3.1.2.1 Ecosystems Flashcards
What is an ecosystem?
A unit that includes all biotic (living) parts (e.g. plants and animals) & abiotic (non-living) parts (e.g. soil and climate) in an area
What is a producer?
Organism that uses sunlight energy to produce food
What is a consumer?
Organism that gets its energy by eating other organisms (e.g. Eats producers or other consumers)
What is a decomposer?
Organism that gets its energy by breaking down dead material (e.g. dead producers, dead consumers or fallen leaves)
What is a food web?
Shows lots of food chains and how they overlap
What is a food chain?
Shows what eats what
What determines what type of ecosystem forms?
The climate
Name the 6 main types of ecosystems
- Grassland
- Temperate Deciduous Forest
- Polar
- Hot Desert
- Tropical Rainforest
- Tundra
Name the two types of grassland
Savannah & Temperate grasslands
Where are Savannah grasslands found and describe the climate?
Between the tropics - there are distinct dry and wet seasons, although rainfall is relatively low
What vegetation is found in the Savannah grasslands?
Mostly grasses with a few scattered trees
Where are temperate grasslands found and describe the climate?
Found at higher latitudes where there’s more variation in temperature and less rainfall
What vegetation is found in the temperate grasslands?
Just grasses (no trees)
Where are temperate deciduous forests found and describe the climate?
Found mainly in mid latitudes where there are four distinct seasons: summers are warm, winters are relatively mild & there’s rainfall all year round
Why do deciduous trees lose their leaves in the winter?
To cope with the colder weather
Where are polar ecosystems found and describe the climate?
Found along north and south poles - very cold, icy & dry
Can there be vegetation found in polar ecosystems?
Not much grows at all
Why is the growing season very short (2 months) in the polar ecosystems?
Because they remain dark for several months
Where are hot deserts found and describe the climate?
Found between 15° and 35° north and south of the equator where there’s little rainfall - it’s very hot during the day and very cold at night
What kind of vegetation can you find in hot deserts?
Shrubs and cacti (are very sparsely distributed in sandy soil)
Where are tropical rainforests found and describe the climate?
Found around the equator, between the tropics, where it’s hot and wet all year round
What is the vegetation like in tropical rainforests?
They’re areas of lush forests with dense canopies of vegetation forming distinct layers
Where is the tropic of cancer situated?
23.5° N of equator (above it)
Where is the tropic of capricorn situated?
23.5° S of equator (below it)
Where is tundra found?
At high latitudes (above 60° N) in northern Europe, Alaska and northern Canada
What is climate like in the tundra?
Winters are very cold, summers are brief & there’s hardly any rainfall
What is the vegetation like in the tundra?
Hardly any tress - has mosses, grasses and low shrubs
What’s permafrost and where can it be found?
A layer of permanently frozen ground - found in tundra
