2.  Is the main source of the climatic factors affecting ecosystem functioning and nutrients such as nitrogen, carbon and oxygen  Temperature and rainfall determine the nature of all factors within the ecosystem and the speed at which they function.

3.  The atmosphere determines the nature of the water cycle, therefore, the hydrosphere is closely linked to the atmosphere.  In tropical rainforests, large volumes of rainfall allow for the high levels of biodiversity and quickly leaches the soils and erodes the land when deforestation occurs.  Large bodies of water such as oceans moderate temperatures of adjoining land masses because water heats and cools more slowly than land.

4.  The lithosphere determines the nature of soils and provides habitats for many of the decomposer organisms that recycle the minerals essential to the plants forming the basis of the food web  The lithosphere also stores water in the soil making it available for plants  Climatic factors affect the role soils play in an ecosystem. E.g. permafrost.  Landforms also affect ecosystems. E.g. small variations in elevation result in different plant communities due to changes in moisture and temperature.

5.  Is the domain on or near the earth’s surface where the environmental conditions enable solar energy to produce the chemical changes necessary for life.  It comprises all living and dead organisms.  Nearly all life on earth exists in a narrow zone 200m below sea level <earth’s surface <9000m above sea level.

6.  The biosphere consists of two types of organisms: 1. Autotrophic organisms (manufacture their own food) e.g. plants 2. Heterotrophic organisms (consumers – do not manufacture their own food) e.g herbivores, omnivores, carnivores, decomposers (break down remains of living matter enabling minerals to return to soil, therefore available again for autotrophic organisms.

7.  A sphere of technological influence, created by people, which overwhelms natural ecosystems.  Example: monoculture farming – practice of removing the natural ecosystem and replacing it with hectares of one species of plant or reducing the food web to one primary consumer.  Question: explain why the technosphere is a threat to ecosystems.

8.  Answer questions 1-5 p17.  Cut and paste into your workbooks, three examples of the technosphere e.g. photo from a magazine on agriculture.