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Year 10
Edexcel B

Understanding the regulatory functions of the biosphere

I can understand how the biosphere regulates the atmosphere and provides important environmental services.

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New
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Year 10
Edexcel B

Understanding the regulatory functions of the biosphere

I can understand how the biosphere regulates the atmosphere and provides important environmental services.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The biosphere regulates the composition of the atmosphere.
  2. The biosphere maintains soil health and regulates water within the hydrological cycle.
  3. The biosphere provides globally important services.

Keywords

  • Atmosphere - the air above our heads, made up of gases, solids and liquids

  • Ecosystem services - benefits gained from the day-to-day functioning of the world's ecosystems that support human life

  • Regulate - to control, for example, the flow of water in a pipe or the temperature in a room

  • Soil health - the structure, composition and nutrient content of a soil; a measure of soil fertility

  • Hydrological cycle - the continuous recycling of water in its different states, for example via rainfall and evaporation

Common misconception

The biosphere is affected by the atmosphere but has little impact on it.

The biosphere has significant impacts on the composition of the atmosphere, affecting the concentration of gases and moisture content.


To help you plan your year 10 geography lesson on: Understanding the regulatory functions of the biosphere, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Learners may need reminding of the components of the hydrological cycle.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What term is used for the living ‘layer’ of Earth below the atmosphere?
aesthenosphere
Correct answer: biosphere
hydrosphere
lithosphere
Q2.
The tropical rainforest is a rich source of __________ for people.
climate change
housing
Correct answer: resources
savanna
Q3.
Match the following terms to their definitions.
Correct Answer:commercial exploitation,the extraction and trading of materials (such as wood) for profit
tick

the extraction and trading of materials (such as wood) for profit

Correct Answer:indigenous people,people who have inhabited an area from the earliest times
tick

people who have inhabited an area from the earliest times

Correct Answer:resources,materials in the environment that support our wants and needs
tick

materials in the environment that support our wants and needs

Correct Answer:self-sufficient,needing no outside help in order to support themselves, e.g. via trade
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needing no outside help in order to support themselves, e.g. via trade

Q4.
The tropical rainforest biome is being increasingly exploited for its resources. Mining is an issue on the Indonesian island of Halmahera, for example, because …
companies mining nickel are going bust.
electric vehicle batteries no longer require nickel so demand is shrinking.
Correct answer: indigenous people are being displaced by forest clearance.
Correct answer: indigenous people face losing their livelihoods.
Q5.
Coal, oil and natural gas are all fuels and so create greenhouse gas emissions when used to generate electricity.
Correct Answer: fossil, non-renewable, non renewable
Q6.
Hydro-electric power is an alternative to burning fossil fuels for power. However, large-scale hydro-electric dams typically …
increase greenhouse gas emissions.
pollute water bodies as they leak chemicals into the river.
Correct answer: reduce the flow of water downstream of the dam.
Correct answer: trap sediment which farmers downstream may have relied upon.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
To regulate means to , for example, the flow of water in a pipe.
Correct Answer: control, adjust
Q2.
The atmosphere is the air above our heads. Which of the following are components of the atmosphere?
Correct answer: gases, e.g., nitrogen and oxygens
Correct answer: liquids, e.g., water droplets
Correct answer: solids, e.g., ash from volcanic eruptions
metals, e.g., gold and silver
Q3.
Which of these is a globally-important regulating service that is provided by the biosphere?
forests have cultural benefits such as human happiness
forests provide products or goods such as food and fuel
Correct answer: forests remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
Q4.
Soil health depends on the ongoing addition of nutrients. The biosphere is involved in two key processes, namely …
decomposition and weathering.
leaching and runoff.
Correct answer: littering and decomposition.
weathering and runoff.
Q5.
Another term for the hydrological cycle is the cycle.
Correct Answer: water
Q6.
Put the following statements in the correct order to show the chain effect the large-scale felling of the tropical rainforest has, with deforestation as the starting point.
1 - deforestation
2 - a reduction in evapotranspiration
3 - a reduction in atmospheric moisture
4 - a decline in local and regional rainfall
5 - farmers are affected by reduced harvests