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Intro to Earth Science > C-Terrestrial Ecosystems > Flashcards

C-Terrestrial Ecosystems Flashcards

1
Q

What were the 4 major events in the early colonisation of land by plants?

A

1) Tetrad spores - from non-vascular plants (bryophytes (mosses)), in Late Cambrian onwards
2) Trilete spore - from seed-free vascular plants (ferns), in Ordovician
3) Fossils of spore-bearing vascular plant (Cooksonia), in Silurian
4) Stem of seed-bearing vascular plant, in Early Devonian

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2
Q

General information about plants (4)

A

Modular organisms
Disrticulate into various organs (leaves, stems, roots, reproductive structures)
Occurs as part of plant’s life cycle and upon death
One plant = potentially different fossils

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3
Q

What are the 2 categories of land plants?

A

Non vascular plants (Bryophytes - liverworts, hornworts, mosses)
Vascular plants

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4
Q

What are the 2 categories of vascular plants?

A

Seedless vascular plants (club mosses, ferns, horsetails)

Seed vascular plants

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5
Q

What are the 2 categories of seed vascular plants?

A

Angiosperms and gymnosperms

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6
Q

What are angiosperms?

A

Also called flowering plants

Have seeds enclosed in an ovary (usually fruits)

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7
Q

What are gymnosperms?

A

Have no flowers or fruits
Unenclosed/naked seeds on surface of scales/leaves
Seeds often configured as cones

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8
Q

What are the 2 vascular systems in plants?

A

Xylem and Phloem

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9
Q

Describe non-vascular plants

A

No xylem or phloem
Simpler tissues for internal transport of water
Not true leaves - single sheets of cells with no stomata
No wide variety of specialised tissue types

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10
Q

What is the reproductive product of seedless vascular plants?

A

Spores

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11
Q

What is the reproductive product of seed vascular plants?

A

Pollen

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12
Q

What are spores and seeds?

A

Reproductive organs in the plant kingdom

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13
Q

What is the main difference between spores and seeds?

A

Spores don’t contain stored food resources and require more favourable conditions for germination
Seeds contain stored food in their endosperm, allowing them to germinate in harsher conditions

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14
Q

What is the function of xylem?

A

Conducts water and dissolved nutrients upwards

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15
Q

What is the function of phloem?

A

Conducts photosynthetic products (sugars) downward

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16
Q

What are the cell walls of xylem and phloem made from and what does that mean?

A

Cellulose

Results in rigidity in life and recalcitrance after death

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17
Q

What is recalcitrance?

A

The ability to resist microbial decomposition because of certain molecular properties

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18
Q

What do bryophytes never form and what does this mean?

A

Xylem so it is less recalcitrant

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19
Q

What does the difference in biomolecules in vascular and non-vascular plants mean?

A

Some biomolecules used only/to a greater extent by vascular plants
eg. structural tissues (polysaccharides) - cellulose and lignin

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20
Q

What are phytoliths? What is their function? How well preserved are they?

A

Microscopic mineralised bodies (silica) in plant cells.
They provide structure and support, they make plants more difficult to consume and digest
Very Well Preserved

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21
Q

What are plant propagules?

A

Spores in non-vascular and some vascular plants

Seeds and pollen in vascular plants

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22
Q

What is plant propagules preservation potential and why?

A

Good preservation potential due to decay resistant biomolecules

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23
Q

Name the different modes of preservation. (6)

A

3D remains, Compression, Charcoalification, Casts of stems and roots, Perimineralisation, Petrifaction

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24
Q

What do 3D remains usually preserve?

A

Common for pollen and spores

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25
What does compression retain?
The carbon film (2D) Can retain ultrastructure of of organic remains Impression is the counterpart
26
What does charcoalification preserve and ho?
3D structure of organic remains Burning by fire in absence of oxygen allows cell walls to be carbonised (cell contents volatised) Preserves delicate structures eg. flowers
27
What do casts preserve?
Stems (sagillaria and lepidodendron) Roots (stigmaria) Of carboniferous plants
28
What occurs in perimineralisation?
Dissolved minerals fill voids and pores inside plant tissues - often infill cells as cell contents decay more rapidly than cell walls
29
What can cell walls persist as?
Carbon (residues of original tissues) Often silica (silicification) (common mode of preservation in unicellular organisms) Calcite (coal balls) Pyrite (iron sulphide)
30
What occurs in petrifaction?
Involves replacement of tissues by minerals | Typically cell walls are replaced as well as any spaces being infilled
31
What is an example of petrifaction?
Grass stem from medieval cess pit in Kilkenny Cell interiors infilled with calcium phosphate Cell walls replaced with calcium phosphate
32
The Colonisation of Land by Plants (3)
Significant evolutionary event Implications for biosphere and geosphere (development of pedosphere) Understanding impacted by differences in fossilisation potential of different plant groups and parts of plants (spores=high preservation potential)
33
What are the challenges of a terrestrial setting? (4)
Avoiding dessication Support (effects of gravity - need structural tissues which enhances preservation potential) Respiration Reproduction outside water
34
What occurred with reference to plants in relation to the late Proterozoic?
``` Microbial film (bacterial mats) and fungi coat land surfaces Comparable to cyanobacterial crusts in dry environments today ```
35
What were the earliest land plants? What is their history? What are they like today?
Bryophyte-like (non-vascular) Limited macrofossil record Middle-Late Ordovician onwards: tetrad spores Today: tetrad spores predominantly non-vascular (mosses etc)
36
What occurred with reference to plants in relation to the Early Silurian?
Major change in plant microfossil record | Addition of trilete spores: typically produced by vascular plants such as ferns
37
What occurred with reference to plants in relation to the Late Silurian/Early Devonian?
Entire vascular land plant organs (stems and reproductive organs) Eg. Cooksonia: Y-shaped, sporangia (brown spore-bearing capsule) at tip of stem Small stature vascular plants widely established
38
What do Cooksonia look like?
Y- shaped Sporangia at tip of stem (brown spore-bearing capsule) No leaves or roots
39
How old is Rhynie Chert?
400mya
40
What does Rhynie Chert contain?
Flora and terrestrial fauna (arthropods) preserved in geothermal setting 7 different vascular plants (about 0.5m tall) 15+ terrestrial and freshwater arthropods Algae, fungi, bacteria
41
What is special about Rhynie Chert?
Oldest hot spring system with surface features (eg. geysers) preserved
42
What is preservation like in the Rhynie Chert? How were things preserved? Where were they preserved?
Variable - decayed litter reduced to carbonaceous residues before silicification Cellular level detail: 3D: perimineralisation and petrifaction Some plants preserved in situ
43
What are the adaptations for subaerial existence of vascular plants?
``` Vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) Stomata ```
44
What are the function of stomata?
Regulate CO2 and O2 - respiratory
45
What open and closes stomata?
Guard Cells
46
What are stomata?
Tiny opening/pore used for gas exchange - mostly found on under-surface of leaves
47
What evidence is there of cyanobacteria in Rhynie Chert? (slide 30)
Darker layers contain relic filament that may represent cyanobacteria
48
When was the rise of the first forests?
Middle Devonian
49
Where was evidence found for the rise of the first forests?
Gilboa, New York
50
What were the first forests like and what did they evolve from?
Height = several metres | Evolved from different groups - related to ferns and horsetails
51
What is an example of a tree from the first forests?
Wattieza
52
What was the Wattieza like?
``` Large bulbous base Strap-like roots Long tapering trunk Crown of leafless branches in cone shape Stem tips photosynthetic Not like modern tree: Many xylem strands in main axis with small amounts of wood surrounding these bundles ```
53
What evidence is there of Wattieza? What do these casts show about the tree?
Sandstone casts Several metres tall Lignin skeleton
54
When were archaeopetris the main forest trees?
Late Devonian (360 mya) to Middle Carboniferous (325 mya)
55
What were archaeoptris hibernica?
Vascular plant reminiscent of conifers Produced spores (non-seed bearing) Formed extensive forest Up to 30m tall
56
What evidence is there of archaeopetris?
Devonian (360 mya) plant fossils in Kiltorcan Quarry (Beds), Co. Kilkenny
57
What was a lepidodendron?
Primitive, vascular plant - spore producing Soft tissues and bark-like trunk (not woody) Up to 50m tall and 1.8m in diameter
58
What are lepidodendron related to?
Club Mosses
59
What do lepidodendron fossils look like?
Diamond shaped leaf scars left by leaves which fell off
60
When was the lepidodendron common?
Carobinferous (325-300mya)
61
Where has evidence of lepidodendron been found?
Leitrim and Castlecomer Coalfields | Arigna Mine, Roscommon

Intro to Earth Science (13 decks)

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