Biomes and Ecosystems Flashcards

1
Q

Broad categories of living systems
defined mainly by climate

A

Biomes

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2
Q

what do biomes vary in

A

biodiversity, productivity, structure

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3
Q

vegetation zones defined by altitude

A

Vertical zonation

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4
Q

what are communities shaped by

A

temperature ranges, availability of moisture (precipitation)

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5
Q

biome with abundant rainfall; warm and hot temperatures all year

A

tropical rainforests

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6
Q

soil in tropical rainforests

A

thin, acidic, nutrient-poor
90% of nutrients in organisms

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7
Q

Distinct wet and dry seasons
drought-deciduous trees/shrubs
More agriculturally productive than moist forests
highly endangered

A

tropical seasonal rainforests

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8
Q

trees that lose leaves and cease growing with low water availability

A

drought-deciduous trees

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9
Q

grassland with sparse tree cover

A

savanna

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10
Q

rainy season- less abundant/dependable
dry season- risk of fires
plant adaptations- deep, persistent roots
threat- grazing from livestock

A

Tropical savannas & grasslands

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11
Q

extreme hot and extreme cold temperatures
low and sporadic precipitation
plant adaptations are drought-deciduous
animal adaptations- nocturnal; concentrated excrement

A

deserts

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12
Q

biome with enough rain to support grass; not enough for a forest
deep, persistent roots (like plants in the savana)
produces thick, organic-rich soils
main threats: agriculture, overgrazing

A

temperate grasslands

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13
Q

broad-leaf forests
trees lose leaves in winter
dense canopy in summer; diverse understory in spring
Greatest threat: rapid deforestation

A

deciduous forests

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14
Q

evergreen forests
often occur with limited moisture
in pacific coast: known as temperate rainforests (cool, rainy, fog)
pines, spruce, fir, etc.

A

coniferous forests

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15
Q

dominated by conifers w some deciduous trees (low species diversity due to allelopathy)
extreme cold, short summer (limit growth rate of trees)

A

boreal forests

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16
Q

below freezing temperatures most of the year
high latitudes or mountaintops
low productivity (short growing season, frost any month of year)
low diversity
not directly threatened (indirectly affected by climate change and air pollution)

A

tundra

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17
Q

tundra- extensive nights (winter) and 24h sunshine (summer)
important for migratory birds

A

arctic tundra

18
Q

tundra- on or near mountaintops; conditions/vegetation similar to arctic tundra

plants: deep pigmentation, leathery leaves (protect against UV)

A

alpine tundra

19
Q

depend on tiny, free-floating phytoplankton
ocean/upwelling currents transport nutrients
vertical stratification due to temperature and light decreasing w depth

A

marine environments

20
Q

described by depth and proximity to the shore

relatively low productivity but have thriving communities

A

open ocean

21
Q

features that support communities in the open ocean

A

-sea mounts (undersea mountain chains and islands)
-ocean currents
-free floating mats of brown algae

22
Q

communities based on microbes that capture chemical energy (taken from sulfur compounds released from vents)

magma under oceanic crust provide heat to vents

A

deep-sea thermal vents

23
Q

vary w depth, light, temp
high productivity and diversity
-nutrients washing from land
-shallow, clear, warm waters supporting photosynthesis

A

littoral and intertidal communities

24
Q

very high productivity/biodiversity
occurs where water are shallow/clear (enough for sunlight)

A

coral reefs

25
Q

shelters algae and other species
found in coral reefs

A

calcium-rich coral skeletons

26
Q

colonial animals symbiotic w photosynthetic algae
found in coral reefs

A

coral polyps

27
Q

occur in shallow, warm, sandy coastlines
support rich communities of grazers

A

seagrass beds

28
Q

depressions in rocky shoreline
subjected to violent wave action
specialized animals/plants

A

tidal pools

29
Q

what does violent wave action prevent?

A

plant growth and sediment accumulation

30
Q

bays where rivers empty into the sea; freshwater mixes w salt water

A

estuaries

31
Q

shallow wetlands regularly or occasionally flooded w seawater; occurs in estuaries

A

salt marshes

32
Q

lentic environments
distinct vertical zones

A

freshwater lakes

33
Q

vertical zone- emergent plants create functional links between layers

A

littoral zone

34
Q

vertical zone- lowest oxygen due to little mixing; lowest light

A

benthic zone

35
Q

shallow ecosystems; saturated/submerged part of the year
described by vegetation; adapted in saturated conditions
support rich biodiversity; essential for breeding and migratory birds
reduce flooding; replenish groundwater supplies; filters runoff

A

wetlands

36
Q

wetlands w trees

shallow water; full sunlight penetration (high productivity)

A

swamp

37
Q

wetlands w/o trees

shallow water; full sunlight penetration (high productivity)

A

marsh

38
Q

water-saturated; deep layers of peat

nutrient poor (low productivity)

A

bog

39
Q

lotic environments
precip > evap
surplus water drains from land
constantly changing conditions/inhabitants

A

streams and rivers

40
Q

water runs rapidly over rocks
(well mixed and oxygenated)

A

riffles

41
Q

in streams and rivers- stretches of slowly moving current (collect silt/organic matter)

A

pools

42
Q

headwaters (source) to mouth of a drainage

A

watershed