Geography Mid-Term Revision

YEAR 9 MID-TERM 1

Topics covered so far:

1. Introduction to
ecosystems
2. The Earth’s main
ecosystems
3. Where do human fit in?
4. 4 main ecosystems:
i) Tropical rainforest
ii) Savannah
grassland
iii) The desert
iv) Deciduous forest

By Pranav 9R
 Introduction to ecosystem
An ecosystem is any natural unit made up of living things (plants,
animals or bacteria) and a non-living thing environment (air, water, soil,
and climate).

 Plants are called producers because they are able to make their
food from non-living substances in the environment. Plants
eventually nourishes the whole ecosystem.

 Animals that feed on other living things (for e.g. an animal or a

plant), they are called consumers.

 Bacteria or fungi break down dead and waste material in an

ecosystem, they are called decomposers.

 A food chain shows what species feeds on what, in an ecosystem.

It always starts with a plant. Food chain interlink to give food
webs. A food web is a network of food chains, showing how they
link together.

The Earth’s main ecosystems

 An ecosystem is made up of living things and their non-living

things environment. The living things depend on each other and
the environment.
 Similar ecosystems are found in countries with similar climates
and we group them together into large world-wide ecosystems
called biomes. Biome is a very large ecosystem.

The climate The soil

Climate is the main driving force How think and rich the soil is
in an ecosystem. Different types depends partly on the climate.
of biomed means different Rock weathers fastest into the
 The vegetation
It has developed or adapted to suit
the climate and soil. Plants grow
fastest and thickest in a hot damp
The animals
sunny climate
They have adapted to feed on the
plants or each other, and to cope
with the climate

The climate of each of

those biomes, affect the
soil, plants and animals in
each of those ecosystems

1. Tropical rainforest

Tropical rainforests are forests with tall trees, warm

climates, and lots of rain. ... Rainforests are found in Africa,
Asia, Australia, and Central and South America. The largest
rainforest in the world is the Amazon rainforest in South
Climate of a tropical rainforest

A tropical rainforest climate is typically hot, very humid, and wet.

Temperatures in tropical rainforests range from about 20° C to above
32°

Soil Types in the Tropical Rainforest

Most of the soil is not very fertile. A

thin layer of fertile soil is found at the
surface where the dead leaves
decompose. The primary soil orders
found in tropical rainforests are
Oxisols and Ultisols, which are soils
rich in iron and aluminum oxides (red
color) but with low natural fertility. Due to heavy rainfall the nutrients
are quickly washed out of the soil.

Types of plants in the Plant Adaptations in the Tropical

Tropical rainforest Rainforest Biome
The tropical rainforest The leaves on most of the plants have
contains more species of what is called drip tips which help
plants than any other plants shed the excess moisture from
Types
biome.of animals
Like in the
for example: the rainfall. Leaves of plants and trees
Tropical Rainforest are very large to help them absorb as
Orchids, Philodendrons,
much of the sunlight as is possible.
The tropical
Ferns, rainforest
Bromeliads, Kapok
contains more species
Trees, Banana Trees, of The soil is poor, so the plant roots
animals
Rubberthan anyBamboo,
Trees, other grow lose to the surface, to grab these
biome and insects make
 2. Hot Desert

A desert is a dry place that

receives little or almost no
rainfall. The temperature of
the desert can be hot or cold.
Living conditions are harsh
for plant and animal life. The
lack of vegetation exposes
the unprotected surface of
the ground to the processes
of denudation.

Climate in the Desert Biome

Temperatures are so extreme during the day because there is very

little moisture in the atmosphere to block out the sun’s rays.

When night falls, triggering rapid drop in temperatures. Temperatures

at night can plummet to zero degrees Celsius.

Soil types in the Desert Biome

Desert soil is mostly sandy soil (90–95%) found in low-rainfall regions.

It has a low content of nitrogen and organic matter with very high
calcium carbonate and phosphate, thus making it infertile.

Desert soils form in arid climates, where evaporation is more than five
times the annual precipitation from rain and snow.

Soil formation is usually limited to near the surface because water is

not moving through the soil.
 - Types of plants in the desert biome
When the topic of desert biome plants comes up, Cactus is the plant that
comes first in mind, since it’s the most memorable feature of a desert.
A wide range of plants grows in this biome. The most common plants
that grow well in desert biomes include Cacti, small shrubs, succulents,
and grasses.

How do they adapt to their environment

- Common adaptations include water storage in stems and
leaves, waxy coverings on leaves, shedding leaves, all to
minimize water loss.
- Some have developed long taps roots to be able to reach water
tables.

- Types of animals in the desert biome

In spite of the harsh climatic conditions, many animals live there.
Animals in the desert biome include Bobcats, Coyotes, Desert Tortoise,
Desert Kangaroo Rat, Sonoran Desert Toad, many more.

How do they adapt to their environment?

- A camel have thick eyebrows which stand out and shade eyes
from the sun, they can go without water for over a week because
they can drink gallons in one go.
- They can go months without food - they store fat in their humps
body temperature can change to avoid losing water through
sweating.
- They are well camouflage. They have even have thick fur helps to
keep them warm at night
 3. The Savannah Grassland

A savanna or savannah is a mixed

woodland-grassland ecosystem
characterized by the trees being
sufficiently widely spaced so that
the canopy does not close. ...
Savannas maintain an open
canopy despite a high tree
density. It is often believed that
savannas feature widely spaced,
scattered trees.

Soil type in the Savannah Grasslands

Savanna grassland soils are not very
fertile. The nutrients in the soil are
found near the surface as they come
from decayed organic matter
(vegetation) from the previous growing
season. This organic matter decays
rapidly due to the high temperatures.
Climate in the Savannah
Savanna regions have two
distinct seasons - a wet
season and a dry season.
There is very little rain in
the dry season.
Types of plants in the How do they adapt to their
Savannah environment?
1. Baobab Tree - Plants and animals have
to adapt to the long dry
periods. Many plants are
2. Acacia Tree. xerophytic - for example,
the acacia tree with its
small, waxy leaves and
thorns.

- Plants may also store

water, for example the
baobab tree) or have
long roots that reach
down to the water table.

- Types of animals in the Savannah Grasslands

The African savannah, the savannah with which most people are
familiar, is home to a wide variety of animals, those includes
wildebeest, elephants, zebras, rhinos, gazelles, hyenas, cheetahs,
lions, leopards, ostrich, and weavers.

- Adaptation:
Animals adapt to the shortage of water and food through various ways,
including migrating (moving to another area) and hibernating until the
season is over.
Grazing animals, like gazelles and zebras, feed on grasses and often
use camouflage to protect themselves from predators when they are
roaming in the open.
 4. Deciduous forest

Deciduous forests are biomes that are classified by the seasonal

weather patterns they experience – in that they go through all
four seasons, with trees losing their leaves each fall and winter.

- The climate in the Deciduous Forest

The deciduous forest regions are exposed to warm and cold air masses,
which cause this area to have four seasons.

The temperature varies widely from season to season with cold winters
and hot, wet summers. The average yearly temperature is about 10°C.

- The soil characteristics of the Deciduous Forest

The soils of this biome tend to be very fertile. The soils of these
forests are called Spodosols.

They get a lot of rain, and when combined with sand, the water leaches
minerals and organic matter downward. This leaves ashy white layers.
 - Vegetation in the Deciduous Forest
Most of the trees are broadleaf trees such as oak, maple, beech, and
chestnut. There are also several different kinds of plants like mountain
laurel, azaleas and mosses.

- Adaptation of plants to their environment

The plants have thin, broad, light-weight leaves that can capture a lot of
sunlight to make a lot of food for the tree in warm weather; when the
weather gets cooler, the broad leaves cause too much water loss and
can be weighed down by too much snow, so the tree drops its leaves.

- Types of animals in the Deciduous Forest

These forests are a haven for wildlife, with foxes, deer, coyotes, bats,
hawks, bears, woodpeckers and many migratory birds living among the
trees.

- Adaptation to their environment

Animals eat heavily before the winter and their coats will grow in quite
thick to keep them warm through the winter hibernation period.
Food storage is another adaptation some of the animals have; for
instance chipmunks, gather nuts in the summer to store for the winter.
Animals use the forest plants and trees also for water and shelter.
Animals like the deer have sharp hooves to be able to dig for food, they
can also run quickly to escape their predators.
 Where do human fit?

- We humans have spread over most of the earth and invaded

nearly

- Because there are so many of us, and we need so much land to

meet our needs for food and other resources, we are driving out
a great many other species

- Many of our activities an harm the non-living environment so

other living things in turn get harmed for example, our use of
fossil fuels is linked to Global warming.

- But we are beginning to learn that we must find a more

sustainable way to live, without destroying other species, or
wasting resources or damaging the environment.

- Footprint means the land that we use to live on, grow food, and
provide water and fuels.