Plants from rainforests are used in the contraceptive pill One rainforest drug is used to help diabetics Small monkeys called marmosets from rainforests are used to test drugs before human tests Over 50% of the biological diversity on Earth is found in tropical rainforests They provide homes for many endangered animals species- such as Orang-Utans, Bonobos, Poison Arrow frogs, etc They are a unique biome They regulate the hydrological cycle They provide nutrients for soil to be productive They store carbon, a contributor to global warming

bristol.org.uk/cz/rainforest/rainforest.htmhttp:// bristol.org.uk/cz/rainforest/rainforest.htm Goes through main goods and services Includes people’s opinions of value of rainforest

Goods and services Cocoa Rubber Bananas Brazil Nuts Pineapples Sugar Many medicines Animals for drug tests Ecotourism Endangered animals Cosmetics Colourings for lipstick Timber Plants Tourism Pets Deforested- Land for farming crops Grazing cattle for beef production Extracting underground minerals

How biosphere regulates carbon The carbon cycle JVKRxQ&feature=PlayList&p=C606EB95 7A1DDF22&playnext=1&playnext_from=P L&index=67http:// JVKRxQ&feature=PlayList&p=C606EB95 7A1DDF22&playnext=1&playnext_from=P L&index=67 long video qtEih8&feature=PlayList&p=C606EB957A 1DDF22&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL &index=49http:// qtEih8&feature=PlayList&p=C606EB957A 1DDF22&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL &index=49 short video

Estimated major stores of carbon on the Earth. Sink Amount in Billions of Metric Tons Atmosphere 578 (as of 1700) (as of 1999) Soil Organic Matter1500 to 1600 Ocean38,000 to 40,000 Marine Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks 66,000,000 to 100,000,000 Terrestrial Plants540 to 610 Fossil Fuel Deposits4000

question answer

question How is carbon taken in the environment by photosynthesis how do organisms get carbon by eating plants carbon is released back into the atmosphere by humans by breathing, or cellular respiration carbon is released back into the atmosphere through carbon dioxide when fossil fuels are burned volcanoes release CO2 showby photosynthesis how do organisms get carbon show carbon is released back into the atmosphere by humans by show fossil fuels are burned volcanoes show answer

loads of games on the carbon cyclehttp:// cover_science/launcher_elementonthemo ve.html element on move game- move round a carbon elementhttp:// cover_science/launcher_elementonthemo ve.html

Which biomes hold most carbon? Rainforests Taiga Mangroves Coral reefs

nforest-layering/3092.htmlhttp:// nforest-layering/3092.html How the biosphere maintains soil health

Nitrogen Nitrogen is a central component of cell proteins and is used for seed production. It exists in several chemical forms and various micro-organisms are involved in its transformations. Legumes and algae, are able to transform atmospheric nitrogen into a form available for plant use. Nitrogen in dead organic materials is available to plants through mineralization. Nitrogen lost from the pasture system through the physical processes of leaching, runoff, and erosion, and through residue burning. Nitrogen is needed for forage production and is lost easily, this nutrient is often the limiting factor in crop production. Productive pasture management practices enhance the fixation and conservation of nitrogen while minimizing the potential for nitrogen losses. Practices for effective nitrogen cycling in pastures include: 1)Maintaining stable or increasing percentages of legumes by not overgrazing pastures and minimizing nitrogen applications, especially in the spring. 2)Protecting microbial communities involved in organic matter mineralization by minimizing practices that promote soil compaction and soil disturbance such as grazing wet soils, tillage, and cultivation. 3)Incorporating manure and nitrogen fertilizers into the soil, and never applying these materials to saturated, snow-covered, or frozen soils. Avoiding pasture burning. If burning is required, it should be done very infrequently and then using a slow fire under controlled conditions. Applying fertilizers and manure according to a comprehensive nutrient management plan.

Nutrient Stores BiomassLitterSoil The total mass of living organisms, mainly plant tissue The amount of organic matter, including humus and leaf litter, in the soil. Soil. Nutrient Stores

Biosphere and regulating the hydrological cycle Trees intercept precipitation They then provide basis for evapotranspiration They provide cover for soil to reduce soil erosion and leaching of nutrients The dead leaves create nitrogen stores- imperative for the nutrient cycle we looked at earlier The removal of trees and any vegetation reduces interception and evapotranspiration, increasing surface runoff- interfering with the natural hydrological cycle

So why after deforestation are these areas found to have some of the least fertile soils in the World? Imagine you are a farmer looking at the vegetation above. What would be your thoughts about how productive that land would be?

Goods and services provided by the BIOSPHERE What things do we get from rainforests? What lies under deserts and tundra? What do coral reefs provide us with? What services do Savannas provide us with?

Task Describe the goods and services that are produced by the rainforest ecosystem (4) Explain why these goods and services are important to us (4)

Homework Task Produce a piece of work entitled either- The rainforest is important to me because…… My rainforest connections…. I rely on the rainforest for….. Your piece of work can be a written piece, a poem, a collage, a story, a video, a storyboard You must include details about- The things you use that originate in a rainforest Information about how the rainforest helps your planet survive- the carbon, nutrient and hydrological cycles info)

Annotate the diagram giving examples of each link. One has been done for you. e.g Methane from cows The nutrient cycle

Study fig 5 Edexcel book.