Biomes Flashcards
tundra characteristics
-cold and dry
-treeless (only low growing vegetation)
what is the growing season like in the tundra?
short due to permafrost, only 4 months
what is the primary vegetation in the tundra?
lichens and moss
limiting factors in the tundra
sunlight, low moisture, lack of food
threats in the tundra
exploitation of oil/gas/minerals, oil spills, melting of permafrost (global warming/climate change)
boreal forest (taiga) characteristics
coniferous and evergreen trees, low moisture and temperature, huge storage for carbon, wilderness area
boreal forest (taiga) latitude
50 to 60 degrees N of the equator (Russia)
boreal forest (taiga) anthropogenic uses
not agriculture (poor soil), building materials, virgin pulp
temperate rainforest characteristics
moderate temperatures and high precipitation, a coast biome (California, East side of South America), with 55% gone it is more endangered than the tropical rainforest
what is the growing season like in the temperate rainforest?
nearly 12 month growing season
temperate seasonal forest (deciduous forest) characteristics
-where we live!
-distinct seasons
-dominated by broadleaf deciduous trees, Eastern United States
-thickest layer of humus*****
-favor decomposition so more nutrients in soil (wet and warm)
woodlands/shrublands characteristics
coast of Southern California, hot and dry summers, mild and rainy winters, wildfires maintain this biome
what is the growing season like in the woodlands/shrublands?
12 month growing season
how have plants adapted in the woodlands/shrublands to survive?
deep-roots and fire-resistant seeds
woodlands/shrublands soil conditions
low in nutrition, leaching leads to deep-rooted plants (ex: grapes)
woodlands/shrublands anthropogenic uses
home building and grazing
temperate grasslands characteristics
Great Plains, cold and harsh winters, hot and dry summers, plants are well adapted to wildfires and frequent grazing, thickest topsoil*****
subtropical desert characteristics
cacti and succulent plants, fastest growing biome on the planet (desertification), examples are Mojave, Sahara, Arabian Desert, etc
subtropical desert latitudes
30 degrees N and S of the equator
how have plants in the subtropical desert adapted?
waxy coatings, fewer stomata, and small leaves to avoid water loss
tropical seasonal forest (savanna) characteristics
warm with distinct wet and dry seasons, fairly fertile with high decomposition rates, grasses and scattered deciduous trees
tropical rainforest characteristics
warm and wet with little variation in temperature, most biodiverse LAND biome
streams/rivers characteristics
all flow downhill, streams = narrower/smaller, rivers = wider/larger
lakes/ponds zones
1) littoral zone: shallow, near the shore, emergent plants can survive (ex: Lilypad)
2) limnetic zone: open water, rooted plants can no longer survive, phytoplankton, extends as deep as sunlight penetrates
3) profundal zone: sunlight cannot penetrate, producers cannot survive
4) benthic zone: muddy bottom of a lake
freshwater wetlands characteristics
submerged or saturated by water for at least part of the year but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation
differences between swamps, marshes, and bogs
swamps = trees, marshes = grasses, bogs = acidic
salt marshes characteristics
found along the coast in temperate climates, contain non-woody vegetation, one of the most productive in the world
mangrove swamp characteristics
woody, trees whose roots are submerged in water, tropical/subtropical, protect coastlines from erosion and storm damage
intertidal zone characteristics
narrow, between the levels of high tide and low tide
coral reef characteristics
most biodiverse aquatic biome, warm and shallow waters
what is coral bleaching?
algae inside of coral dies
layers of the ocean
-sunlight zone: upper layer, water strongly absorbs light
-twilight zone: just below ocean surface, just below where sunlight reaches
-midnight zone: reaches the seafloor in some places, perpetual darkness
-abyssal zone: the seafloor
-hadal zone: trenches
