Biomes Flashcards
What is an ecosystem
A unit that includes all the biotic (living) parts and and the abiotic (non living) parts in an area
Example of biotic thing in ecosystem
Plants animals
Example of abiotic thing in ecosystem
Soil and climate
What is a producer
Organism that uses sunlight energy to produce food
What is a consumer
An organism that gets its energy by eating other organisms
What is a food chain and a food web
A food chain shows what eats what
A food web shows lots of food chains and how they overlap
What is a decomposer
With example
A organism that gets its energy by breaking down dead material eg bacteria
What happens when a dead martial is decomposed
Nutrients are released into the soil
They nutrients are then taken up from the soil by plants
The plants are eaten by consumers
The consumers die and return nutrients back to soil
Called nutrient cycling
What are the six main types of ecosystem in the world
Grassland Tundra Temperate deciduous forest Polar Tropical rainforest Hot desert
What are the two types of grassland
Savannah and temperate
What is savannah grassland like
Distinct dry and wet seasons
Mostly grass vegetation
Found between tropics
What is temperate grassland like
Found at higher latitudes
More variation in temperature
Less rainfall
No trees
What is tundra like
Found at high latitudes Very cold winters Short summer Little rainfall No trees Moss vegetation Layer of permafrost
What is temperate deciduous forest like
Four distinct seasons
Warm summers
Mild winters
Rainfall all year round
What is tropical rainforest like
Found around the equator
Hot and wet all year
Dense canopies of vegetation with distinct layers
What is the polar region like
Cold and dry
Remains dark for several month
Plants can only grow for 2 months each year
What is the hot desert region like
Found either side of equator
Hot during day and cold at night
Cactus and shrubs dispersed in sandy soil
What is the climate of tropical rainforests
Same all year round no seasons
Hot weather around 28 degrees high rainfall
What is the soil like in the rainforest
Isn’t fertile as rain washes nutrients away
Only little nutrients on surface
What are plants like in tropical rainforests
Most trees don’t drop leaves
Tall trees
Dense cover of vegetation
Very little light on floor
What are the animals like in tropical rainforests
Contain more animal species than any other ecosystem
Many are brightly coloured and make lots of noise
What are people like in the rainforest
Home to many tribes that make living by hunting and fishing
What does interdependence mean
All parts of the ecosystem are dependent on each other
What causes the animal population to be so high in TR
Dense vegetation as plants pass on nutrients
What does deforestation do to the ecosystem in a TR
Adds to greenhouse effect so changes climate
Trees take up water so risk of drought increases
How have plants adapted in TR
Tall trees have big roots to support trunks
Plants have drip tops to run off water
Climbing plants up trees to get sunlight