Ecolgy Unit Flashcards
Name 1 major climate zone:
- Temperate
- Polar
- Tropical
Name all Climate Zones:
Temperate, Polar and Tropical
Which Climate Zone have Coniferous Forests?
Temperate
Name 1 other word for Coniferous
Boreal
Give examples of Precipitation:
- Rain
- Snow
- Sleet
- Hail
What advantages does snow have for plants and animals in coniferous forests?
It acts as an isolated blanket to keep warm
How do forest fires pollute the air?
It creates too much Carbon Dioxide, trapping the Suns heat.
When did Conifers begin to evolve?
250 000 000 years ago
Why are Coniferous Trees called Evergreens?
Because they don’t lose their green all at once
What is one way Conifers get and keep water?
They have a waxy residue on their leaves and they absorb moisture
Why are Conifers triangular in shape?
So snow could fall off easily
Why do Coniferous trees grow close together in stands or groups?
It allows them to protect against the wind
What does the Pitcher Plant “Eat”?
Meat, they’re carnivorous
How long do Lichens often live for?
Hundreds of years
Give examples of animal species that live Coniferous Forests:
- Moose
- Bears
- Owls
- Wolves
What do wolf pack members do when others go to hunt?
They howl
What do Moose feed on?
Tree shules and lots of vegetation
Why have the Northernmost Coniferous forests been spared from logging?
They’re so remote and cold
What is an old growth forest?
A forest that hasn’t been bothered by humans
Name one way you can reduce forest destruction
Recycle products made by trees
What makes a forest Deciduous?
Most of the trees’ leaves fall off and grow back every year
Name one place where Temperate Deciduous forests are found
Mainly in eastern North America
What is the average rainfall in temperate deciduous forests?
80-200cm of rainfall
How do we find out how old trees are?
Measure the rings in the cross-section of trees that are cut down
What is the substance that gives leaves their green colour?
Chlorophyll
What is the highest level of deciduous forest called?
The Emergant
Name 2 trees that make up the canopy in the temperate deciduous forest:
Maple, Oaks, Birch, etc
What is the shady part of the forest where small trees, shrubs, and bushes grow called?
The Understory
Name 2 things migratory birds do “up north” during the summer months?
Dying, Breeding, and raising their young
Name 2 Decomposers that help break down leaf matter on the forest floor:
- Earthworms
- Insects
- Fungi
- Bacteria
What is an omnivore?
It’s an animal that eats vegetation and meat
What animals are becoming more numerous now?
- Wild Turkeys
* Boars
Where is the world’s tropical zone?
Nearest to the Equator
Name 2 places where tropical deciduous forests are found:
- Central America
* Southern America
What is the soil like in tropical deciduous forests?
It’s very poor soil
What is bamboo? How high can it grow?
It’s grass, and it can grow 30m high
Where does the world’s largest dragon live?
Indonesia
How can you help make forests near you a better home for animals?
Participate in Local cleanup efforts
In case you run into wildlife, what should you bring on a hike?
Take a camera
Three Facts about the Boreal Forest:
1: Animal Species include: Caribou, Lynx, Wolverine, Black Bear, etc….
2: Dominant tree species include: White and Black Spruce, Jack Pine, Tamarack, etc….
3: Water bodies include: bogs, fens, marshes, shallow lakes, rivers, and wetlands
Logging is slowly consuming vast sections of the forest:
- Percent of Boreal forest that has been allocated to industry: more than 30% (To be cut down)
- Percent of logging in Canada’s boreal forest that is clear cutting: 90% mostly for the production of pulp and paper
Hydropower and mining effects:
- Changes in stream-flow patterns, flooded large areas and production of toxic substances: (Methyl-Mercury)
- Acidic effluent radioactive by-products, and emissions from processing plants
The effects of Oil and Gas exploration:
*Roads, pipelines, seismic lines and open pit mines can distribute and displace many wildlife species
Amazonia is?
- Name given to the basin of the Amazon River, NOT A COUNTRY
- It includes 6 countries
- The Equator crosses Amazonia
Interesting fact of the Amazon Rainforest:
The Amazon delivers SO MUCH water to the ocean that the remains are fresh for about 100km from its mouth
Vegetation in the Amazon Rainforest:
- Selva: Dense Equatorial rainforest. Giant trees, floor of the forest is fairly dark
- Air Plants: Grow in the canopy–High above the ground–, roots drop through the air to the ground
- Lianas: THICK vines drop through the air to the ground
Climate of the Amazon Rainforest:
- Close to the equator=day/night almost equal; 6am - 6pm
- Dry season: rains everyday, usually in the afternoon
- Wet season: rains ALL DAY, everyday
Economic Development:
- Poor brasilians seek better living conditions
* Large international debt: Brazil needs to develop their resource rich land
Road Construction = Deforestation
- Settlers and squatters attracted to free land
- Ranchers make pastures for cattle
- Logging companies clear cut for mahogany (Valuable hardwood)
- Mining companies found iron ore cleared big patches
- Hydroelectricity dams, reservoirs drown forests
Local Effects:
+Improved living standards for Brasilians
+Resources being exploited
-Soil ruined once trees removed
-Increased erosion and flooding
-Less trees = less humidity = less rainfall
Global Effects:
- Reduced oxygen, increased carbon dioxide (Increased Global Warming)
- Animals, birds, and insects face extinction
- Medicinal plants lost
Ecologists vision:
Concerned with forest preservation and biodiversity
Logging Companies’ visions:
Want to harvest timber and sell it
Local Population and Indigenous Peoples’ visions:
Want economic benefits but also access to hunting, permanent supply of drinking water
Farmers’ Visions’:
Want to clear forests for farms to make more money
Politicians’ Visions’
Want to create jobs, government revenue, help the poor become self-sufficient
International Community’s vision:
Want to conserve world heritage, preserve forests, and want economic growth
What do Cones contain?
Seeds
Canada’s boreal region stretches __________.
Canada’s boreal region stretches 10 000 continuous kilometres across the country
Its size _________.
Its size rivals that of the Amazon Rainforest!
Canada’s forests is?
- One of the world’s greatest remaining remaining forests
- Provides an important haven for the many creatures
- Mostly made up of Coniferous trees through Deciduous trees, such as poplar and birch
- One of the world’s largest carbon reservoirs
- The boreal range is also home to hundreds of First Nation communities that rely on the forest’s resources
Percent of land in Canada covered by Boreal forest:
53%
Percent of the world’s Boreal forests within Canada’s borders:
25%
Litres of water absorbed and filtered every day:
Several million
Percent of the world’s unfrozen fresh water supply:
80%
Number of indigenous communities:
More than 500
Number of lakes in the Boreal forests:
1.5 million
Percent of Canada’s bird population that can be found:
60%
Total number of birds breeding in the Boreal forests:
Up to 5 billion
Animal species in the boreal forest include:
*Caribou, Lynx, Wolverine, Black Bear, Moose, Timber Wolf, Wood Bison, etc
Dominant tree species in Boreal forests are:
- White and Black Spruce
- Jack Pine
- Tamarack
- Balsam Fir
- Balsam Poplar
- White Birch
Water bodies in boreal forests include:
Fens, Marshes, Shallow Lakes, Rivers, and Wetlands
What is the vegetation in boreal forests?
Tundra
