BIOGEOSPHERE
Bilingual Biology and Geology
I.E.S. "J.S.Elcano (Sanlúcar Bda.)
1. Terrestrial and aquatic environments
There are two different types of environment:
- Terrestrial environments. In these ecosystems, living beings live on land,
surrounded by air.
- Aquatic environments. In these ecosystems, living beings live in water.
The abiotic factors are very different in them:
AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS
Water contains everything that aquatic organisms need to live: nutrients are dissolved in it, as well as the carbon dioxide and the oxygen.
There are not abrupt temperature changes.
Things appear to weigh less than on land, so it is easier to move around in water and movements requires less energy.
Sunlight only penetrates to a depth of over 100 m.
Pressure increases quickly with depth.
TERRESTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS
The nutrients, such as minerals, are dissolved in water in the soil, but the gases are in the air.
The climate is very varied and there are wide changes of temperature.
Things appear to weight more on land than in water.
So the amount of energy spend in movement is larger.
Sunlight penetrates the atmosphere easily, and so it is distributed more evenly.
Pressure decreases with altitude, but not too much.
The differences between both environments mean that very different ecosystems develop in each of them. Moreover, there are a large variety of conditions that can change between two aquatic or two terrestrial environments. This has as a result the enormous
ecological diversity that exists on Earth.
READING ACTIVITIES
After reading the text, copy and answer the following questions into your notebook:
Remember: you must make complete sentences.
1.1. Identify if the following sentences refer to a terrestrial or aquatic
environment:
a. The producers obtain nutrients from the soil.
b. There are no sudden changes in temperature.
c. It is easier to move around.
d. Solar energy cannot penetrate too depth.
e. The higher the depth, the higher the pressure.
1.2. Aquatic environments have much more uniform conditions
than terrestrial environments.
Which do you think are richer in species (biodiversity)? Why?
(Diccionario Ing-Esp)
(Juegos de vocabulario)
(Visual dictionary)
(Visual dictionary)
(Glosario de C. Naturales)
(Science audio-glossary)
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(Pronunciación)
(Enciclopedia de C. Naturales)
(Tabla periódica)
Eva Mª
López Rodríguez
Departamento
Biología y Geología
IES " J. S. Elcano"
Sanlúcar de Barrameda