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Global and UK ecosystems and the biosphere

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Question 5

Study Figure 7, which shows simplified Gersmehl nutrient cycle diagrams for two different global ecosystems: Ecosystem A (Tropical Rainforest) and Ecosystem B (Taiga / Boreal Forest).

Figure 7: Two simplified Gersmehl nutrient cycle diagrams. Diagram A (Tropical Rainforest) features a very large Biomass circle, a tiny Litter circle, and a small Soil circle. The decay arrow from Litter to Soil is extremely thick, and the uptake arrow from Soil to Biomass is also extremely thick. The leaching arrow leaving the Soil circle is large. Diagram B (Taiga/Boreal Forest) features a large Litter circle, a medium-small Biomass circle, and a small Soil circle. The decay arrow from Litter to Soil is very thin, and the uptake arrow is thin.

Explain why there are differences in the nutrient cycles of these two ecosystems.

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Global and UK ecosystems and the biosphere Questions

  1. GCSE
  2. /Geography
  3. /Global and UK ecosystems and the biosphere