Earths Spheres, Ecosystems and Biomes Flashcards
Geosphere
The land sphere. Contains rocks and minerals
Atmosphere
The air.
Hydrosphere
Water
Biosphere
Living organisms
How many spheres are they and what are they?
4: geosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere
Ecosystem Definition
A geographic area where living organisms (e.g. plants and animals) and the weather and landscape, work together to for life
Biotic factors
Living factors. Plants, animals, and other organisms
Abiotic factors
Non-living factors. Rocks, temperature, and humidity
Biomes hold…
Smaller ecosystems
Biomes
Are large sections of land, sea or atmosphere. Forest, ponds, reefs and tundra are examples.
Main biomes
Temperate forest, tundra, rainforest, desert, savanna, taiga forest
Tropical Rainforest Examples
Amazon, Congo, Borneo
Hot desert examples
Namib, Arabian, Mojave, Sahara
Cold desert examples
Gobi, Antarctica, Patagonia
Mountain Range Examples
Rockies, Alps, Himalayas, Andes
Shrub layer
Layer of dense plant growth containing shrubs and ferns
Under-canopy
A layer of bare trees and lianas found under the canopy
Forest floor
Usually dark and damp: it contains a layer of rotting leaves which provide nutrients to the soil
Canopy
Layer of trees that block the sun from lower layers
Emergent
Tallest trees in the rainforest
Heating the earths surface. Why is the equatorial climate hot?
The Earth’s surface area is not heated evenly. Places near the equator are warmer because a smaller surface area is heated, making the heat more concentrated.
Why is the Rainforest so wet
Convectional rainfall. Sun heats up the land and air above it. Hot air rises, cools and condenses to form clouds. Rain then occurs
Adaptations
The slow process in which a species becomes fitted to its environment
Roots above ground adaptation
To provide support to very large trees and soak up nutrients from soil
