Earth's Biomes and Spatial Diversity

Question 1

climate

Answer 1

long term average weather

Question 2

solar radiation angle and surface temperature

Answer 2

sun hits the equator directly - hotter
at the poles, light hits less directly and is spread further - cooler
earth tilts 23.5 degrees - seasonal variation (more sun/closer in summer). variation is most impactful at poles

Question 3

topography

- mountains

Answer 3

physical features of the earth

mountains can be glaciated to reflect heat

Question 4

ocean currents and wind and heat movement

Answer 4

move heat to poles - equator is less hot than expected and the poles are warmer

Question 5

wind and ocean current mechanisms

Answer 5

• hot air rises from equator and spreads towards poles, cooling as it goes. eventually it is dense enough to return to the surface where it heats and moves towards the equators
• series of cells (heating and cooling cycles)
• when warm air moves up, cool air replaces it (wind)

Question 6

Coriolis effect

Answer 6

because of the earth’s counterclockwise rotation about its axis, winds and oceanic currents in the Northern Hemisphere deflect to the right and those in the south deflect to the left

Question 7

earth’s rotation and winds and water

Answer 7

earth rotates clockwise - equator moves furthest and fastest in a spin

• wind push oceans to form currents in surface water
• water carries more heat than air and moves to the poles
• cold water sinks and moves to equator

Question 8

rainfall

Answer 8

• warm air carries more water vapour than cold air
• rising air cools = rain
• descending air warms, taking more moisture = arid climate

Question 9

rain shadows

Answer 9

the area on the lee side of mountains, where air masses descend, warming and taking up water vapour; these lands are arid
- takes moisture into mountains where the air cools and it rains

Question 10

biomes and distributions

Answer 10

distributions of biomes reflect regional climates

Question 11

evapotranspiration

Answer 11

the sum of evaporation directly from soils and water bodies plus the amount transpired by plants

Question 12

potential evapotranspiration

Answer 12

the amount of evapotranspiration that temperature, humidity and wind would cause if water supply wasn’t limiting; the demand on water in an ecosystem

Question 13

potential evapotranspiration ratio

Answer 13

the ratio of water demand to supply - what vegetation can be supported?

Question 14

plant evolution

Answer 14

evolve to conditions and may look similar but be unrelated

Question 15

tundra

Answer 15

coldest, short days - grasses, moss, rabbits, wolves

Question 16

alpine

Answer 16

lacks permanent ice below soil (tundra), cold, windy, small plants

Question 17

taiga

Answer 17

cool, moist forests, rainy summers, conifers, mosses, shrubs, moose

Question 18

temperate coniferous forest

Answer 18

lots of rain, enormous conifers, warm

Question 19

deciduous forests

Answer 19

moderate climate, nutrient rich soil from leaf fall, lots of insects, lizards etc.

Question 20

temperate grassland

Answer 20

lack of precipitation (few trees), bison, horses, prairie dogs, foxes, eagles

Question 21

desert

Answer 21

deep-rooted plants, low nutrient soils, high salinity, not much primary production, small animals

Question 22

chaparral

Answer 22

30-75mm rain a year, herbs that die and reseed, shrubs, small trees, olives, eucalypts

Question 23

savanna

Answer 23

tall, perennial grasslands, warm, dry, seasonal rain, scattered trees, grazers, predators

Question 24

tropical rainforest

Answer 24

more than 250mm rain, warm, fast decay, small mammals, insects

Question 25

plants in aquatic biomes

Answer 25

buoyancy means plants don’t need structural support like those on land

Question 26

nutrients in aquatic biomes

Answer 26

dissolves in water
nutrients and oxygen supply impact biomes
nutrients run off continents into oceans; cyanobacteria fix nitrogen
nutrients from bottom upwell - 1% of earth supports 20% of fish

Question 27

fresh water

Answer 27

2.5%

glaciers, permafrost, groundwater

Question 28

oceans

Answer 28

71% of earth surface

Question 29

photic zone

Answer 29

top 200cm

Question 30

deep sea organisms

Answer 30

detritus and chemotropic bacteria and archaea support deep sea

Question 31

algae

Answer 31

occupy continental shelves and are grazed upon

Question 32

viruses

Answer 32

lyse phytoplankton and algae, releasing organic molecules that support bacteria and other consumers

Question 33

deep sea oxygen

Answer 33

less wind so less oxygen

Question 34

lakes

Answer 34

20% of freshwater, varying nutrients, plants and algae in shallows, cyanobacteria, zooplankton, fish, birds

Question 35

rivers

Answer 35

well oxygenated, plants and algae on edge, phytoplankton, fish, turtles, insects

Question 36

intertidal

Answer 36

neritic (shallow water), close to shore, rock pools, muscles, dry out daily

Question 37

coral reefs

Answer 37

most diverse, tropical/subtropical, little water movement, algae live in corals, low nutrients

Question 38

pelagic realm

Answer 38

not close to seashore or seafloor

Question 39

final oceanic region

Answer 39

deep sea

Question 40

physical factors of biodiversity’s unequal distribution

Answer 40

climate, topographical regions, barriers to movement

Question 41

biotic factors of biodiversity’s unequal distribution

Answer 41

depend on another species for survival

Question 42

evolution factors of biodiversity’s unequal distribution

Answer 42

large diversity of animals, plants etc. arrive at a place by chance and adapt to that environment

Question 43

cradle

Answer 43

high speciation rates - tropics are a cradle for diversity

Question 44

museum

Answer 44

low extinction rates in the tropics

Question 45

destination

Answer 45

high immigration rates