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Abi Biology 2017 > Biomes > Flashcards

Biomes Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a biome?

A

Any area with a particular climate, together with all of the living organisms occurring in the area

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2
Q

How is the name of a biome derived?

A

From the dominant type of vegetation

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3
Q

What are the two types of biome?

A

Terrestrial

Aquatic

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4
Q

What is a terrestrial biome?

A

Occurring on land

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5
Q

What is an aquatic biome?

A

Occurring under water

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6
Q

How many terrestrial biomes does South Africa have?

A

Seven

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7
Q

What are the seven South African terrestrial biomes?

A 
Savannah
Grassland
Nama Karoo
Succulent Karoo
Fynbos
Forests
Thicket
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8
Q

What is the size of the savannah?

A

Largest in South Africa

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9
Q

How much of SA is covered by the savannah biome?

A

34,3%

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10
Q

Where does the savannah occur?

A

From the Kalahari to the low veld (NW to NE)

Kwa-Zulu Natal and Eastern Cape (S)

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11
Q

What is the climate of the savannah?

A

Warm wet summers

Cold dry winters

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12
Q

What kind of soil occurs in the savannah?

A

Sandy soil

Lacking in nutrients

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13
Q

What types of vegetation occur in the savannah?

A

Predominantly grasses and a few trees

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14
Q

Why aren’t trees predominant in the savannah biome?

A

Frequent veld fires prevent this

They also encourage the germination of seeds

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15
Q

What are examples of plants that occur in the savannah?

A 
Red grass
Baobab
Mopane
Camel thorn
Monkey thorn (apiesdoring)
Knob thorn
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16
Q

What is the Bushveld?

A

A specific part of the savannah biome

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17
Q

What kind of animals occur in the savannah?

A

The Big Five

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18
Q

What are the Big Five animals?

A 
Lion
Elephant
Leopard
Rhinoceros
Buffalo
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19
Q

Where do grasslands occur?

A

On the high central plateau of South Africa
The interior of KZN
Mountainous areas in EC

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20
Q

What is the climate of the grassland like?

A

Hot summers with high rainfall (thunder storms)

Cold winters with heavy frost

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21
Q

What kind of soil occurs in the grassland?

A

Sandy

Acidic due to leaching

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22
Q

What kind of vegetation occurs in the grassland?

A

Mainly grasses

Very few trees

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23
Q

Why aren’t there many trees in the grassland?

A

Veld fires happen every year

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24
Q

What two kinds of grasses occur in the grassland?

A

Sweet grass

Sour grass

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25
Q

What is sweet grass like?

A

Has a high nutritional value

Serve as an important food source

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26
Q

Where does sweet grass grow?

A

Less acidic, more fertile soil

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27
Q

What is sour grass like?

A

Has little nutritional value

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28
Q

Where does sour grass grow?

A

In the less fertile, more acidic soil

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29
Q

What kinds of animals occur in the grassland?

A

Animals on game farms and nature reserves

Birds, mainly seed eaters

30
Q

What kind of animals live in the game farms and nature reserves?

A

Black wildebeest
Blesbok
Eland

31
Q

What are examples of seed eaters that occur in the grasslands?

A

Black bustard (korhaan)
Blue crane
Helmeted guinea fowl

32
Q

Where does he Nama Karoo occur?

A

Wide western plateau of SA

33
Q

What is the climate of the Nama Karoo like?

A

Very hot summer
Cold winters with regular frost
Very little rain (semi-desert)

34
Q

What type of soil occurs in the Nama Karoo?

A

Rich in lime

Forms a thin layer over rocks

35
Q

What kinds of vegetation occur in the Nama Karoo?

A

Mostly grasses

Small shrubs

36
Q

What are examples of plants in the Nama Karoo?

A

Christmas berry (wild gentian)
Sweet thorn
Blue Karoo daisies

37
Q

What kinds of animals occur in the Nama Karoo?

A 
Sheep and goats
Bat-eared foxes
Ostriches
Spring hares
Tortoises
38
Q

Why do sheep and goats live in the Nama Karoo?

A

The vegetation offers good grazing

39
Q

What animal is endemic to the Nama Karoo?

A

The riverine rabbit

40
Q

Where does the succulent Karoo occur?

A

Arid western part of SA
Namaqualand
Richtersveld

41
Q

What is the climate of the succulent Karoo?

A

Very hot, dry summers
Cold winters
Very low winter rainfall

42
Q

What is the soil of the succulent Karoo like?

A

Rich in lime

Forms a thin layer over rocks

43
Q

What kinds of plants occur in the succulent Karoo?

A

Xerophytes

Mostly small succulents, with thick, fleshy leaves that store water

44
Q

Where does the largest number of succulents in the world occur?

A

In the succulent Karoo

45
Q

What are examples of plants that occur in the succulent Karoo?

A

Small vygies
Stone plants (toontjies)
Quiver trees

46
Q

Why are tourists interested in the succulent Karoo?

A

In springtime this biome is covered with flowers

47
Q

What kinds of animals occur in the succulent Karoo?

A

Nocturnal

They hide in holes during the day to escape the hot, dry conditions

48
Q

What are examples of animals that occur in the succulent Karoo?

A

Bat-eared fox
Suricate (meerkat)
Barking gecko

49
Q

Where does Fynbos occur?

A

Exclusively in the Southwestern and Southern parts of the Western Cape

50
Q

What is the climate of Fynbos like?

A

Cool wet winters

Hot dry summers

51
Q

What kind of soil occurs in Fynbos?

A

Sandy

Acidic due to leaching

52
Q

What kind of vegetation occurs in Fynbos?

A

Evergreen shrubs with hard leaves

Few trees and grasses

53
Q

What are examples of these evergreen Fynbos shrubs?

A

Proteas
Ericas
Restios

54
Q

What is special about the vegetation in Fynbos?

A

Has approx. 8600 flowering plant species
One of the richest floral regions in the world
Approx. 68% of the plant species are endemic

55
Q

What role does fire play in Fynbos?

A

It is an important factor in the germination of seeds

56
Q

What are examples of animals that occur in Fynbos?

A 
Grysbok
Steenbok
Bontebok 
Geometric tortoise 
Porcupine 
Leopard 
Cape baboon
57
Q

What kinds of birds occur in Fynbos?

A

Nectar and seed-eating birds

58
Q

What is the size of the forest biome?

A

Smallest

Only covers 0,1% of SA

59
Q

Where does the forest biome occur?

A

Mostly Knysna and Tsitsikamma in the Southern Cape

Isolated forests occur in KZN (dune forests in KZN and mountain forests in Drakensberg)

60
Q

What is the climate like in a forest?

A

High rainfall

No frost

61
Q

What kind of soil occurs in a forest?

A

Fertile soil

Thin layer of humus

62
Q

What is the vegetation like in a forest?

A 
Trees that form a closed canopy of leaves
Several strata (layers) of vegetation under the roof of foliage
63
Q

What are examples of forest vegetation?

A 
Yellowwood
Stinkwood
Ironwood
Creepers (vines)
Epiphytes
Mosses
Ferns
64
Q

What are epiphytes?

A

Non-parasitic plants that grow on the branches of trees for mechanical support

65
Q

What is an example of an epiphyte?

A

An orchid

66
Q

What are examples of animals that live in forests?

A 
Bushpigs
Bushbuck
Monkeys
Knysna loeries
Pigeons
Eagles
67
Q

Where does the thicket occur?

A

Stretches from the west coast of SA to KZN

Mostly in EC

68
Q

What is the climate of the thicket biome?

A

It varies because it is so spread out

69
Q

What type of soil occurs in the thicket?

A

Often shallow

Varies from sandy loam to sandy clay that is rich in lime

70
Q

What kind of vegetation occurs in the thicket?

A 
Varies
Shrub land
Low forests with evergreen and succulent trees
Shrubs
Many plants have thorns
71
Q

What are examples of plants that occur in the thicket?

A

Spekboom (elephant bush)
Euphorbia
Cape honeysuckle
Plumbago

72
Q

What are examples of animals that live in the thicket biome?

A

African elephant
Kudu
Vervet monkey
Bushbuck

Abi Biology 2017 (57 decks)

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