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Summary Biosphere
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Easy to understand,detailed notes on the Biosphere. Well organised and well typed. Includes diagrams and definitions.
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biospherethe part of the earth where living organisms occur. Consists of:
- atmosphere
- lithosphere
- hydrosphere
Atmosphere
The layer of air that surrounds the earth and consists of various gases (eg. Oxygen and
carbon dioxide – essential for photosynthesis and respiration)
Lithosphere
Soil and rocks comprising the outer layer of earth
Hydrosphere
Water on the surface of earth (water covers approx. 75% of surface)
biomes
Any area with a particulate climate, together with all the living organisms occurring in this
area. It derives its name from the dominant type of vegetation occurring in the area. Two
major types of biomes: terrestrial (land) & aquatic (water).
Different areas have different climates, therefore vegetation and animals adapted there.
Terrestrial biomes in South Africa
- savannah
- grassland
- nama karoo
- succulent karoo
- fynbos
- forests
, - thicket
CLIMATE SOIL TYPE VEGETATION ANIMAL LIFE
SAVANNAH Warm wet Sandy Predominantly known for wild
largest covers 34%. summers Lacking in grasses (red animals (big five)
From Kalahari in NW Cold dry winters nutrients grass) and trees
to Lowveld in NE & (baobab)
southwards to low- fires prevent trees
lying areas in KZN from dominating
and EC
GRASSLAND hot summers, sandy grasses, few tree abundant bird
Cover high central high rainfall leaching of sweet grasses life occurs in this
plateau, interior of (thunderstorms) nutrients occurs (less acidic, more area, mainly
KZN and cold winters, during rainy fertile) seed eaters
mountainous areas heavy frost seasons, sour grasses (black bustard/
of EC making soil (less fertile, more korhaan, blue
acidic acidic) crane and
fires – less woody helmeted guinea
trees fowl)
NAMA KAROO hot summers rich in lime and grasses and small sheep and goat
Extends over the and cold winters, forms a thin shrubs and blue farms (veg. =
wide central plateau regular frost layer over rocks karoo daisies good grazing)
of the western part of semi-desert, bat-eared foxes,
SA receives little ostrich, tortoises,
rain riverine rabbit
(endemic)
SUCCULENT hot, dry rich in lime and adapted to dry many are
KAROO summers forms a thin summers nocturnal & hide
Extends over the arid cold winters layer over the mostly small in holes during
western part of SA, winter rainfall is rocks succulents with the day to
including very low thick, fleshy escape heat
Namaqualand & leaves that store bat-eared fox,
Richtersveld water meerkat, barking
spring = flowers gecko
FYNBOS cool, wet winters sandy, acidic evergreen shrubs, Nectar-and-seed
Exclusively in the (winter rainfall and not very hard leaves eating birds
SW and southern area) fertile (leaching few trees & Leopard,
parts of the WC hot dry summers of nutrients) grasses baboon,
68% endemic porcupine,
Fire = germination grysbok.
FORESTS High rainfall Fertile Canopy trees, Bushpigs,
Smallest in sa - 0.1% No frost Thin layer of several layers of bushbuck,
knysna & Tsitsikama humus veg under roof monkeys,
dune forests in KZN Yellowwood, Knysna loeries
& mountain forests in stinkwood,
Drakensberg ironwood
THICKET Varies because Shallow – From shrubland African elephant,
W-coast to KZN, large area varies sandy to low forests. kudu, vervet
largest part in EC loam to sandy Many evergreen monkey,
clay. Rich in and succulent bushbuck
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