The biosphere is a sphere of the Earth in which organisms live and develop. The biosphere is not an independent sphere – it is separated from other spheres (including the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and pedosphere) by the scope in which it provides appropriate conditions for live organisms to live and grow. It encompasses the lower part of the atmosphere (up to altitudes of 10 km), the entire hydrosphere and pedosphere, and the outer part of the lithosphere to the depth that constitutes the thermal barrier for the growth of microorganisms. The majority of organisms live on land, in water up to the depth of a few hundred metres, in the lithosphere up to the depth of tens of centimetres, and up to the height of a few kilometres in the atmosphere. The biodiversity and size of the population of live organisms is the greatest in the equatorial zone, and it diminishes the closer we get to the poles. Low biodiversity is also characteristic of the upper parts of mountains, upper parts of the atmosphere, and the ocean depths.
The biosphere also includes the parabiosphere – a sphere in which only dormant life forms can exist, including bacterial and fungal spores. The parabiosphere encompasses locations with extremely adverse conditions for living organisms, such as high mountains, polar deserts and the upper parts of the atmosphere.
The conditions required for plants to live and grow largely depend on the climate. A vast majority of plants can grow in temperatures above 0°C. In temperate climates, it is assumed that this threshold is an average diurnal temperature of above +5°C. The part of the year when conditions are conducive to the vegetation growth is called the growing seasongrowing seasongrowing season. Due to varied climate conditions and variable access to water, the vegetation zones that have formed on the surface of the earth approximately correspond to the layout of the climate zones. In particular vegetation zones there are characteristic plant formationsplant formationplant formations, that is, types of plants that have similar climate, water, relief and soil requirements. In the mountains, as the altitude increases climate conditions change, and so the vegetation changes as well. Plant communities whose species composition depends on the distribution of vertical climatic zones are referred to as vegetation beltsvegetation beltsvegetation belts.
Task 1
Students form groups of four. Each group works on one of the problems listed below.
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The biosphere and its characteristics. (Uzupełnij). Vegetation zones, plant formations and vegetation belts. (Uzupełnij). Whether life can exist in extremely adverse conditions (ocean floors, mountain peaks and outer space). (Uzupełnij).
The biosphere and its characteristics. (Uzupełnij). Vegetation zones, plant formations and vegetation belts. (Uzupełnij). Whether life can exist in extremely adverse conditions (ocean floors, mountain peaks and outer space). (Uzupełnij).
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Exercise 1
Match the terms with their definitions. biosphere Możliwe odpowiedzi: 1. the variability of vegetation due to differences in altitude, which is characteristic of mountainous areas; caused by the distribution of vertical climatic zones, 2. a type of vegetation that is characteristic of a given area; plants which comprise plant formations have similar soil and climate requirements, 3. a large area with specific vegetation adjusted to the conditions in this zone, 4. a sphere of the Earth where conditions are conducive to life, which is inhabited by various organisms vegetation zone Możliwe odpowiedzi: 1. the variability of vegetation due to differences in altitude, which is characteristic of mountainous areas; caused by the distribution of vertical climatic zones, 2. a type of vegetation that is characteristic of a given area; plants which comprise plant formations have similar soil and climate requirements, 3. a large area with specific vegetation adjusted to the conditions in this zone, 4. a sphere of the Earth where conditions are conducive to life, which is inhabited by various organisms plant formation Możliwe odpowiedzi: 1. the variability of vegetation due to differences in altitude, which is characteristic of mountainous areas; caused by the distribution of vertical climatic zones, 2. a type of vegetation that is characteristic of a given area; plants which comprise plant formations have similar soil and climate requirements, 3. a large area with specific vegetation adjusted to the conditions in this zone, 4. a sphere of the Earth where conditions are conducive to life, which is inhabited by various organisms vegetation belts Możliwe odpowiedzi: 1. the variability of vegetation due to differences in altitude, which is characteristic of mountainous areas; caused by the distribution of vertical climatic zones, 2. a type of vegetation that is characteristic of a given area; plants which comprise plant formations have similar soil and climate requirements, 3. a large area with specific vegetation adjusted to the conditions in this zone, 4. a sphere of the Earth where conditions are conducive to life, which is inhabited by various organisms
Match the terms with their definitions. biosphere Możliwe odpowiedzi: 1. the variability of vegetation due to differences in altitude, which is characteristic of mountainous areas; caused by the distribution of vertical climatic zones, 2. a type of vegetation that is characteristic of a given area; plants which comprise plant formations have similar soil and climate requirements, 3. a large area with specific vegetation adjusted to the conditions in this zone, 4. a sphere of the Earth where conditions are conducive to life, which is inhabited by various organisms vegetation zone Możliwe odpowiedzi: 1. the variability of vegetation due to differences in altitude, which is characteristic of mountainous areas; caused by the distribution of vertical climatic zones, 2. a type of vegetation that is characteristic of a given area; plants which comprise plant formations have similar soil and climate requirements, 3. a large area with specific vegetation adjusted to the conditions in this zone, 4. a sphere of the Earth where conditions are conducive to life, which is inhabited by various organisms plant formation Możliwe odpowiedzi: 1. the variability of vegetation due to differences in altitude, which is characteristic of mountainous areas; caused by the distribution of vertical climatic zones, 2. a type of vegetation that is characteristic of a given area; plants which comprise plant formations have similar soil and climate requirements, 3. a large area with specific vegetation adjusted to the conditions in this zone, 4. a sphere of the Earth where conditions are conducive to life, which is inhabited by various organisms vegetation belts Możliwe odpowiedzi: 1. the variability of vegetation due to differences in altitude, which is characteristic of mountainous areas; caused by the distribution of vertical climatic zones, 2. a type of vegetation that is characteristic of a given area; plants which comprise plant formations have similar soil and climate requirements, 3. a large area with specific vegetation adjusted to the conditions in this zone, 4. a sphere of the Earth where conditions are conducive to life, which is inhabited by various organisms
Match the terms with their definitions.
the variability of vegetation due to differences in altitude, which is characteristic of mountainous areas; caused by the distribution of vertical climatic zones, a sphere of the Earth where conditions are conducive to life, which is inhabited by various organisms, a type of vegetation that is characteristic of a given area; plants which comprise plant formations have similar soil and climate requirements, a large area with specific vegetation adjusted to the conditions in this zone
formacja roślinna – typ roślinności charakterystyczny dla danego obszaru; rośliny wchodzące w skład formacji roślinnej mają podobne wymagania w stosunku do gleby i klimatu
piętra roślinności – charakterystyczny dla wielu obszarów górskich układ roślinności warunkowany występowaniem piętrowego układu stref klimatycznych, tj. powodowany zmianą klimatu następującą wraz ze wzrostem wysokości nad poziomem morza.
