Chapter 6

Question 1

What are important characteristics of a biome?

Answer 1

Temperature/Percipitation/Biodiversity

Question 2

Tundra

Answer 2

Treeless biome in the far north that consists of boggy plains covered by lichens and moss; harsh cold winters and short summers

Question 3

Arctic tundra

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Alpine Tundra

Answer 4

located at higher elevations of mountains; above the treeline

Question 5

Boreal Forest (Taiga)

Answer 5

A region of trees, such as pine and fir, in the Northern
Winters are cold and serve
Low precipitation
Soil acidic and mineral poor

Question 6

Temperate Rainforest

Answer 6

Coniferous biome with cool weather, dense fog, and high precipitation
Nutrient poor soil, but high organic content
Epiphytes: moss, ferns
Animals: Rodents, reptiles

Question 7

Temperate Deciduous Forest

Answer 7

Occurs in temperate areas where annual ranges from 75cm to 150cm
Nutrient-rich soil
Animals: deer, bears, birds

Question 8

Temperate Grassland

Answer 8

Grassland with hot summers, cold winters, and moderate rainfall
Soil: nutrient-rich
Few trees except new water

Question 9

Chaparral

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Desert

Answer 10

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)`

Question 11

Savanna

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Tropical RainForest/Tropical Dry Forest

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Phytoplankton

Answer 13

photosynthetic algae and cyanobacteria that form the base of most aquatic food webs

Question 14

Zooplankton

Answer 14

animal-like organisms that feed on algae and cyanobacteria and are consumed by small aquatic organisms

Question 15

Nekton

Answer 15

larger more strongly swimming organisms (fish)

Question 16

Benthos

Answer 16

bottom-dwelling organisms that fix themselves in a spot (sponges), burrow into the sand (calms), or walk the bottom (crawfish)

Question 17

Freshwater Ecosystems

Answer 17

Bodies of water such as lakes and ponds, rivers and streams, marshes and swamps

Question 18

Benefits of freshwater ecosystems

Answer 18

Help recycle precipitation that flows into the ocean as surface runoff
Help moderate daily and seasonal temp fluctuations

Question 19

Standing-water ecosystems

Answer 19

A body of fresh water surrounded by land and whose water does not flow such as a lake or pond

Question 20

Zones of Standing-water ecosystems: Littoral

Answer 20

A productive, shallow water area along the shore of a lake or pond (shore)
Animals: turtles, worms
Lots of vegetation

Question 21

Zones of Standing-water ecosystems: Limnetic

Answer 21

the open water beyond the littoral zone and expands as far as sunlight permits for photosynthesis
Animals: larger fish, microscopic plankton

Question 22

Zones of Standing-water ecosystems: Profundal

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Define thermal stratification

Answer 23

Temp changes sharply especially as the water goes through turnovers

Question 24

Flowing-water ecosystems

Adaptations

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Freshwater Wetlands

Answer 25

Lands that shallow freshwater cover for at least part of the year and usually have soil and water-tolerant vegetation
Marshes and Swamps

Question 26

Freshwater Wetlands: Characteristics

Answer 26

Anaerobic: without oxygen
Rich in accumulated organic materials
Ecosystem Services: Clean air, water, and fertile soil naturally produced by the environment

Question 27

Brackish Ecosystems: Estuaries

Answer 27

Where the ocean meets land and has a large supply of fresh water from a river

Question 28

Natural selection

Answer 28

The best-adapted organisms survive the longest

Question 29

Natural Selection: Conditions

Answer 29

1. High reproductive capacity: increasing population numbers over time
2. Limits on population growth or a struggle for existence: there are limited resources that are competed for
3. Heritable variation: Each individual organism has traits unique to it to improve survival or reproductive chances
4. Differential reproductive success: those with better variance are more likely to survive and reproduce

Question 30

Succession: Primary

Answer 30

The change in species composition over time in a previously uninhabited environment

Question 31

Succession: Secondary

Answer 31

The change in species composition that takes place after some disturbance destroys the existing vegetation