Chapter 1 Flashcards
List the biomes.
- Tundra
- Boreal Forest
- Temperate Deciduous Forest
- Temperate Rainforest
- Grassland
- Tropical Rainforest
- Desert
- Permanent Ice (Polar Ice)
List at least 3 facts about tundra
● Permafrost
● Flat terrain (leads to poor drainage)
● Cold/dark for most of the year
● Thin layer of topsoil thaws in summer, which creates many marshes and pools
● There is 24 hours of sunlight in the few days of summer that this biome gets
● No trees because the growing season is too short
● Many plants grow close to the ground, where they absorb the warmth trapped by the dark soil and are protected from the wind
● Animals adapted to reduce heat loss
○ ie. Arctic foxes/hares have compact bodies and shorter legs/ears to reduce heat loss.)
○ Animals grow slower and reproduce less frequently to conserve energy.
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● Only in upper hemisphere; not found in southern hemisphere
● Less than 25 cm/year of precipitation
● Annual summer average temperatures range from 3ºC to 12ºC.
● Winter temperatures range from -20ºC to -30ºC.
List at least 3 facts about boreal forest
● Short summer growing season (~50 days)
● Soil is very wet
● Coniferous trees
● Many marshes, shallow lakes, and wetlands (they hold vast amounts of water)
● Insect-eating birds (ie. warblers) migrate south in the fall
● Seed eating birds (ie. finch) stay year-round.
● Animals have adapted to cold, snowy conditions
○ Small mammals (ie. chipmunks/shrews) burrow in winter to stay warm
○ Moose have thick insulating coats, and large bodies to help them retain body heat.
○ Snowshoe hares change from summer brown to winter white, allowing them to camouflage from predators.
● Insects multiply rapidly during the short summer.
● Reptiles and amphibians are rare since they are not adapted to survive low temperatures.
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● Precipitation is 30 cm to 85 cm annually, much of it
falling as snow.
● Temperatures are below freezing half of the year and often drop to -40ºC.
● Only found in northern hemisphere (summer months same as us)
List at least 3 facts about temperate deciduous forest
● Large seasonal changes between summer/winter
○ Temperatures changes during a day can also be large
● Four distinct seasons
● Long, warm growing season
● Enriched soil due to fallen leaves from trees
● Plants grow in 4-5 layers
● Deciduous trees shed their leaves in winter to prevent water loss and reduce breakage of limbs with heavy snow
○ Thick bark limits moisture loss from the trees
● Some animals hibernate
● Many birds migrate during winter
● Amphibians live here
● Squirrels, chipmunks rabbits, skunks, cougars, deer, wolves, bears, etc.
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● 75 cm-180cm of precipitation, distributed relatively equally throughout the year
● Temperatures range from -30ºC in winter - 30ºC in summer
List at least 3 facts about temperate rainforest
● Occur in narrow strips along coastlines that are backed by mountains, where the ocean winds drop large amounts of moisture on the windward side of the mountains
● Trees can grow very tall due to high precipitation
● Large evergreens (ie. Sitka spruce and Douglas fir)
● Mosses are draped on trees
● Lichens cling on tree trunks (where they receive more light than on the forest floor)
● Ferns, mosses, fungi that survive in the shade cover the forest floor.
● Most animals live on/near the forest floor
○ Protected by wind/rain
● Birds and small mammals eat seeds that fall on the forest floor
● Many insects live in the tree bark and decomposing plant matter
○ Birds with long beaks and amphibians eat these insects.
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● Rainfall exceeds 200cm/year
● Average temperatures range from 5ºC to 25ºC.
● Coastal fog supplies additional moisture
List at least 3 facts about grassland
● Land is flat
● Soil is rich and fertile in temperate grassland due to growth/decay of deep grass roots.
○ Soil is less rich in tropical grassland because nutrients are washed away by heavy rain.
● Strong winds may cause soil erosion
● Grass fires are common in hot tropical grasslands (less common in temperate grasslands)
● Lots of grass
● Trees are scarce
○ Limited rainfall
○ Fire/grazing animals kill seedlings
● Many grazing animals
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● Precipitation usually occurs in late spring or early summer and is followed by an extended dry period
Temperature:
● 25-100cm/year of precipitation
● Hot summer temperatures: 30ºC
● Cold winter temperatures below: -10ºC
Tropical:
● 50-130cm/year of precipitation
● Daily temperatures range from 25ºC to 30ºC.
List at least 3 facts about tropical rainforest
● Soil is poor; nutrients are quickly recycled and not retained; heavy rain washes minerals away
● Forest floor is very dark; limits plant growth
● Greatest plant/animal diversity
● Plants grow in many layers
● Tall trees absorb most of the sunlight
● Vines/plants grow on tall trees to get sunlight
● Leaves have narrow tips to allow rain to run off quickly, reducing the weight on the branches
● Most animals live in trees due to the limited amount of vegetation on the forest floor
● Many are specialists (adapted to particular food/habitat) so there is reduced competition.
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● Rainfall is about 250 cm/year
● Temperature is a constant 20ºC to 25ºC year-round.
List at least 3 facts about desert
● Very little rainfall
● Can be either hot/cold
● In hot deserts, soils are often very salty b/c minerals do not get washed away
● In cold deserts, most precipitation falls as snow, but there is rain in the spring.
○ Soil is often salty; little water erosion occurs.
● Few plant species
● Reptiles are common
● Animals are active mainly at night, when temperatures are lower (in hot deserts)
● Plants are adapted to the limited water
○ Cacti have thick, fleshy stems that conserve water; their roots extend metres away from the plant to absorb water
○ Other plants have small, thick, waxy leaves that store water
● Plants have spines or produce chemicals to protect them from being eaten
● Most plants are less than 1m tall in cold deserts
● Small mammals burrow to escape the cold (cold deserts)
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Hot deserts:
● Less than 25 cm/year
● Hot days average 38ºC
● Cold nights average 7ºC
Cold deserts:
● Less than 25 cm/year (mostly snow)
● Hot, summer days average 21ºC to 26ºC
● Cold, winter days average -2ºC to 4ºC
List at least 3 facts about permanent ice
● Very strong winds
● Little soil
● Little fresh water is available due to freezing conditions
● Antarctica is very cold almost all year-round
● Lichens can survive in this biome
○ Dark-coloured organisms that consist of fungi/algae and can tolerate drought/cold; they can absorb more sunlight due to their darker pigmentation
● More plant/animal diversity in the arctic than antarctica
○ Many species of moss/flowering plants in Arctic; only a few in Antarctica
○ Arctic: Polar bears, walruses, seals, arctic foxes, some insects
○ Antarctica: Penguins, marine mammals (ie. leopard seals)
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● Less than 50 cm/year (mostly snow)
● Average Arctic winter temperatures are -30ºC.
● Average Arctic summer temperatures range from 3ºC to 14ºC
● Antarctica has recorded temperatures as low as -89ºC
● Average Antarctica summer temperatures range from 9ºC on the coast to -30ºC inland.
Tundra - Climate
● Less than 25 cm/year of precipitation
● Annual summer average temperatures range from 3ºC to 12ºC.
● Winter temperatures range from -20ºC to -30ºC.
● Only found in northern hemisphere (summer months same as us)
Boreal forest - Climate
● Precipitation is 30 cm to 85 cm annually, much of it
falling as snow.
● Temperatures are below freezing half of the year and often drop to -40ºC.
● Only found in northern hemisphere (summer months same as us)
Temperate deciduous forest - Climate
● 75 cm-180 cm of precipitation, distributed relatively equally throughout the year
● Temperatures range from -30ºC in winter to 30ºC in summer
Temperate rainforest - Climate
● Rainfall exceeds 200 cm/year
● Average temperatures range from 5ºC to 25ºC.
● Coastal fog supplies additional moisture
Grassland - Climate
Temperature: ● 25-100 cm/year of precipitation ● Hot summer temperatures: 30ºC ● Cold winter temperatures below: -10ºC Tropical: ● 50-130cm/year of precipitation ● Daily temperatures range from 25ºC to 30ºC. Both: ● Precipitation usually occurs in late spring or early summer and is followed by an extended dry period
Tropical rainforest - Climate
● Rainfall is about 250 cm/year
● Temperature is a constant 20ºC to 25ºC year-round.
Desert - Climate
Hot deserts: ● Less than 25 cm/year ● Hot days average 38ºC ● Cold nights average 7ºC Cold deserts: ● Less than 25 cm/year (mostly snow) ● Hot, summer days average 21ºC to 26ºC ● Cold, winter days average -2ºC to 4ºC
Permanent ice - Climate
● Less than 50 cm/year (mostly snow)
● Average Arctic winter temperatures are -30ºC.
● Average Arctic summer temperatures range from 3ºC to 14ºC
● Antarctica has recorded temperatures as low as -89ºC
● Average Antarctica summer temperatures range from 9ºC on the coast to -30ºC inland.
Biosphere
Thin layer of air, land, and water on or near Earth’s surface in which all living things on Earth exist.
