2010 biosphere or 'what's this got to do with the price of fish?

Higher Geography Pupil Conference

26 2010Dalke ith HS th March

BiosphereVal Vannet High School of Dundee

SOILS or SAND DUNES

The Biosphere question will be on either ……

Everything you need to know for the Biosphere question…….

www.macaulay.ac.uk

Four clicks away……..

1 2

3

4

Preparing for the Biosphere question……

Look at past paper questions……..

1 Sand dunes

2 Soils

3 Soils

4 Sand dunes

5 Soils

But don’t try to question spot!

Repeating themes for soils…… Profiles (3 out of 3)

Podsols (3 out of 3)

Brown earths (2 out of 3)

Gleys (1 out of 3)

Horizons, colour, texture, drainage

(3 out of 3)

Formation factors/processes (3 out of 3)

Leaf litter Leaf litter layerlayer

A Horizon

B Horizon

Red iron panRed iron pan

HumusHumus

Pale grey layerPale grey layer

Red/brown Red/brown subsoilsubsoil Gritty and Gritty and

free free drainingdraining

Hard and Hard and may impede may impede

drainagedrainage

SandySandy

What’s going on? What’s going on? i.e. i.e. processesprocesses

• humificationhumification

• leachingleaching

• eluviation and eluviation and illuvationilluvation

• podsolisationpodsolisation

Why’s it going on? Why’s it going on? i.e. i.e. factorsfactors

• reliefrelief

• climateclimate

• vegetationvegetation

• humushumus

• soil biotasoil biota

Repeating themes for sand dunes….

Definitions :

plant succession climax vegetation (2 out of 2)

Transect/cross section

(2 out of 2)

Named plants at locations on transect (2 out of 2)

Influencing factors : why are they there? (2 out of 2)

Plant succession Plant succession andand climax vegetationclimax vegetation

• plant communities at a site evolve over time from pioneer speciespioneer species to climax vegetationclimax vegetation

• At each stage of the succession the plant community alters the soil and microclimate allowing the establishment of another group of species

• One community of plants is therefore replaced by another as the succession develops

• Eventually a climax community is reached where the vegetation is in a state of equilibrium with the environment and there is no further influx of new species

What? Where? Why?

What plants? Where are they growing?

Why are they growing there?

Sea sandwortSea sandwort

Honkenya peploides!Honkenya peploides!

• salt tolerantsalt tolerant so survives on the foreshore

• low growinglow growing so avoids strong winds

• fleshy leavesfleshy leaves store water

• thick cuticlethick cuticle protects from ‘sandblasting’

• long tap rootslong tap roots access moisture in sand

But what’s this got to do with the price of fish?

This soil is 37 years old!

This plant is a pioneer!

Sea Lyme Grass being used to stabilise tephra on Eldfell

The lava flow almost blocked the harbour of Heimaey – Iceland’s main fishing port

Eldfell volcano

Eyjafjallajokull

Eyjafjallajokullthis week

A new volcano has appeared on the same fissure line

EYJAFJALLAJOKULL ERUPTION

ICELAND MARCH 2010

http://www.mila.is/um-milu/vefmyndavelar/eyjafjallajokull-fra-thorolfsfelli

This morning!

This evening!