A very large ecosystem covering a whole region of the globe, with its own characteristic climate, plants and animals.

Where in the world are the polar regions found?

In the highest latitudes, around the frozen Arctic Ocean in the north and across the continent of Antarctica in the south.

Why do so many hot deserts lie close to 30° north and 30° south?

Because air that rose at the Equator sinks back down at those latitudes, and sinking air warms and dries, giving clear skies and almost no rain.

Where are the world's temperate forests mainly found?

In the mid-latitudes between roughly 40° and 60° north — western Europe, eastern North America and eastern Asia.

Where are the largest grasslands outside the tropics found?

In the dry interiors of the mid-latitude continents, such as the Prairies of North America, the Steppes of Asia and the Pampas of South America.

OCR GCSE Geography A J383

Ecosystems of the Planet

Topic overview Abiotic and biotic components, and how ecosystems interact The world’s biomes: where they are and what they are like Where the tropical rainforests are, and what they are like Where the coral reefs are, and what they are like Rainforest processes and nutrient cycling Two threatened ecosystems: a rainforest and a coral reef

Environmental Threats to Our Planet

Topic overview Climate change through the Quaternary, and since 1000AD The evidence for climate change Natural causes of climate change, and the enhanced greenhouse effect The consequences of climate change The world’s climatic regions and global atmospheric circulation How global circulation produces extreme weather Tropical storms: causes, distribution and frequency A drought caused by El Niño or La Niña

Fieldwork Skills

Topic overview Framing an enquiry question and choosing your methods Presenting, analysing and explaining fieldwork data Concluding, and evaluating the enquiry

Geographical Skills

Topic overview Constructing maps, and reading cross-sections and transects Coordinates, scale, distance and reading information from a map Gradient, contours, spot heights and GIS Choosing, constructing and presenting graphs and charts Reading and interpreting the main graph and chart types Number, area, scale and the relationships between units Proportion and ratio, and measures of central tendency and spread Percentages and percentiles, and designing data collection sheets Reading tables, and describing relationships in bivariate data Trend lines and lines of best fit Predicting from data, and spotting weak statistical presentation Drawing and justifying conclusions from data Interpreting images and written sources, and recognising bias Judging the limits of maps, graphs, statistics and images

Landscapes of the UK

Topic overview The UK’s upland, lowland and glaciated landscapes Geomorphic processes: weathering, mass movement, erosion, transport and deposition River landforms and how they form Coastal landforms and how they form Two UK landscape case studies: a river basin and a coastline

People of the Planet

Topic overview Defining and measuring development The global pattern of development: ACs, EDCs and LIDCs Why development is uneven, and the role of aid A developing or emerging country: its context and economy Rostow’s model and the country’s path of development Cities, megacities and world cities Why urban growth rates differ around the world Rapid urbanisation in poorer countries: causes and effects A major city in a poorer or emerging country

People of the UK

Topic overview The UK’s trade, media and cultural links with the world The UK’s geographical diversity and its inequalities Uneven development within the UK, and the effects of economic growth How the UK’s population structure has changed since 1900 Immigration into the UK in the twenty-first century Urban trends in the UK and their effects A major UK city: its people, challenges and ways of life

UK Environmental Challenges

Topic overview Air masses, the North Atlantic Drift and the UK’s extreme weather A UK flood event: causes, effects and responses How people use, modify and change UK ecosystems The UK’s renewable and non-renewable energy sources Changing UK energy supply and demand, and sustainable use Renewables in the UK, and the future of fossil fuels What shapes the UK’s energy choices

Ecosystems of the Planet

The world’s biomes: where they are and what they are like

3 things to know
Component 02

Overview

What a biome is, where the polar regions, hot deserts, temperate forests and grasslands lie, why deserts sit near 30°, the climates of polar, desert, savanna, temperate grassland and temperate forest biomes, and how plants and animals from cacti and baobabs to camels, fennec foxes and bison are adapted to them.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

What is a biome?

Key term

Moving outwards from the Equator towards the tropics, which land biomes follow one another?

Key term

Describe the climate of the polar regions.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What is a biome?
Model answer
A very large ecosystem covering a whole region of the globe, with its own characteristic climate, plants and animals.
2
Where in the world are the polar regions found?
Model answer
In the highest latitudes, around the frozen Arctic Ocean in the north and across the continent of Antarctica in the south.
3
Moving outwards from the Equator towards the tropics, which land biomes follow one another?
Model answer
Tropical rainforest sits on the Equator, tropical grassland or savanna lies beyond it, and hot desert takes over near 30° north and south.
4
Why do so many hot deserts lie close to 30° north and 30° south?
Model answer
Because air that rose at the Equator sinks back down at those latitudes, and sinking air warms and dries, giving clear skies and almost no rain.
5
Where are the world's temperate forests mainly found?
Model answer
In the mid-latitudes between roughly 40° and 60° north — western Europe, eastern North America and eastern Asia.
6
Where are the largest grasslands outside the tropics found?
Model answer
In the dry interiors of the mid-latitude continents, such as the Prairies of North America, the Steppes of Asia and the Pampas of South America.

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Ecosystems of the Planet

Environmental Threats to Our Planet

Fieldwork Skills

Geographical Skills

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The trade winds drive warm surface water .

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AMore sunspots mean the Sun is giving out more energy.

BMore reaches the Earth and the climate warms.

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