Depositional Landforms Flashcards
4 key things needed for sand dune formation
Supply of sand
Large tidal range (creates large supply of sand)
Dominant onshore wind
Obstacle
Pioneer species meaning in sand dunes
The first plants to colonise the trapped sand that have special adaptations to help them survive hostile conditions (e.g marram grass)
Climatic climax vegetation meaning
The dominant plant species at the final stage of succession e.g oak trees
Key term for dominant plant species at the final stage of succession
Climatic climax vegetation
Succession meaning
The series of changes in an ecological community that occur over time e.g change in vegetation % coverage and type
Key term for series of changes in an ecological community that occur over time e.g change in vegetation % coverage and type
Succession
A complete succession is called a…
Sere
Sere meaning
Complete succession
The sand dune with the highest exposure to the prevailing wind is the…
Embro dune
(As it’s closest to the sea)
The oldest sand dune is the…dune
Mature
The embryo, fore and yellow dune all have…coloured soil
Yellow
The grey dune has…coloured soil
Grey
The mature dune has…coloured soil
Brown
Moving back into the dune system (e.g towards the mature dune) PH…. (increases/ decreases)
Decreases
Is the embryo dune alkali or acidic
Alkali
Is the mature dune alkali or acidic
Acidic
The sand dune succession is called a ….
Psammosere
Psammosere is a …succession (where does it occur)
Sand dune
Stages of Psammosere succession (starting with bare sand and finishing with climax vegetation)
Bare sand
Embryo dunes form
Pioneer species invade, colonise and trap sand that’s moving by creep/ saltation
Salty, alkaline conditions with little organic matter
Plants die
Organic matter added to sand so water retention improves
Soil conditions improve
More plant species (other than pioneer species) can grow
Higher species biodiversity
Moisture loving plants develop in dune slacks
Trees/ scrubs can now be supported
Climax vegetation e.g oak trees
Mudflats are…
Areas of sheltered coastlines which don’t experience powerful waves and are often located in estuaries/ the landward side of a spit
They are submerged at high tide and exposed at low tide
Mudflats are areas of…coastlines which don’t experience powerful waves and are often located in estuaries or the landward side of a spit
Sheltered
True or false, mudflats are always submerged in the water
False
They are submerged at high tide but exposed at low tide
Mudflats are submerged at…and exposed at..
High tide
Low tide
Salt marshes develop in what 3 types of environment
Sheltered areas where deposition occurs
Where saltwater and freshwater meet e.g estauries
Where there are no strong tides/ currents that would prevent sediment deposition or accumulation
Salt marshes can develop in environments where freshwater and saltwater meet e.g …
Estuaries
True or false, salt marshes develop in environments where there are strong tides and currents
False
Strong tides and currents would prevent sediment deposition or accumulation so salt marshes develop where there aren’t these things
An estuary is…
The tidal mouth of a large river where the flow is influenced by both the downstream flow of the river and the inward and outward movement of the tide
An estuary is the tidal mouth of a large river where the flow is influenced by both the… and the….
Downstream flow of the river
Inward and outward movement of the tide
Halosere is what type of succession
Salt marsh
Proper term for salt marsh succession is…
Halosere
Flocculation is where what type of particles come together and sink
Clay
…is where clay particles come together and sink
Flocculation
Flocculation is where clay particles come together and sink and occurs where …meet
2 flows of water
Halophytes meaning
Salt tolerant plant species e.g cord grass and glasswort
Proper term for salt tolerant plant species e.g cord grass and glasswort
Halophytes
Cord grass and glasswort are both examples of…(salt tolerant plant species)
Halophytes
The first stage of salt marsh development is…forming due to flocculation
Mudflats
The first stage of salt marsh development is mudflats forming due to….(process where clay particles come together and sink where 2 flows of water meet)
Flocculation
The first stage of salt marsh development is mudflats forming due to….(process where clay particles come together and sink where 2 flows of water meet)
Flocculation