Biomes

Question 1

What is a biological realm

Answer 1

the broadest divisions of the earth’s land surface – subdivided into ECOREGIONS/ ECOZONES

Question 2

What is an ecoregion

Answer 2

an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm.

Ecoregions cover large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural communities and species

Question 3

What is a biome

Answer 3

A broad, regional type of ecosystem characterised by distinctive climate and soil conditions as well as a distinctive kind of biological community adapted to those conditions

Question 4

What can biome classifications be useful for

Answer 4

as a way of classifying the Earth’s terrestrial communities into major ecological units – correlates with regional climate types

Question 5

What are biological realms characterised by?

Answer 5

Evolution history of the organisms within it
Floristic kingdoms
Zoogeographic regions

Question 6

What are the size orders of: bio realms, ecoregions, biomes

Answer 6

Realm = biggest

Realms divide into ecoregions that may contain a number of biomes

Question 7

Name 3 bio REALMS

Answer 7

Any from: 
Australian 
Oceanian
Oriental 
Sino-Japanses
Palearctic
Sahro-Arabian
Nearctic
Panamanian
Neotropical
Madagascan
Afrotropical

Question 8

What is the key idea behind biomes/ realms?

Answer 8

Similar regional climates produces morphological adaptations in plants - so plants have similar plant physiognomy and similar structure in vegetation regardless of actual species

Question 9

What climate type is Af in classification

Answer 9

Tropical wet climate/ rainforest biome

Question 10

What climate type is Dfb in classification

Answer 10

sub-arctic climate / boreal forest biome

Question 11

What factors are plant physiognomy

Answer 11

size
shape
leaf structure
stem size
thorns

Question 12

What is the law of tolerance

Answer 12

for each abiotic factor, an organism has a range of tolerances within which it can survive

Question 13

How much precipitation is there in a tropical biome

Answer 13

no less than 100mm per month

Question 14

what type of soil is found in tropical biomes

Answer 14

Laterites
high clay content
Excessive leaching
Acidic and naturally infertile soils

Question 15

What are the 3 types of desert

Answer 15

True desert
Semi desert
Extreme

Question 16

How do true, semi and extreme deserts differ by definition

Answer 16

Amount of rainfall and plant coverage

True = less than 120mm
semi = 150-400mm
extreme = 70mm

Question 17

Which type of plant is most dominant in deserts

Answer 17

Shrub - drought deciduous or evergreen

Question 18

Which type of plant is most dominant in tropical biomes

Answer 18

Broad leafed evergreens (forest)

Question 19

Name 3 types of plants found in deserts

Answer 19

True xerophytes
Phreatophytes
Halophytes
Succulents

Question 20

How are xerophytes adapted to deserts?

Answer 20

Have shallow root system and extent well beyond canopy

Question 21

How are succulents adapted to deserts

Answer 21

Store water well in tissues
Waxy leaves prevent waterloss
CAM photosynthesis

Question 22

What are soils like in deserts?

Answer 22

Poorly developed due to lack of leaching

Question 23

What is a tundra

Answer 23

is a type of biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons (usually colder, rocky climates)

Question 24

What is a taiga?

Answer 24

a forest of the cold, subarctic region - small number of tree species (but lots of them)

Question 25

Describe 5 features of a tundra

Answer 25

Any from:
treeless-ness
short growing season
Shallow soils
Low precipitation
dry winds
nutrient poor conditions
mosses, lichens, sedges, dwarfshrubs
young, thin soils 
Gleying 
clumped vascular plants

Question 26

Where are taigas mostly found?

Answer 26

Subarctic and cold continental climates

It’s northern most limit is were the taiga meets the tundra

Question 27

What kind of trees are found in a taiga?

Answer 27

mainly evergreen

Question 28

Where are tundras normally found?

Answer 28

encircling the arctic ocean (polewards of Taigas)

Question 29

What are soils like in taigas

Answer 29

young, shallow Podzols - low in natural fertility

Question 30

How much of the Earth is covered by water?

Answer 30

75%

Question 31

Are aquatic or terrestrial environments more stable ?

Answer 31

Aquatic are more stable, less variable

Question 32

What are the 4 features aquatic biomes are defined on

Answer 32

Depth
Salinity
Temperature
Nutrients

Question 33

What 5 factors affect the distribution of aquatic organisms

Answer 33

Light penetration
Temp
Nutrients
Distance from shore/ depth
Position in water colum (i.e: open water or bottom)

Question 34

What are the 2 freshwater biomes

Answer 34

Standing bodies of water (lentic)

Moving bodies of water (lotic)

Question 35

What is a lotic biome

Answer 35

A freshwater, moving body of water

Question 36

What is a lentic biome

Answer 36

A freshwater, standing body of water

Question 37

Give an example of lotic and lentic freshwater biomes

Answer 37

Lentic = lakes, ponds, wetlands

Lotic = rivers, streams

Question 38

What 2 factors limit primary production in marine biomes

Answer 38

Light

Nutrients

Question 39

What is the photic zone

Answer 39

The certain depth of marine biomes that solar radiation penetrates

Question 40

How much solar radiation is absorbed in the first meter of water

Answer 40

more than 50%

Question 41

What are the two main nutrients in marine biomes

Answer 41

Nitrogen

Phosphorous

Question 42

What are the 3 types of coral reefs

Answer 42

Fringing
Barrier
Atolls

Question 43

Name 3 types of organisms that build coral reefs

Answer 43

Coralline algae
Sponges
Stony corals
Hydrocorals
Formaniferans

Question 44

What are polyps?

Answer 44

Coral animals

Question 45

Which biome is coral reef usually found?

Answer 45

tropical distributions

above 18 degrees C