Geography ECOSYSTEMS & DESERTS (Middle East)

KEY IDEA—Earth’s Major Ecosystems are determined by a range of factors.

A biome is a land-based community that covers a large area and is characterised by certain climate conditions
An ecosystem is a and particular groups of plants and animals
natural system in The largest determinant of the major location of
which the life cycles largescale ecosystems (biomes) is ‘latitude’ due to
of living things, two key elements.
plants (flora) and
animals (fauna) are The amount of solar energy received determines
closely linked to the temperature, and the Global Atmospheric Cir-
each other and the culation determines the precipitation.
non-living environ-
ment There are four main climate zones:
1. ARCTIC
Plants trap the sun’s energy through the process of photosynthesis 2. TEMPERATE
taking in carbon dioxide and wate rand converting these into glu- 3. SUB-TROPICAL
4. TROPICAL
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cose and oxygen.

The location of these is determined by the amount
Ecosystems involve interrelationships between the four spheres.
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of sunlight and precipitation (see diagram below)

The biosphere consists of all living things.
The hydrosphere relates to all the water (fresh and salt), ice and The Global Atmospheric Circulation (GAC)
vapour Model
The lithosphere, is the earths surface (land and ocean floor)
The atmosphere is the air that surrounds the planet.
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See class notes to remind yourself of the interrelationships (e.g.

photosynthesis / producers / consumers etc.)

Source: [Link]
Geography ECOSYSTEMS & DESERTS (Middle East) Continued..
KEY IDEA: HOT DESERTS AND AN IMPORTANT ECOYSTEM WITH DISTINCT CHARACTERISTICS AND ADPATIONS

The hot desert biome, like that found in The Middle East, is Soil layers, known as soil horizons, develop over time and have characteristics according to the parent rock type,
characterised by extreme climate, thin poor soils, and a lack climate, and vegetation of the region.
of biodiversity.

• The climate is very hot. Summer day-time tempera-

tures can exceed 40°C. However, at night the temper-
ature can drop below 0°C.

• The climate is very dry with less than 250 mm of rain-

fall a year.

• Hot deserts have two distinct seasons: summer, when

the temperature ranges between 35-40°C, and win-
ter, when the temperature ranges between 20-30°C.
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Desert soils (Aridisols) are very different to Rainforest soils (Latosols).

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LATOSOLS ARIDISOLS
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Soil is a mixture of clay, silt, sand and rotting vegetation. The

clay, silt and sand are a result of the parent rock being bro-
ken down by chemical weathering.

• CLAY—very fine particles and hold water

• SILT—medium-sized particles
- Desert soils are thin, sandy, rocky and generally grey in colour.
• SAND—coarse grained and let water through.
- Desert soils are very dry. When it does rain they soak up the water very quickly.
In somewhere like the UK soil can take 200-400 years for - The surface of the soil may appear crusty. This is due to the lack of rainfall.
ONE cm of soil to form! - As it is so hot water is drawn up to the surface of the soil by evaporation. As the water evaporates, salts are
Geography ECOSYSTEMS & DESERTS (Middle East) Continued..
KEY IDEA: ANIMALS AND PLANTS HAVE ADAPTED TO THE EXTREME CONDITIONS OF THE ARABIAN DESERT

Animals: Example—THE CAMEL

Behaviourally – some burrow or are nocturnal to avoid heat in the

day. Some move quickly across the sand.

Physically - storing water in their fatty tissues, long ears to dissipate

heat and thick outer covering to reduce the loss of moisture and
keep warm at night. Sandy coloured.

The camel has very specific adaptations.

[Link]
KNOWLEDGE ORGANISER YEAR 9
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Plants: Example—THE ACACIA TREE

Plants living in the Arabian desert are Xerophytic. This means that
the plants living in this location have adapted to not need large
amounts of water. Some plants are also halophytic or ‘salt-
tolerant’.

There are no cactus species native to the desert here. Most

plant species here are characterised by long roots, short spiny
shoots, and fleshy, (succulent) or needle-like leaves; all of
which help them adapt to the harsh conditions of the Arabian
Desert. The Acacia tree is found in the Arabian desert and has
specific importance and adaptations.
Geography ECOSYSTEMS & DESERTS (Middle East) Continued..
Key idea: The Middle East is a diverse region

The Middle East is a geographical and cul- Key human geographical information:
turally similar region made up of 17 coun-
tries (although this varies) located mostly
in south-western Asia on the Arabian Pen-
insula, but also in parts of northern Africa
and south-eastern Europe.

Most of the Middle East region is charac-

terized by a hot, arid and semi-arid desert
climate. The Arabian Desert is the largest
sand-only desert on the planet and re-
ceives as little as 30 millimetres) of rainfall
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per year). The coastal regions of the North

have Mediterranean climate, much like
KNOWLEDGE ORGANISER YEAR 9

Greece and Italy, and the higher altitude

regions are more like the cooler grasslands
of the Russian Steppe.

Key physical geographical features:

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The Middle East has a population of about 246 million; nearly as many
people as the United States.

The population distribution varies widely. The fertile regions, such as the
Nile Delta, are very densely settled; many others are only lightly populat-
ed; while others, particularly in the deserts, are completely empty of
There are many very important & famous cities in the region: human life.

The most populous Middle Eastern countries are Turkey, Egypt, and
Iran, each with more than 50 million people. Bahrain and Qatar have
the smallest populations, about 400,000 each.

Saudi Arabia, although greatest in area, has a relatively small population

for its size, a little more than 10 million, because much of its land is de-
Geography ECOSYSTEMS & DESERTS (Middle East) Continued..
Key idea: The Middle East is a diverse region Key Idea—There are significant variations in wealth & poverty across the region
Since ancient times, the Middle East has attracted migrating peoples. Mixing with the
earlier inhabitants of the region, they produced the diverse ethnicities we see today.
Most countries are multi-ethnic. Even though ethnic diversity leads to the cultural rich-
ness of a society, it unfortunately may lead to political conflict. The Kurds, for example,
do not have their own nation-state, but are instead spread across Turkey, Iraq, Iran,
and Syria. Their political and military attempts to create an autonomous Kurdistan
have been strongly resisted by those states.

The region is the birthplace of

three main religions of Juda-
ism, Christianity, and Islam.
About 20% of the world's
Muslims live in the Middle
East. A major source of con-
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flict in the Muslim Middle

East is between the two main
KNOWLEDGE ORGANISER YEAR 9

sects of Islam: Sunni and

Shi'a. Although these two
sects agree on the fundamen-
tals of Islam and the teach-
ings of the Quran, they are in
conflict about who would
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lead the Muslim community

after Muhammad's death.
More than half of the world's known oil reserves are found in the region, although they are
There are also military con- not equally distributed. This has created a disparity of wealth and power in the Middle East.
flicts in the Middle East. It has Gulf countries with relatively small populations have the most oil and are increasingly West-
been an historically unstable ernised.
political region. The British
Qatar is the wealthiest nation and has GDP per capita of 124,000 USD whereas Yemen is the
and French Empires divided
poorest nation with a GDP of 2,500 USD per capita.
the lands of the Ottoman Em-
pire between themselves,
creating artificial borders and
Key Idea—Desertification is becoming a problem in the Middle East
political conflicts in the re-
Desertification is the term use to describe when an area of fer-
gion. With such vast oil de-
tile land becomes degraded so much that nothing will grow
posits, many countries had an there. 85% or the Middle eastern land has been degraded.
interest in how the region Desertification has several causes, mainly related to human
operated. actions.
 Human Actions causing Desertification APPLYING YOUR KNOWLEDGE... Key Term Definition
Geography Tree and plant clearance: • What does the abbreviation GAC refer to?
• Describe the global distribution of desert
Adaptation
Arid / Semi-arid
How something changes its behaviour or characteristics to fit surroundings
Arid means ‘dry’. Less than 250mm of rain per year. Semi-arid climate is found on
the plant roots that bind
biomes. the outer edge of Arid climate areas. Can be hot or cold dry areas.
and dead leaves that enrich
• How much rainfall does an arid region re- Aridisols Soils found in very dry areas that have very low organic content
the soil is cleared for fuel- ceive each year?
wood and timber, or to • Name a country of the Middle East with a Atmosphere The protective layer of gases surrounding the earth

clear land for cultivation Mediterranean climate. Autonomous (of a country or region) having the freedom to govern itself or control its own
• Identify at least 10 countries of the middle affairs.
Overgrazing herds of cattle east.
Biodiversity The total ‘variety’ of living things in an area
• Name a river, mountain range, desert and
and goats eat the binding Biome A large naturally occuring community characterised by certain climate conditions
Gulf found in the Middle East.
grasses and compress/ and associated flora (plants) and fauna (animals).
• List the countries in order of wealth from
erode topsoil with their
most to least GDP Biosphere All the living things on the planet (plants, animals, microbes)
hooves.
• What 4 things lead to desertification? Consumer Living things that either eat green plants or animals that have eaten plants
• Give 2 ways animals/plants adapt to the
Intensive arable farming climate of the desert. Decomposers Bacteria that breakdown living matter.
depletes the nutrients in Desertification The process of fertile land becoming infertile and degraded so it is unable to sup-
Now Challenge yourself even further!
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the soil – the soil is unable port growth of vegetation.

to rest and recover. Contin- • Explain why Alpine climates do not follow a Ecosystem A community of living things and the interactions between them and the non-living
latitudinal pattern. environment
KNOWLEDGE ORGANISER YEAR 9

ued watering, also damag-

es soil by making it saline. • Create a country profile and comparison for Ethnic Groups People of the same race or nationality that share a distinctive culture

Wind and water erode and Yemen and Qatar to find out the main GDP / USD per capita (Gross Domestic Product) a measure of the income of a country. This is usually
carry away topsoil and differences between the two places and given in American (US) Dollars and given as a figure divided by the population.
leaving behind an infertile their wealth. Global Atmospheric The world-wide system of air movement and winds that distribute heat
dust and sand
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Circulation
OTHER RESOURCES KS3 Schoology
Gulf A type of bay, a body of water mostly enclosed by land with a strait connecting it
It is the combination of these factors that trans- Interactive climate regions to a larger body of water such as a sea or ocean.
forms degraded land into desert. https://
Hydrosphere All the water on the planet, ice, water vapor or liquid salt and fresh water)
[Link]/
Desertification has significant impacts on the
semi-arid-climate Interrelationships The way in which two or more things are connected or linked
people of these places. Infertile soil means
crops cannot grow. Food shortages will in- Latosols Deeply weathered, infertile soils found under the tropical rainforests
Soil classification information
crease prices and may lead to hunger, poverty, [Link] Lithosphere The rocks, soil and mineral component of the Earth’s land and ocean floor
and migration. Soil erosion and lack of plant science/soil
cover leads to flash floods and mudslides when Middle East A geographical region comprising much of southwest Asia and north Africa
Countries of the Middle East quizhttps://
there is rain. The nature of the area may disap- Parent Rock The original rock type in the area influence how and what soil forms
[Link]/en/vgp/3049
pear because of a lack of habitat. Those living in
Peninsula An area of land that juts out into the sea.
cities, already rely on imported food, but those
Interactive map of GDP https:// Producer Green plants which can photosynthesise and produce their own food
living in rural areas, will now have to pay higher
[Link]/map/?
prices for imported food. t=0&v=67&r=me&l=en Soil Horizons The different horizontal layers in a soil profile

Solar Energy The sunlight (short and longwave radiation) that heats the Earth
Key Terms—To test yourself Read, Cover, Write, Check OR try this quizlet
[Link] Weathering The breaking down of rock by wind, rain, sun, and chemical actions