Biomes Flashcards
What is a biome?
Any area with a particular climate, together with all of the living organisms occurring in the area
How is the name of a biome derived?
From the dominant type of vegetation
What are the two types of biome?
Terrestrial
Aquatic
What is a terrestrial biome?
Occurring on land
What is an aquatic biome?
Occurring under water
How many terrestrial biomes does South Africa have?
Seven
What are the seven South African terrestrial biomes?
Savannah Grassland Nama Karoo Succulent Karoo Fynbos Forests Thicket
What is the size of the savannah?
Largest in South Africa
How much of SA is covered by the savannah biome?
34,3%
Where does the savannah occur?
From the Kalahari to the low veld (NW to NE)
Kwa-Zulu Natal and Eastern Cape (S)
What is the climate of the savannah?
Warm wet summers
Cold dry winters
What kind of soil occurs in the savannah?
Sandy soil
Lacking in nutrients
What types of vegetation occur in the savannah?
Predominantly grasses and a few trees
Why aren’t trees predominant in the savannah biome?
Frequent veld fires prevent this
They also encourage the germination of seeds
What are examples of plants that occur in the savannah?
Red grass Baobab Mopane Camel thorn Monkey thorn (apiesdoring) Knob thorn
What is the Bushveld?
A specific part of the savannah biome
What kind of animals occur in the savannah?
The Big Five
What are the Big Five animals?
Lion Elephant Leopard Rhinoceros Buffalo
Where do grasslands occur?
On the high central plateau of South Africa
The interior of KZN
Mountainous areas in EC
What is the climate of the grassland like?
Hot summers with high rainfall (thunder storms)
Cold winters with heavy frost
What kind of soil occurs in the grassland?
Sandy
Acidic due to leaching
What kind of vegetation occurs in the grassland?
Mainly grasses
Very few trees
Why aren’t there many trees in the grassland?
Veld fires happen every year
What two kinds of grasses occur in the grassland?
Sweet grass
Sour grass
What is sweet grass like?
Has a high nutritional value
Serve as an important food source
Where does sweet grass grow?
Less acidic, more fertile soil
What is sour grass like?
Has little nutritional value
Where does sour grass grow?
In the less fertile, more acidic soil
What kinds of animals occur in the grassland?
Animals on game farms and nature reserves
Birds, mainly seed eaters
What kind of animals live in the game farms and nature reserves?
Black wildebeest
Blesbok
Eland
What are examples of seed eaters that occur in the grasslands?
Black bustard (korhaan)
Blue crane
Helmeted guinea fowl
Where does he Nama Karoo occur?
Wide western plateau of SA
What is the climate of the Nama Karoo like?
Very hot summer
Cold winters with regular frost
Very little rain (semi-desert)
What type of soil occurs in the Nama Karoo?
Rich in lime
Forms a thin layer over rocks
What kinds of vegetation occur in the Nama Karoo?
Mostly grasses
Small shrubs
What are examples of plants in the Nama Karoo?
Christmas berry (wild gentian)
Sweet thorn
Blue Karoo daisies
What kinds of animals occur in the Nama Karoo?
Sheep and goats Bat-eared foxes Ostriches Spring hares Tortoises
Why do sheep and goats live in the Nama Karoo?
The vegetation offers good grazing
What animal is endemic to the Nama Karoo?
The riverine rabbit
Where does the succulent Karoo occur?
Arid western part of SA
Namaqualand
Richtersveld
What is the climate of the succulent Karoo?
Very hot, dry summers
Cold winters
Very low winter rainfall
What is the soil of the succulent Karoo like?
Rich in lime
Forms a thin layer over rocks
What kinds of plants occur in the succulent Karoo?
Xerophytes
Mostly small succulents, with thick, fleshy leaves that store water
Where does the largest number of succulents in the world occur?
In the succulent Karoo
What are examples of plants that occur in the succulent Karoo?
Small vygies
Stone plants (toontjies)
Quiver trees
Why are tourists interested in the succulent Karoo?
In springtime this biome is covered with flowers
What kinds of animals occur in the succulent Karoo?
Nocturnal
They hide in holes during the day to escape the hot, dry conditions
What are examples of animals that occur in the succulent Karoo?
Bat-eared fox
Suricate (meerkat)
Barking gecko
Where does Fynbos occur?
Exclusively in the Southwestern and Southern parts of the Western Cape
What is the climate of Fynbos like?
Cool wet winters
Hot dry summers
What kind of soil occurs in Fynbos?
Sandy
Acidic due to leaching
What kind of vegetation occurs in Fynbos?
Evergreen shrubs with hard leaves
Few trees and grasses
What are examples of these evergreen Fynbos shrubs?
Proteas
Ericas
Restios
What is special about the vegetation in Fynbos?
Has approx. 8600 flowering plant species
One of the richest floral regions in the world
Approx. 68% of the plant species are endemic
What role does fire play in Fynbos?
It is an important factor in the germination of seeds
What are examples of animals that occur in Fynbos?
Grysbok Steenbok Bontebok Geometric tortoise Porcupine Leopard Cape baboon
What kinds of birds occur in Fynbos?
Nectar and seed-eating birds
What is the size of the forest biome?
Smallest
Only covers 0,1% of SA
Where does the forest biome occur?
Mostly Knysna and Tsitsikamma in the Southern Cape
Isolated forests occur in KZN (dune forests in KZN and mountain forests in Drakensberg)
What is the climate like in a forest?
High rainfall
No frost
What kind of soil occurs in a forest?
Fertile soil
Thin layer of humus
What is the vegetation like in a forest?
Trees that form a closed canopy of leaves Several strata (layers) of vegetation under the roof of foliage
What are examples of forest vegetation?
Yellowwood Stinkwood Ironwood Creepers (vines) Epiphytes Mosses Ferns
What are epiphytes?
Non-parasitic plants that grow on the branches of trees for mechanical support
What is an example of an epiphyte?
An orchid
What are examples of animals that live in forests?
Bushpigs Bushbuck Monkeys Knysna loeries Pigeons Eagles
Where does the thicket occur?
Stretches from the west coast of SA to KZN
Mostly in EC
What is the climate of the thicket biome?
It varies because it is so spread out
What type of soil occurs in the thicket?
Often shallow
Varies from sandy loam to sandy clay that is rich in lime
What kind of vegetation occurs in the thicket?
Varies Shrub land Low forests with evergreen and succulent trees Shrubs Many plants have thorns
What are examples of plants that occur in the thicket?
Spekboom (elephant bush)
Euphorbia
Cape honeysuckle
Plumbago
What are examples of animals that live in the thicket biome?
African elephant
Kudu
Vervet monkey
Bushbuck
