Chapter 13.2.1 Flashcards
What are biomes sometimes referred to as?
Ecosystems
What separates biomes from each other?
Climate and life forms
What are the five distinct biomes?
Forest, Desert, Grassland, Tundra and Aquatic
What are three pieces of information about Forests?
- Over 50 per cent of all known plant and animal species are found in tropical rainforests.
- Forests are the source of over 7000 modern medicines
- Forests help regulate global climate, because they absorb and use energy from the sun rather than reflect it back into the atmosphere
Define deforestation
Clearing forests to make way for housing or agricultural development.
What are three pieces of information about Deserts?
- Deserts feature low rainfall.
- Generally they are places of temperature extremes — hot by day and cold by night.
- Most animals that inhabit deserts are nocturnal.
What are three pieces of information about Grasslands?
- Grasslands can be seen as transitional environments between forest and desert.
- They have small, widely spaced trees or no trees at all.
- They are mainly inhabited by grazing animals, reptiles and ground-nesting birds, though many other animals can be found in areas with more tree cover
Define Tundra
The area lying beyond the treeline in polar or alpine regions
What are three pieces of information about Tundras?
- Tundra falls into three distinct categories — Arctic, Antarctic and alpine — but they share the common characteristic of low temperatures.
- The landscape is characterised by grasses, dwarf shrubs, mosses and lichens.
- In Arctic regions there is a layer beneath the surface known as permafrost — permanently frozen ground.
What are the two classifications of Aquatic biomes?
Freshwater and Marine
What is a feature of Freshwater biomes?
Freshwater biomes contain very little salt and are found on land; these include lakes, rivers and wetlands
What is a feature of Marine biomes?
Marine biomes are the saltwater regions of the Earth and include oceans, coral reefs and estuaries.
