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Gd 10 LS 2020 > Biosphere and Biomes > Flashcards

Biosphere and Biomes Flashcards

0
Q

People who study ecology

A

Ecologists

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1
Q

Ecology

A

The study of living organisms, their relationships to one another, and to the place where they live

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2
Q

Biosphere

A
  • Part of the earth where organisms are able to live.
  • Consists of the atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere.
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3
Q

Importance of the atmosphere for organisms

A
  • Gases for respiration & photosynthesis.
  • Filters sunlight to protect organisms.
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4
Q

Biome

A

Large areas with characteristic climates and similar species of plant and animal.

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5
Q

Ecosystem

A

Communities of organisms interacting with each other (biotic) and with the non-living environment (abiotic)

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6
Q

Biological community

A

All populations of different species in a particular ecosystem

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7
Q

Habitat

A

The physical home of an organism in a particular ecosystem

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8
Q

Niche

A

The role/ job an organism performs in a particular ecosystem

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9
Q

Population

A
  • All the organisms of the same species in a specific area particular ecosystem
  • e.g. All lions in Kruger
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10
Q

Species

A

A group of organisms of one kind that are capable of interbreeding to produce viable offspring

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11
Q

Organism

A

A single individual of a particular species

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12
Q

Gases that cause acid rain

A
  • Carbon dioxide
  • Sulfur dioxide
  • Both of these combine with water to form sulphuric and carbonic acids
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13
Q

Two main categories of aquatic biomes

A
  • Freshwater
  • Marine (salty water)
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14
Q

Important abiotic factors for sandy shores

A
  • shifting sand
  • wave action
  • tides
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15
Q

Characteristic animals in sandy shores

A
  • plough snail
  • white mussel
  • ghost crab
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16
Q

Threats to sandy shores

A
  • Chemical pollution e.g. oil from ships
  • Sewage
  • Litter
  • Vehicles driving on beach
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17
Q

Important abiotic factors for rocky shores

A
  • wave action
  • tides
  • type of rock
  • slope
  • salinity and pH in pools
  • sunlight
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18
Q

Characteristic animals in rocky shores

A
  • Mussels,
  • oysters,
  • limpets,
  • periwinkles,
  • barnacles
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19
Q

Characteristic plants in rocky shores

A

Seaweeds (red, green and brown)

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20
Q

Threats to rocky shores

A
  • Illegal collection of organisms
  • Chemical pollution e.g. oil from ships
  • Sewage
  • Litter
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21
Q

Coral reef organisms

A
  • Corals growing in big colourful clumps
  • Diverse species of fish
  • Anemones
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22
Q

Threats to coral reefs

A
  • Global warming
  • Pollution
  • Over fishing
  • Collecting fish and corals
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23
Q

Coral reef abiotic factors

A
  • Nutrient poor sea waters
  • Warm tropical water
  • Clear water, lots of sunlight
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24
Q

Open sea organisms

A
  • Phytoplankton (plant like plankton)
  • Zooplankton (animal like plankton)
  • Fish
  • Whales and dolphins
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25
Q

Threats to the open sea

A
  • Pollution from ships e.g. oil
  • Overfishing
  • Pollution from dumping e.g. mercury
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26
Q

Estuaries

A

Where fresh and seawater meet and mix

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27
Q

Important abiotic factors for estuaries

A
  • Variable salinity
  • Often nutrient rich
  • Relatively sheltered waters (compared to the sea)
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28
Q

Organisms found at estuaries

A

Breading grounds for:

  • Fish
  • Birds
  • Crustaceans
29
Q

Different types of estuaries

A
  • coastal bays
  • river mouths
  • salt marshes
  • tropical mangrove forests
30
Q

Threats to estuaries

A

Quality of river water e.g. from farms upstream:

  • Fertilizers
  • Pesticides
  • Herbicides
  • Soil erosion leading to excess silt
31
Q

Examples of fresh water biomes

A
  • rivers
  • streams
  • ponds
  • lakes
  • wetlands
32
Q

What are wetlands?

A
  • Areas with waterlogged soil or soil covered by shallow water
  • They may be permanent or seasonal
33
Q

The importance of wetlands

A
  • Flood controllers - regulate water flow
  • Water filters - trap sediments and hold nutrients
  • Wildlife habitats - food and shelter for many animals
34
Q

Plants common in wetlands

A
  • reeds
  • grasses
  • water lilies
  • trees
35
Q

Animals common in wetlands

A
  • Birds for breeding
  • Frogs
  • Small fish
  • Many insects
36
Q

Threats to wetlands

A
  • Alien plant invasion
  • draining wetlands for other land use:
  • e.g. farmland, rubbish dumps & dams
37
Q

Terrestrial biomes in South African

A
  • Fynbos
  • Forest
  • Thicket
  • Succulent Karoo
  • Nama Karoo
  • Grassland
  • Savanna
38
Q

Biome of mixed grassland with trees

A

Savanna

39
Q

Abiotic features of savannas

A
  • Infertile soil
  • Well drained porous soil
  • Hot summers with rain
  • Cold, dry winters
40
Q

Animals characterising South African savannas (at least 5)

A
  • giraffe
  • antelope
  • lion
  • buffalo
  • leopard
  • cheetah
  • hippo
  • zebra
  • elephant
  • hornbills
  • vultures
41
Q

Economic importance of South African savannas

A
  • Tourism
  • Game hunting
  • Cattle farming
42
Q

Abiotic features of South African grasslands

A
  • High rainfall often from thunderstorms
  • Frost in winter
  • Deep fertile soils
  • Regular fires
43
Q

Plants of the South African grasslands

A

“Sweet” grasses good for grazers

44
Q

Animals of the South African grasslands (at least 5)

A

Lions

Antelope:

  • blesbok
  • wildebeest
  • rietbok
  • rhebok
  • eland
  • springbok
45
Q

Threats to South African grasslands

A
  • Commercial forestry
  • farming (very productive land)
  • only 1% of grasslands in nature reserves
  • (conservationists suggested a minimum of 10%)
46
Q

Position of the Nama Karoo

A

Transition between Cape Floral Kingdom and Savanna

47
Q

Nama Karoo abiotic features

A
  • Warm, dry semi-desert
  • Sandy, lime rich soil
48
Q

Plants of the Nama Karoo

A
  • Sweet-Thorn
  • stone plants (succulent)
  • Karoo daisy (annual)
  • Grasses and shrubs
49
Q

Animals of the Nama Karoo

A
  • rodents
  • fox
  • jackal
  • ostrich
  • reptiles
  • birds
50
Q

Succulent Karoo abiotic features

A
  • Light winter rainfall
  • Very hot and dry summers
  • Sandy, nutrient poor soils
51
Q

Plants of the Succulent Karoo

A
  • Succulent plants
  • Annual plants e.g. west coast daisy’s
52
Q

Animals of the Succulent Karoo

A
  • dassies
  • mole-rat
  • barking gecko
53
Q

Threats to the Karoo biomes

A
  • Overgrazing by sheep and goats
  • Highly prone to soil erosion
  • Trampling
  • Over collection of plants
54
Q

Fynbos abiotic features

A
  • Cold, wet winters
  • hot, dry summers
  • strong winds
  • fires every 15-20 years
  • sandy acidic soils
  • mountainous
55
Q

Plants of the fynbos

A
  • Evergreen fine-leafed shrubs
  • In sheltered ravines: transition to thicket/forests

Key groups:

  • Proteoid
  • Ericoid
  • Restioid
  • Geophytes
56
Q

Animals of the fynbos

A
  • leopard
  • rooikat
  • grysbok
  • rodents
  • dassies
  • sunbirds
  • sugarbirds
57
Q

Economic importance of fynbos

A
  • wild flowers e.g. Proteas
  • rooibos tea
  • restios for thatching
  • fruit farming e.g. grapes
  • wheat farming
  • olive farming
  • grazing livestock
58
Q

Threats to fynbos

A
  • Global warming
  • Uncontrolled/excessive fires
  • Invasive alien species
  • Land transformation (urban and agricultural)
  • Illegal collection of plants
  • Dams
59
Q

Abiotic features of South African forests

A
  • High rainfall
  • No fires
60
Q

Plants in South African forests

A
  • Different height trees (many species)
  • Ferns
  • Vines
61
Q

Animals in South African forests

A
  • bushbuck
  • bush pig
  • Knysna Lourie
  • Woodpecker
62
Q

Threats to South African forests

A
  • Fire
  • Tree felling
  • collecting firewood and bark
  • Mining
  • clearing of farmland
  • Fragmentation and isolation (found only in small patches)
63
Q

Abiotic features of South African thicket

A
  • River valleys with water
  • Thick, rich soil
  • A range of sandy to clay soils
64
Q

Plants in South African thicket

A
  • Thorn trees
  • Shrubs
  • Spiny plants and succulents
65
Q

Animals in South African thicket

A
  • Monkeys
  • Rodents
  • Black Rhino
  • Elephant
  • Kudu
66
Q

Tides

A
  • A regular rising and falling of the sea level
  • Caused by gravitational pull of the moon (and sun)
  • Locally a period of about 6 hours between high and low tides
67
Q

Biodiversity

A
  • The variety of living things
  • e.g. the number of different species there are in a particular area
68
Q

Subtidal

A
  • Below the low spring water level
  • Not directly affected by tides
69
Q

Perennial

A

All year round (or at least three seasons)

70
Q

Annual

A

A plant that completes its entire life cycle within the space of a year

71
Q

Endemic

A

Found naturally only in a particular area and nowhere else in the world

Gd 10 LS 2020 (16 decks)

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