13 marks
Outline what is meant by the term biome.
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Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Climate & Biomes (DP IB Environmental Systems & Societies (ESS): HL): Exam Questions
1 hour23 questions
22 marks
Insolation is the amount of solar radiation received by given area of land in a given time period. It is one of the main factors governing the distribution of biomes.
State the other two.
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35 marks
List the five major classes that all biomes can be grouped into.
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42 marks
State two biomes that fall within the 'forest' class of biomes.
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52 marks
Complete the following sentence:
Global atmospheric circulation can be described as a worldwide system of winds moving solar heat energy from the _________ to the __________ to reach a balance in temperature.
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62 marks
Complete the following sentence:
Air always moves from areas of __________ pressure to areas of __________ pressure and this movement of air generates wind.
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73 marks
State three characteristics that are typical of tropical biomes.
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82 marks
State two differences between El Niño and La Niña.
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91 mark
Identify one reason why El Niño reduces marine productivity.
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102 marks
State two factors that may prevent a biome from developing as expected in a region.
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111 mark
Define the term tropical cyclone.
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121 mark
State one way that climate change is influencing tropical cyclones.
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1a1 mark
The figure below shows how the dominant vegetation and crop production changes with altitude in the Andes mountain range in South America.
Outline how global warming might affect the pattern of natural vegetation shown above.
1b3 marks
Using the figure in part a, discuss how rising temperatures caused by global warming may affect the food production systems of Andean communities living at an altitude of around 2 500 m.
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23 marks
Distinguish between the following two biomes: tundra and tropical rainforest.
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34 marks
Explain how the atmospheric system influences the distribution of biomes.
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44 marks
Describe the formation of tropical cyclones.
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52 marks
Distinguish between the impacts of El Niño and La Niña on marine ecosystems.
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63 marks
Explain how ocean currents help regulate climate.
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74 marks
Explain how global warming can influence the distribution of polar and tropical climate types.
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17 marks
Explain how the tricellular model of atmospheric circulation influences the climate of different regions.
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29 marks
Discuss how climate and atmospheric circulation influence the global distribution of biomes.
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37 marks
Explain how rising ocean temperatures are increasing the intensity of tropical cyclones.
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49 marks
Discuss the extent to which the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) affects global climate patterns.
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