Chapter 6 Flashcards
What are important characteristics of a biome?
Temperature/Percipitation/Biodiversity
Tundra
Treeless biome in the far north that consists of boggy plains covered by lichens and moss; harsh cold winters and short summers
Arctic tundra
snow melts seasonally
Poor soil
Little detritus: dead leaves and stems
The ground is usually covered in permanent frost which creates water logs in the summer which leads to shallow lakes
Low Primary Productivity and supports few species
Alpine Tundra
located at higher elevations of mountains; above the treeline
Boreal Forest (Taiga)
A region of trees, such as pine and fir, in the Northern
Winters are cold and serve
Low precipitation
Soil acidic and mineral poor
Temperate Rainforest
Coniferous biome with cool weather, dense fog, and high precipitation
Nutrient poor soil, but high organic content
Epiphytes: moss, ferns
Animals: Rodents, reptiles
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Occurs in temperate areas where annual ranges from 75cm to 150cm
Nutrient-rich soil
Animals: deer, bears, birds
Temperate Grassland
Grassland with hot summers, cold winters, and moderate rainfall
Soil: nutrient-rich
Few trees except new water
Chaparral
Biome with mild, moist winters and hot, dry summers
Vegetation: small-leaved evergreen shrubs and small trees
Soil: Thin and not fertile
Winters: rainy
Many fires occur
Desert
Dry areas found in both temperate and subtropical or tropical regions
Limited plant growth due to less precipitation
Plants adapted to conserve water
Animals: small (reptiles)`
Savanna
Tropical grassland with widely scattered trees or clumps of trees
Low rainfall
Soil: low in nutrient minerals
Plants: lots of grass, bristles w/thorns, little trees
Animals: lots of herbivores (zebras), large predators (lions)
Plants: fire-resistant
Tropical RainForest/Tropical Dry Forest
Lush species-rich biome that occurs where the climate is warm and moist throughout the year
Rains almost daily
Soil: mineral poor
Unexcelled in species richness and variety (No one species dominates)
Animals: bugs, monkeys, cats, elephants
Plants: ferns, moss, vines
Phytoplankton
photosynthetic algae and cyanobacteria that form the base of most aquatic food webs
Zooplankton
animal-like organisms that feed on algae and cyanobacteria and are consumed by small aquatic organisms
Nekton
larger more strongly swimming organisms (fish)
Benthos
bottom-dwelling organisms that fix themselves in a spot (sponges), burrow into the sand (calms), or walk the bottom (crawfish)
Freshwater Ecosystems
Bodies of water such as lakes and ponds, rivers and streams, marshes and swamps
Benefits of freshwater ecosystems
Help recycle precipitation that flows into the ocean as surface runoff
Help moderate daily and seasonal temp fluctuations
Standing-water ecosystems
A body of fresh water surrounded by land and whose water does not flow such as a lake or pond
Zones of Standing-water ecosystems: Littoral
A productive, shallow water area along the shore of a lake or pond (shore)
Animals: turtles, worms
Lots of vegetation
Zones of Standing-water ecosystems: Limnetic
the open water beyond the littoral zone and expands as far as sunlight permits for photosynthesis
Animals: larger fish, microscopic plankton
Zones of Standing-water ecosystems: Profundal
beneath the limnetic zone of a large lake where light does not penetrate
Has a build-up of detritus (decomposing things)
Goes through thermal stratification
Define thermal stratification
Temp changes sharply especially as the water goes through turnovers
Flowing-water ecosystems
Adaptations
A freshwater ecosystem such as a river or stream in which water flows in a current
Adaptations:
If the current is strong then some organisms may have suckers
Flatter bodies to slip through rocks
Freshwater Wetlands
Lands that shallow freshwater cover for at least part of the year and usually have soil and water-tolerant vegetation
Marshes and Swamps
Freshwater Wetlands: Characteristics
Anaerobic: without oxygen
Rich in accumulated organic materials
Ecosystem Services: Clean air, water, and fertile soil naturally produced by the environment
Brackish Ecosystems: Estuaries
Where the ocean meets land and has a large supply of fresh water from a river
Natural selection
The best-adapted organisms survive the longest
Natural Selection: Conditions
- High reproductive capacity: increasing population numbers over time
- Limits on population growth or a struggle for existence: there are limited resources that are competed for
- Heritable variation: Each individual organism has traits unique to it to improve survival or reproductive chances
- Differential reproductive success: those with better variance are more likely to survive and reproduce
Succession: Primary
The change in species composition over time in a previously uninhabited environment
Succession: Secondary
The change in species composition that takes place after some disturbance destroys the existing vegetation
