BiosphereThe biosphere is the zone of the earth (terrestrial), the oceans (aquatic) and the atmosphere in which plants and animals exist. People are also a part of the biosphere, depending heavily on its resources for survival and having a major impact on its functioning.
Each type or species of plant and animal has adapted to a particular set of biophysical conditions, called a habitat. The habitat provides everything that plant or animal needs to survive including light, heat, water and food. Members of the same species living in the same habitat are known as a population. A community exists where many different populations of plants and animals live together in one habitat. The delicate balance of interactions and relationships between plant and animal communities and the biophysical environment forms an ecosystem. The biosphere is made up of all the earth’s ecosystem. Key processes Photosynthesis the process where plants convert the sun's energy into glucose. Plant succession is the change in a plant community over time until it reaches a state of balance with its environment. Nutrient cycling occurs when oxygen, carbon, water, nitrogen, phosphorous and other nutrients are constantly cycled through ecosystems, providing the basis of life for the organisms further down the chain. Energy flows describe the process of transferring energy from one organism to another when an organism feeds on and obtains energy from another organism, which in turn is consumed by and provides energy for another organism. |
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| 11g_bi_-_3_biosphere_cloze_passage.docx |
| 11g_bi_-_3_biosphere_detailed_summary_and_questions.docx |
| 11g_bi_-_3_biosphere_diagram_fill_in.docx |
| 11g_bi_-_3_biosphere_fieldwork_activity.docx |