s M1 - Analyses the contrasting threats and dynamic shifting values of both biomes in the context of climate change and geopolitical energy security M1 - Develops a balanced evaluation weighing the localized economic gains of tundra exploitation against the global planetary lifesupport services of tropical rainforests A1 - Critically assesses the assertion that the value of tundra is "increasingly surpassing" rainforests, identifying that while tundra's geopolitical and resource significance is rising, rainforests remain fundamentally irreplaceable for global biodiversity and climate stability A1 - Reaches a coherent, well-supported conclusion that makes a clear judgement on the comparative value of both ecosystems to both humans and the planet A144:T7d4,- Outlines the global distribution and key characteristics of tropical rainforests (e.g., located within $10^\circ$ north and south of the equator, high insolation, annual rainfall $> 2000\text{ mm}$) B1 - Outlines the global distribution and key characteristics of tundra ecosystems (e.g., located at high latitudes $> 60^\circ\text{ N}$, underlain by permafrost, low temperatures $< 10^\circ\text{C}$ in summer) B1 - Demonstrates clear understanding of the global ecological roles of both biomes (e.g., rainforests containing over $50\%$ of terrestrial biodiversity; tundra acting as a critical carbon sink trapping gigatonnes of soil carbon) B1 - Analyzes the value of tropical rainforests to humans (e.g., provisioning services like pharmaceuticals, timber, carbon credits) and the planet (e.g., moisture recycling, driving global atmospheric circulation) M1 - Analyzes the value of tundra to humans (e.g., mineral/fossil fuel extraction, tourism, indigenous lifestyles) and the planet (e.g., high albedo effect cooling the Earth, regulating global sea levels through glacial storage) M1 - Compares the vulnerability of their distributions to human pressure and global warming (e.g., tropical rainforests facing direct deforestation vs. tundra facing rapid polar amplification and thermokarsing) M1 - Critically evaluates the trade-offs between local/short-term economic gains (such as oil in Alaska or cattle ranching in Brazil) and long-term global stability A1 - Weighs the global environmental feedback loops of disturbing either biome (e.g., massive $\text{CO}_2$ release from forest burning vs. catastrophic methane release from thawing permafrost) A1 - Reaches a fully justified and balanced conclusion on which ecosystem possesses greater overall value, recognizing that both are vital but serve fundamentally different stabilizing roles in the biosphere A145:T4e7,- Level 1: Demonstrates basic knowledge of global ecosystem distributions (e.g. locating tropical rainforests or hot deserts) with limited detail. B1 - Level 1: Mentions temperature or precipitation as a factor determining where biomes are found, but without showing how they limit growth. B1 - Level 2: Explains how precipitation patterns create distinct bands of ecosystems at similar latitudes (e.g. tropical rainforest vs grassland vs hot desert). M1 - Level 2: Explains how temperature gradients limit ecosystems, such as limiting tree growth in the tundra or taiga. M1 - Level 2: Provides a basic, structured comparative argument or attempt at evaluation of the two factors. A1 - Level 3: Evaluates the critical interaction of temperature and precipitation, such as evapotranspiration rates or water balance defining biome boundaries. M1 - Level 3: Discusses specific examples/case studies of global ecosystems to support a sophisticated, nuanced argument. A1 - Level 3: Formulates a well-structured, logical, and fully justified conclusion on the extent to which precipitation determines distribution compared to temperature.

Global ecosystem distributions

Question 2

Global ecosystem distributions Questions

Global ecosystem distributions

Question 2

Global ecosystem distributions Questions