Biomes 🌳 Flashcards
Define Aibiotic
The physical, non-living parts of the ecosystem, including temperature, water and light.
Define Biotic
All the living elements of the ecosystem including plants, animals and bacteria
Define Biome
Large-scale ecosystems that are spread across continents and have plants and animals that are unique to them
Define Carnivore
An animal that eats other animals
Describe what the circumpolar winds are
Flows of air around the Earth’s poles. It keeps all the weather within the continent as they travel around it’s coastline
What is a continental shelf
The area of seabed around a large land mass where the sea is relatively shallow compared with the open ocean
What is conventional rainfall
Conventional rainfall occurs frequently in the tropics where it is hot; hot air close to the ground rises, cools, and condenses to form rain; if the air is hot enough, it rises very quickly and this can lead to thunder storms
What is deforestation
The cutting down of trees, transforming a forest into cleared land, for other uses such as building or growing crops.
What is Evapotranspiration
The process by which water is transferred from the land to the atmosphere by evaporation from surfaces, e.g. lakes, and by transpiration from plants
Define what Fauna is
Another term for the animals in an ecosystem
Define what flora is
Another term for the plants in an ecosystem
Define what a Herbivore is
An animal that feeds on plants
Describe what interdependence is
The reliance of every form of life on other living things and on the natural resources in its environment, such as air, soil and water
What is the definition of nutrient cycling
A set of processes whereby organisms extract minerals necessary for growth from soil or water, before passing them on through the food chain, and ultimately back to the soil and water
What is an Omnivore
An animal that eats both plants and animals
Define sustainable
An approach that places emphasis on improving the current quality of life but still maintaining resources for the future; it is a balance of providing social, economic and environmental benefit long term
Define Symbiotic
Organisms that live together;one or both of the organisms may benefit from this arrangement
Define Temperate
A region or climate with typically mild temperatures
Describe Transpiration
The process by which plants lose water vapour through their leaves
Define a Tundra
A vast, flat, treeless Arctic region of Europe, Asia and North America in which the soil is permanently frozen
Define Xerophytic
A type of plant that can survive on very little water
What are the features of a Taiga/coniferous biome
- Found in Northern Hemisphere, 40-60 degrees above equator
- Found in Finland, Norway, Russia and Canada
- Hottest temps = 18
- A.v. Rainfall is 80mm
- Flora= Some coniferous trees (they have bark to keep warm), not much due to snow
- Fauna = Moose, Owl, lynx and Arctic fox
Features of Temperate deciduous forest
- 25-20 degrees latitude, Southern Hemisphere
- Europe, East Coast of NA
- A.v. Temp= 15
- Annual Precipitation = 2000mm
- Flora= Maple oak, shrubs and tall trees
- Fauna = Fox, deer, bats and black bears (claws to climb up trees)
Temperate grasslands
- 40-60 degrees N and S of the equator
- NAmerica, Africa, SAmerica and Eurasia
- Summer temp= 38
- winter temp = as low as -40
- A.v. Rainfall = around 250-750
- Flora = Depends on season, oak, willow
- Fauna= Rabbits, Kangaroos, wolves and eagles
Features of Savanna/ Tropical grasslands
- 5-30 North and south of the equator
- Central: NAustrailia, Africa, venzuala, Brazilian highlands and Mexico
- Av temp and rainfall depends on the season
- Flora=tall grasses and baobab trees
- Fauna = elephants and lions
Features of Hot desert
- 5-30 degrees south of the equator
- West coast of continents, Sahara and Arabian deserts
- Av temp in day = 36-50 degrees
- Av temp at nights = below -12 degrees
- Flora = xerphytic plants like cacti
- Fauna = Meerkats, Camels and rattle snakes
Features of Tropical rainforest
- Broad belt through the tropics
- Central and SAmerica, Central Africa, SE Asia, and Northern parts of Austrailia
- Av temp = 27
- Av rainfall = 2000mm per year
- Fauna = frogs, monkeys, toucans
- flora = Liamas, Butress roots and epiphytes
Features of polar
- above 60 degrees North of the equator
- NAmerica, NEurope
- Winter temps as low as= 46
- Short cool summers, long cold winters
- flora = thousands of moss species and plankton
- Fauna= Penguins, seals, whales, polar bears
Define ecosystem
a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
