WORKSHEET: THE BIOSPHERE

1. Global Air Circulation Patterns

A. Climate and Temperature Zones
1. __________________ means average weather conditions,
such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, cloud cover, and
rainfall, over time.
a. __________________________ is absorbed by ozone
and oxygen in the upper atmosphere.
b. Clouds, dust, and water vapor in the __________
absorb and reflect solar radiation.
c. Radiation warms the earth’s surface and generates
heat that drives the earth’s__________ systems.
2. The sun ______________ heats equatorial and polar regions,
creating the world’s major temperature zones.
a. Warm_______________ air rises, cools, releases its
moisture, and spreads northward and southward where it
descends at 30o latitudes as very dry air (results in deserts).
b. The air is warmed again and _______________ at 60o
latitudes; as it moves toward the poles, regional areas
receive varying amounts of _______________ that in turn
influence ecosystems.
3. Seasonal variations in climate result from the earth’s
________________around the sun.

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 a. The amount of_________________radiation reaching
the earth’s surface changes in the Northern and Southern
hemispheres; this results in seasonal changes in climate.
b. In temperate regions, organisms respond most to
changes in ________________ and temperature; in deserts
and tropical regions, they respond more to
_____________________ changes in rainfall.
4. Latitudinal and seasonal variations in
solar_______________ cause ocean water to warm and cool on
a vast scale.
a. ________________ tend to move from the equator to
the poles, warming the air above.
b. _________________ form because of the earth’s
rotation, winds, variations in temperature, and distribution
of land masses.
c. Immense _____________ water movements in the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans influence the distribution of
ecosystems.
B. Harnessing the Sun and Wind
1. ____________________ energy is an attractive technology
because it depends on a renewable energy source—the sun.
2. _________________________ produce an electric current
that splits water into oxygen and hydrogen gas, which can be
used directly as fuel or to produce electricity.
3. Where winds travel faster than ____________ meters per
second, wind turbines are cost-effective producers of
electricity.
4. Because winds do not blow on a regular
schedule________________cannot be the exclusive source of
energy.

2. Air Circulation Patterns and Human Affairs

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 A. A Fence of Wind, and Ozone Thinning
1. _____________________ in the lower stratosphere absorbs
most of the ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
a. Seasonal _____________ thinning occurs over
Antarctica.
b. With less ozone, more _________________ reaches the
earth causing more skin cancers, cataracts, and weakened
immune systems.
2. _____________________________ seem to be the cause—one
chlorine atom can convert 10,000 ozone molecules to oxygen.
a. Winds rotate around the poles for most of the winter
like a ________________________.
b. _______________ molecules are split apart on
“platforms” of ice crystals in fenced-in clouds.
B. No Wind, Lots of Pollutants, and Smog
1. _________________ can trap pollutants close to the ground.
2. _________________ is gray air found in industrial cities that
burn fossil fuel.
3. _______________ is brown air found in large cities in warm
climates; the key culprit is nitric oxide.
C. Winds and Acid Rain
1. Burning _______________ in power plants produces sulfur
dioxides.
2. Burning ________________ and using nitrogen-rich
fertilizers result in nitrogen oxides.
3. Tiny particles of these oxides can fall to the earth in two
forms: ____________ deposition or acid rain.

3. The Ocean, Landforms, and Climates

A. Ocean Currents and Their Effects
1. Ocean water covers almost ___________________ of the
earth’s surface.
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 2. Latitudinal and seasonal variations in _______________
heating cause ocean water to warm and cool on a vast scale.
a. _________________ waters tend to move from the
equator to the poles, warming the air above.
b. Currents form because of the earth’s rotation, winds,
variations in temperature, and distribution of land masses.
3. Immense _________________ water movements in the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans influence climate zones and the
distribution of ecosystems.
B. Rain Shadows and Monsoons
1. ___________________ refers to physical features of a region,
such as elevation.
2. Mountains, valleys, and other features
influence__________________ climates.
a. The mountains of the western United States cause the
winds from the ocean to rise, cool, and lose their
______________________.
b. As the winds descend on the ______________
(eastern) slopes, they are devoid of moisture, causing a rain
shadow effect.
c. _______________ rains occur when warm winds pick
up ocean moisture and release it over the cooler
landmasses of Asia and Africa.

4. Realms of Biodiversity
A. Plants and animals show a great diversity from one global
region to another.
1. Climatic factors determine patterns of vegetation and why
unrelated species may have similar _____________.
2. _______________________ is the study of the global
distribution of species.

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 B. The earth’s surface has been divided into regions for easier
study.
1. _____________________ are very broad land regions with
characteristic types of plants and animals; there are six of
these.
2. Biomes are large vegetational subdivisions including all
animals and other organisms.
a. _____________ distribution corresponds with climate,
topography, and soil type.
b. The form of the dominant ______________ tells us
something of the weather conditions.
3. Hot spots and ______________ are portions of biomes that
are vulnerable to species losses and possible extinction.

5. Moisture-Challenged Biomes
A. Deserts, Natural and Man-Made
1. Most deserts lie between ____ north and south latitudes.
a. Annual rainfall is less than ______ centimeters.
b. Vegetation is scarce, but there is some diversity;
day/night temperatures __________ widely.
2. _______________________ is the conversion of grasslands
and croplands to desert-like conditions.
a. The term also applies when
________________productivity drops by ten percent or
more.
b. At least _________________ square kilometers are
being converted annually.
c. Large-scale _________________ is caused by
overgrazing of cattle (nonnative) on marginal lands.
B. Dry Shrublands, Dry Woodlands, and Grasslands
1. Dry _____________ prevail when rainfall is less than 25–60
cm (for example, the highly flammable California chaparral).
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 a. The climate is semiarid.
b. Rains occur during mild winter months; summers are
long, hot, and dry; and dominant plants have tough,
___________________ leaves.
2. Dry ______________ occur when rainfall is about 40–100
cm; there are trees but not in dense forests.
3. Grasslands sweep across much of the interior of continents,
in the zones between deserts and temperate forests.
a. Characteristics include: flat or rolling land, high rates
of evaporation, limited rainfall, grazing and burrowing
animals, and __________________.
b. There are two basic types in North America.
1) ________________ of the American Midwest is
typified by short, drought-resistant grasses that have
been replaced by grains that require irrigation.
2) ___________________ was originally found in the
American West where water was more plentiful.
c. The African ______________ are hot, dry and bear
small bushes among the grass.

6. More Rain, More Trees

A. Broadleaf Forests
1. Evergreen _________________ occur between 20o N and S
latitude.
a. Most typical is the ______________________ forest
where temperatures, rainfall, and humidity are all high.
b. Plant growth is _________________, with competing
vines; there is incredible animal diversity.
2. _________________ broadleaf forests are common at
temperate latitudes.

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 a. In the _______________ forest, many trees drop some
or all of their leaves during the pronounced dry season.
b. In the __________________ forests of North America,
conditions of temperature and rainfall do not favor rapid
decomposition; thus, nutrients are conserved to provide
fertile soil.
B. Coniferous Forests
1. The typical “tree” in these forests is some variety of
evergreen _______________ needlelike leaves.
2. These forests are found in widely divergent geographic
areas.
a. _______________ (or taiga) are found in the cool to
cold northern regions of North America, Europe, and Asia;
spruce and balsam fir are dominant.
b. ______________coniferous forests extend southward
through the great mountain ranges; fir and pine dominate.
c. ______________ pine forests grow in the sandy soil of
several Atlantic and Gulf coast states.

7. Brief Summers and Long, Icy Winters

A. _______________ lies to the north of the boreal forests; it is a
vast treeless plain, very cold, with low moisture; it is
characterized by permafrost, which prevents growth of large
trees.
B. __________________ occurs at high elevations in mountains
throughout the world.

8. Don’t Forget the Soils

A. ___________ is a mixture of rock, mineral ions, and organic
matter.
1. The size of the____________ can range from gravel to sand,
silt, and clay.
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 2. The organic matter, in variable stages of decomposition, is
called _______________.
B. Soil _________________ are defined by the composition of
soil from the surface downward.
1. Topsoil has the most humus and is the most
_________________ to weathering.
2. Loam ____________have the best mix of sand, silt, and clay
for agriculture.

9. Freshwater Provinces
A. Lake Ecosystems
1. A lake is a body of standing _________________ produced
by geologic processes, as when an advancing glacier carves a
basin in the earth.
a. The _____________________ extends from the shore to
where rooted plants stop growing.
b. The _______________ includes open, sunlit waters
beyond the littoral to a depth where photosynthesis is no
longer significant; plankton life is abundant.
c. The _____________ is the deep, open water below the
depth of light penetration; detritus sinks from the limnetic
and is acted upon by decomposers.
2. Seasonal Changes in Lakes
a. In temperate regions, lakes undergo changes in
_________________ and temperature.
b. In winter, ice (less dense) forms on the surface over
water that is______________, much of it at 4o C (greatest
density), and heavier.
c. During the ____________________, warming and
winds cause oxygen to be carried downward and nutrients
to the surface.

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 d. By midsummer, a _________________ between the
upper warmer layers and lower cooler layers prevents
vertical warming.
e. During autumn, the upper layers cool and sink
causing a __________________.
3. Trophic Nature of Lakes
a. Glaciers carve out ________________, which become
filled with water to form lakes.
b. Interactions of soils, basin shape, and climate produce
a continuum of ______________structure.
c. _______________ lakes are deep, nutrient-poor, and
low in primary productivity.
d. ______________ lakes are shallow and nutrient-rich
often due to agricultural and urban runoff wastes.
B. Stream Ecosystems
1. Streams start out as ______________ springs or seeps.
2. Three kinds of habitats form along a continuum from head
waters to river’s end.
a. ______________ are shallow, turbulent stretches
where water flows swiftly over sand and rock.
b. In ____________ deep water flows slowly over a
smooth, sandy or muddy bottom.
c. _____________ are fast-flowing waters with a smooth
surface and a bottom of bedrock or rock and sand.
3. Several factors affect streams.
a. Average ____________ and temperature are
influenced by geography, altitude, and forest shade.
b. ________________ and temperature vary with rainfall,
snow melt, drought, and the seasons.
c. Chemistry and pollution of the water depend on
materials leached into, or added to, the stream.

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 d. Streams _______________ their valleys and participate
in cycles of erosion and redeposition of sediments and
nutrients.

10. Life at Land’s End

A. Wetlands and the Intertidal Zone
1. ______________ are partially enclosed regions where fresh
and saltwater meet.
a. Estuaries are incredibly _____________ feeding and
breeding grounds for many animals.
b. Many estuaries are declining because of upstream
______________________ of the freshwater that is necessary
for their maintenance.
2. “____________________” refers to forests in sheltered
regions along tropical coasts.
a. Ocean waves cannot reach these regions, so anaerobic
sediments and mud ________________.
b. _______________ plants with shallow, spreading roots
abound here.
c. The _______________ productivity of mangrove
wetlands depends on the volume and flow rate of the water
moving in and out with the tides.
B. Rocky and Sandy Coastlines
1. The inhabitants of the __________________ are alternately
exposed and submerged; existence is difficult.
2. ______________shores have three vertically arranged
zones.
a. The ______________ is submerged only during the
highest possible lunar tide; it is sparsely populated.
b. The ________________ is submerged during the
regular tide and exposed at the lowest tide of the day.

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 c. The __________________ is exposed only during the
lowest lunar tide.
3. Sandy and muddy shores are rather unstable stretches of
loose sediments; _______________ food webs occur; and
invertebrates are plentiful.
C. Coral Reefs
1. _____________________ are wave-resistant formations that
consist of accumulated remains of marine organisms.
2. Corals,________________, fishes, algae, and any many other
organisms live in a delicate balance.

11. Coral Bleaching

A. Coral reefs are vast underwater complexes.
1. ___________________ live in the coral polyps, providing
oxygen and recycling of nutrients.
2. When corals are stressed, however, they expel their
_________________.
B. When corals die, only the hardened __________________
remain.
1. This is called coral _________________.
2. It is on the rise all over the world, partly due to
______________ sea surface temperatures.

12. The Open Ocean

A. The world ocean has two vast provinces.
1. The _____________________ includes all the sediments and
rocky formations of the ocean bottom; its zones begin with the
continental shelf and extend downward to the deep-sea
trenches.
2. The _______________ includes the entire volume of ocean
water and is subdivided into two zones.
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 a. The _____________ constitutes the relatively shallow
water overlying the continental shelves.
b. The _________________ is the water over the ocean
basins; photosynthetic activity is restricted to the surface;
and deeper food webs are dependent on marine snow—
bits of organic matter that float downward.
B. Surprising Diversity
1._______________ are the beginning of ocean food webs.
a. Organic remains and wastes enter the____________
webs.
b. As much as __________________ of the productivity
may be from microscopic ultraplankton.
2. Deeper ocean is too ____________ for photosynthesis.
a. There, food webs start with _____________________,
tiny bits of organic matter that drift down from
communities above.
b. Also, a number of species migrate ______________ to
feed at night and move to the lower depths the next day.
3. Hydrothermal vent ecosystems occur on the ocean floor.
a. Here, very cold water at the ocean bottom seeps into
fissures, is heated, and then spewed forth mixed with
____________________.
b. _______________________ bacteria provide the
starting point for complex communities of tube worms,
crustaceans, clams, and fishes.
C. Upwelling and Downwelling
1. ____________ is the upward movement of deep, nutrient-
rich water along the margins of continents.
a. Under the influence of northern winds and the earth’s
rotation, water along the western coasts of the Northern
Hemisphere move westward where cold, deep water
moves in ________________ to replace it.
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 b. At places where currents stir the ocean water and
__________________ nutrients, primary productivity
increases.
2. Every three to seven years, the warm surface waters of the
western equatorial Pacific move eastward to the coasts of
South and Central America to cause “____________”—a
phenomenon known as _______________, which can affect
weather patterns over land.

13. Applying Knowledge of the Biosphere

A. An El Niño Southern Oscillation ______________ is defined
as changes in sea surface temperatures and in the air
circulation patterns in the western equatorial Pacific Ocean.
1. _____________ ENSOs, the warm waters and heavy rains
move westward; during an ENSO, prevailing winds “drag”
surface waters eastward.
2. This results in global ______________ on weather.
B. The 1997–1998 El Niño episode caused a huge
_______________in the populations of ocean
photosynthesizers.
1. At the same time, the number of cases of ________________
in Peru increased dramatically.
2. But where was the _______________ cause, Vibrio cholerae,
reservoired between outbreaks?
3. Rita Colwell discovered the answer: ________________,
tiny crustaceans that live on phytoplankton, which
increase/decrease with the warming/cooling of the ocean
water.

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