Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Bio 144 > Biomes > Flashcards

Biomes Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Biomes

A

Climatically delineated assemblages of organisms that have characteristic appearances and that are distributed over a wide land area
Not at a microscale like a city.
Convergent evolution.
Latitude and longitude variants are mirrored.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Biome of South Africa

A

Albany thicket
Coastal Belt
Desert
Fynbos
Grassland
Nama Karoo
Savanna
Succulent Karoo
Forest

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Rainfall is classified by

A

due to the time of year and biomes of south Africa

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Floral kingdoms

A

Neotropical
Boreal
Paleotropical
Australian
Antarctic
Cape Foral Region

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

CFK

A

Cape floral kingdom
Consists of the Cape floral region - the only floristic region in the cfk-genral geographic are
Occurs entirely in its own country
Close to the richness of the neotropics.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Fynbos biome

A

Altitudes of 2250m
Nutrient poor soil
Frequent fires
High endemism
Fynbos and renosterbos plants grow in own soil.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Fynbos vegetation

A

Proteos = Large, leathery leaves (leucospermum, Mimetes, Aulax, Protea)
Erica = Bush with fin leaves (Ericaceae)
Restios = Reed-like plants (restionaceae)
Geophytes = bulbous, fire stimulated flower production.

Diversity covers 90 000km and 8200 plant species
Endemism 68% of species 20% genera
Endemic families.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Renosterveld vegetation

A

Diasies, bulb , grasses and renosterbos.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Fynbos soil types

A

Sandy:
Sandstone derived
Coarse grains
Nutrient poor
Poor water retention
Acidic
Shallow
Mountainous Habitats

Granite:
Granite derived
Fine-grained
INtermediate nutrietns
Clay-like
Good water retention

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

FYnbos abiotic factors

A

cry summers
strong winds
winter rain
nutrient poor
shallow soils
fire dependant

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Fynbos animals

A

Small selective feeders
Seed eater
Bulb feeders

table Mountain Ghost frog - endemic to 4 continuous stream on table mountain.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Explinations for small herbivores in fynbos

A

Plants have low C to N ratio
Plants are hardy and taste bad = low density of herbivores
Increase in Carbon biomass
Fire acts as a herbivore.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Fire as a survival strategry

A

Resprouters survive fires as adults and produce new leaves and branches from protected buds
Reseeders depend on seeds to recolonise post-fire.
MOst fynbos are reseeders.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is serotiny?

A

Maintiang of seeds in cones that are released post fire and is spread by the wind.
Dominant shrubs utilize this strategy
Adults tend to be reseeders.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is myrmecochory?

A

Fynbos plants lants have elaiosomes, which is desirable by ants.
Allows seeds to escape rodents and avoid fires.
Plants have independently evolved this symbiotic relationship.
Ants : Anoplolepisand and Pheidole

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Renosterveld

A

Due to renosterbos.
High in nutrients
Large diversity
Fire has no role
Different seed dispersion to fynbos - mostly uses wind.

17
Q

Succullent Karoo Biome

A

West and South of escarpment
Norht of cape-belt fold
Low winter rain
Hot, dry summers
Biodiversity hotspot
4849 plant species in 100 000 km2
between 800-1500m altitude
Dominated by succulents and dwarf shrubs
Lots of geophytes
30% global succulent species
Large contingent of endemic reptiles - diverse reptile ecology 115 species, 36 endemic to region. 8 tortoise species, 3 endemic.
No fires

18
Q

Succulent ecology

A

Perennial desert flora, short lifetimes with high turnovers
Cannot withstand long periods of frost
Needs a lot of reliable rainfall
Rain - opens flower to disperse seeds
Annual mass flowering displays

19
Q

Nama Karoo BIome

A

Western half of RSA
Summer rain
500-2000m altitude
Second largest biome
Varying rainfall with 18year cycles associated with springbok migration
Long living drought resistant shrubs with grasses
Low number of succulents and geophytes.
Acacia karoo trees in riverbeds.

20
Q

Savannah Biome

A

Well developed over the low-veld, bushveld and kalahari
Complex enviromnetal factors
Summer rian
Sea level to 2000m altitude
Grassy ground and distinct woody plants layer
Largest biome in RSA covers 46% of land.

Troppical and sub-tropical plant growth forms
Combination of woody plants and grasses.
Tress don’t form a continuous canopy
Hot wet season
Average dry season
Strong seasonality that leads to the accumulation of fine, dry and flammable grass
Fires yearly and decadely

21
Q

Grassland Biome

A

High-laying parts of the central plataeu Kwazulu-natal and Eastern cape
Summer rain
Sea level to 2850m altitude
Similar conditions to savannah but no trees
Plants dominated by grasses and geophytes
Frost, fire and grazingin NB
Prevents tree establishment
Threats: expansion of crop-farming overgrazing and urbanisation
high diversity of small shrubs and geophytes.

22
Q

Fire in grasslands and savanna?

A

Acts as a herbivore
Co2 and C3 photosynthesis
Tress are C3 and grasses are C4

23
Q

What limits the density of trees in the savannah and grasslands?

A

The effects of fires on grass and tree dynamics.

24
Q

How did trees overcome fires in the savannah?

A

Meristematic tissues in the form of tubers protect from fires
Fire destroys underground but not the meristem
Increasing the fire frequency lead to grasses reproducing and tree tubers stop growing.
More fires = less trees
Longer periods between fires leads to leaves being protected, anything taller than 1.8m will be protected the rest will burn.

25
Q

Forest Biome

A

Highly fragmented
Frost free areas
More rain in summer than winter
sea level to 2100m altitude
decrease in oxygen levels led to a change in savanna biome and therefore the forests become more dispersed.
Fires stop at forest boundary = high moisture prevents fires, distinct boundaries btwn forest and other biomes.
Forests are adjacent to fynbos and savannahs
Continous tree canopy
Absent ground layer due to shade
Smallest biome
Covers less than 0.25% of RSA
Threat: Fragmentation

26
Q

Forest ecology

A

Light is the limiting resource.
When a tree fall sit creates a gap and opportunity for a seedling
No fires
Localised to protected valleys and mountainous outcrops where fires cannot reach
Evergreen trees.

27
Q

Thicket Biome

A

Not always classified as a true biome.
Transition biome btwn forest and savannah
Low rainfall compared to forest = less productivity
Low trees and shrubs with lots of brush
Few herbaceous plants
Elephants act as bulldozers.

Bio 144 (8 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions