Biomes

Question 1

tundra characteristics

Answer 1

-cold and dry
-treeless (only low growing vegetation)

Question 2

what is the growing season like in the tundra?

Answer 2

short due to permafrost, only 4 months

Question 3

what is the primary vegetation in the tundra?

Answer 3

lichens and moss

Question 4

limiting factors in the tundra

Answer 4

sunlight, low moisture, lack of food

Question 5

threats in the tundra

Answer 5

exploitation of oil/gas/minerals, oil spills, melting of permafrost (global warming/climate change)

Question 6

boreal forest (taiga) characteristics

Answer 6

coniferous and evergreen trees, low moisture and temperature, huge storage for carbon, wilderness area

Question 7

boreal forest (taiga) latitude

Answer 7

50 to 60 degrees N of the equator (Russia)

Question 8

boreal forest (taiga) anthropogenic uses

Answer 8

not agriculture (poor soil), building materials, virgin pulp

Question 9

temperate rainforest characteristics

Answer 9

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

Question 10

what is the growing season like in the temperate rainforest?

Answer 10

nearly 12 month growing season

Question 11

temperate seasonal forest (deciduous forest) characteristics

Answer 11

-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)

Question 12

woodlands/shrublands characteristics

Answer 12

coast of Southern California, hot and dry summers, mild and rainy winters, wildfires maintain this biome

Question 13

what is the growing season like in the woodlands/shrublands?

Answer 13

12 month growing season

Question 14

how have plants adapted in the woodlands/shrublands to survive?

Answer 14

deep-roots and fire-resistant seeds

Question 15

woodlands/shrublands soil conditions

Answer 15

low in nutrition, leaching leads to deep-rooted plants (ex: grapes)

Question 16

woodlands/shrublands anthropogenic uses

Answer 16

home building and grazing

Question 17

temperate grasslands characteristics

Answer 17

Great Plains, cold and harsh winters, hot and dry summers, plants are well adapted to wildfires and frequent grazing, thickest topsoil*****

Question 18

subtropical desert characteristics

Answer 18

cacti and succulent plants, fastest growing biome on the planet (desertification), examples are Mojave, Sahara, Arabian Desert, etc

Question 19

subtropical desert latitudes

Answer 19

30 degrees N and S of the equator

Question 20

how have plants in the subtropical desert adapted?

Answer 20

waxy coatings, fewer stomata, and small leaves to avoid water loss

Question 21

tropical seasonal forest (savanna) characteristics

Answer 21

warm with distinct wet and dry seasons, fairly fertile with high decomposition rates, grasses and scattered deciduous trees

Question 22

tropical rainforest characteristics

Answer 22

warm and wet with little variation in temperature, most biodiverse LAND biome

Question 23

streams/rivers characteristics

Answer 23

all flow downhill, streams = narrower/smaller, rivers = wider/larger

Question 24

lakes/ponds zones

Answer 24

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

Question 25

freshwater wetlands characteristics

Answer 25

submerged or saturated by water for at least part of the year but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation

Question 26

differences between swamps, marshes, and bogs

Answer 26

swamps = trees, marshes = grasses, bogs = acidic

Question 27

salt marshes characteristics

Answer 27

found along the coast in temperate climates, contain non-woody vegetation, one of the most productive in the world

Question 28

mangrove swamp characteristics

Answer 28

woody, trees whose roots are submerged in water, tropical/subtropical, protect coastlines from erosion and storm damage

Question 29

intertidal zone characteristics

Answer 29

narrow, between the levels of high tide and low tide

Question 30

coral reef characteristics

Answer 30

most biodiverse aquatic biome, warm and shallow waters

Question 31

what is coral bleaching?

Answer 31

algae inside of coral dies

Question 32

layers of the ocean

Answer 32

-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