3.1 Large-Scale Ecosystems (Paper 1)

Question 1

<p>What are <b>biomes</b>?</p>

Answer 1

<p>Biomes are large-scale ecosystems that have distinctive vegetation</p>

Question 2

<p>What are the major biomes of the world?</p>

Answer 2

<ul><li>Forests</li><li>Tundra</li><li>Hot Desert</li><li>Grasslands</li></ul>

Question 3

<p>Where are Forests usually found and what are their characteristics?</p>

Answer 3

<p>Temperate Decidious Forests are found in Europe, in the USA and China</p>

<ul><li>Rain falls throughout the year</li><li>They have 4 seasons</li></ul>

<p>Tropical Forests are found near the equator. They are typically found in areas like the Amazon jungle or the Daintree Rainforest in Australia</p>

<ul><li>They are usually located in between the tropics, where it is always hot and the humidity/moisture is high</li></ul>

Question 4

<p>Where are Tundra Biomes usually found and what are their characteristics?</p>

Answer 4

<p>Tundra Biomes are usually found at high latitudes, like the Arctic, Alaska and Finland</p>

<ul><li>They get very long days in the summer and very short days in the winter</li><li>The temperatures in winter are usually sub-zero and it doesn't rain much</li><li>Beneath the soil, there is a permafrost layer, where the ground is always frozen</li></ul>

Question 5

<p>Where are Hot Desert Biomes usually found and what are their characteristics?</p>

Answer 5

<p>Hot Desert biomes are located 15° - 35° north and south of the equator</p>

<ul><li>There is almost no precipitation</li><li>Temperatures are very high during the day and freezing at night</li></ul>

Question 6

<p>Where are Grassland Biomes usually found and what are their characteristics</p>

Answer 6

<p>The grassland biome is usually found between +23.5° and -23.5° latitude. Examples include the American Midwest, the Argentinian pampas and South Africa</p>

<ul><li>Savannah grasslands are found between the tropics</li><li>Temperate grasslands are found at higher latitudes</li></ul>

<p>In Grasslands, there is a wet and dry season and the dominant vegetation is grass</p>

Question 7

<p>Which factors affect the distribution of Biomes?</p>

Answer 7

<ul><li>Altitude</li><li>Rock Type</li><li>Drainage</li><li>Soil Type</li></ul>

Question 8

<p>How does Altitude affect the distribution of biomes?</p>

Answer 8

<p>Temperatures are lower at higher altitudes.
Warmer temperatures are better for supporting large and biodiverse ecosystems.
High altitudes are normally on mountainsides so the relief is steep.
Soils are thin at high altitudes because there isn't much dead plant matter (organic matter) to support nutrient cycling</p>

Question 9

<p>How does Rock Type affect the distribution of biomes?</p>

Answer 9

<p>Some rocks weather/erode easily and contain lots of minerals. An area with these kinds of rocks will have more nutrient-rich soil.
Limestone and marble weather easily. Clay is rich in minerals.
The permeability of rocks also influences biomes because the permeability of rocks affects water supplies in the local area</p>

Question 10

<p>How does Drainage affect the distribution of biomes?</p>

Answer 10

<p>Soil gets waterlogged easily if drainage is bad. Plants can only survive in these areas if they are adapted to damp conditions</p>

Question 11

<p>How does Soil Type affect the distribution of biomes?</p>

Answer 11

<p>Nutrient-rich soils are able to support more plant life, larger ecosystems, and more biodiversity.
Drainage and the pH (acidity or alkalinity) of the soil will determine which kind of plants can live there.
Which plants can live in an area will then determine which kind of animals can live in the area</p>

Question 12

<p>What are the characteristics of Animals in a Tropical Forest?</p>

Answer 12

<ul><li>There is a high biodiversity, with many insects and birds</li><li>Many of these species are colourful and noisy</li></ul>

Question 13

<p>What are the characteristics of Plants in a Tropical Forest?</p>

Answer 13

<ul><li>Due to the climate being constant, plants are able to grow throughout the year<ul><li>Most plants are <b>evergreen</b> to take advantage of this</li></ul></li><li>A lot of the trees are very tall</li><li>Dense vegetation cover</li></ul>

Question 14

<p>What are the characteristics of Soil in a Tropical Forest?</p>

Answer 14

<ul><li>Fertility is low as the heavy and frequent rain washes away nutrients</li><li>A thin layer at the soil surface is nutrient rich</li></ul>

Question 15

<p>What are the characteristics of Animals in a Temperate Forest?</p>

Answer 15

<ul><li>Temperate forests can support moderate animal ecosystems as there is a strong plant ecosysytem</li><li>Animals such as mammals, birds and insects live in Temperate forests</li></ul>

Question 16

<p>What are the characteristics of Plants in a Temperate Forest?</p>

Answer 16

<p>Common plants are vegetation such as moss and ferns, and trees such as
maple andm oak</p>

<p>There are some plant species, but not as many in Tropical forests</p>

Question 17

<p>What are the characteristics of Soil in a Temperate Forest?</p>

Answer 17

<p>In Autumn, the broad-leaved trees lose their plants. This leaf litter is broken down and the nutrients enter the soil. Due to this, the soil is nutrient rich and good for farming</p>

Question 18

<p>What is the annual rainfall in Tropical Forests?</p>

Answer 18

<p>Tropical forests recieve around <b>2,000 mm</b> of rainfall annually</p>

Question 19

<p>What is the annual rainfall in Temperate forests?</p>

Answer 19

<p>The annual rainfall for Temperate forests are <b>around 1,000 mm to 1,500 mm</b></p>

Question 20

<p>What are the characteristics of Animals in a Taiga Forest?</p>

Answer 20

<p>There is not much biodiversity in Taiga forests due to the harsh conditions, which require animals to have special adaptions to survive</p>

Question 21

<p>What are the characteristics of Plants in a Taiga Forest?</p>

Answer 21

<p>Plants are evergreen so they can capture as much sunlight as possible</p>

Question 22

<p>What are the characteristics of Soil in a Taiga Forest?</p>

Answer 22

<p>Permafrost is extremely common in taiga forrests. This means decomposition takes a long time as enzymes don't work best in cold temperatures. This means that the soil layers are thin and don't have many nutrients in them</p>

Question 23

<p>What is the annual rainfall in Taiga forests?</p>

Answer 23

<p>There is beterrn <b>30-85 cm</b> of rainfall annually in Taiga forstes. Much of this 'rainfall' is rain</p>

Question 24

<p>What are the characteristics of animals in Tropical Grasslands?</p>

Answer 24

<p>There are large mammals such as lions rhino and zebra in Tropical Grasslands
There are also lots of insects such as ants termites and mosquitos</p>

Question 25

<p>What are the characteristics of plants in Tropical Grasslands?</p>

Answer 25

<p>Most of the plants in Tropical Grasslands are grasses or small plants </p>

Question 26

<p>What are the characteristiccs of the soil in Tropical grasslands?</p>

Answer 26

<p>In the dry season, the grass dies
This organic matter decomposes which creates a thin soil that is very rich in nutrients</p>

<p>However, the rainfall at the start of the wet system can wash the nutrients away</p>

Question 27

<p>What is the annual rainfall of Tropical Grasslands?</p>

Answer 27

<p>The annual rainfall of Tropical Grasslands is between 600mm and 900mm</p>

Question 28

<p>What are the characteristics of Animals in Temperate Grasslands?</p>

Answer 28

<p>There are fewer animals in Temperate Grasslands compared to Tropical Grasslands
Animals such as wolves, gazelles and Bison live in North American prairies</p>

Question 29

<p>What are the characteristics of Plants in Temperate Grasslands?</p>

Answer 29

<p>Most of the plants are grasses or small plants</p>

Question 30

<p>What are the characteristics of Soil in Temperate Grasslands?</p>

Answer 30

<p>Due to the hot summers, decomposition happens quickly so soils are relatively thick and rich in nutrients</p>

Question 31

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Answer 31

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Question 32

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Answer 32

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Question 33

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Answer 33

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