Ecology - Biomes Flashcards
Tropical Forest (location)
Central, S America
Mid-Africa
SE Asia
N(E) Australia
Tropical Forest (characteristics/threats)
EQUATORIAL, warm areas
varying rainfall
poor soil quality
threats: deforestation by humans for products (palm oil)
Tropical Forest (animals)
monkeys, birds, insects, snakes, bats, frogs
Tropical Forest (plants)
rapid decomposition of plants to release nutrients into poor soil
tropical dry forest: thorny shrubs, deciduous trees, succulents
tropical rainforest: 300+ tree species, woody vines, bromeliads/orchids - large plants/leaves
Savanna (location)
N and E S America
S and N Africa
NW of India
N Australia
Savanna (characteristics/threats)
grasslands with scattered trees
year-round warmth
30-50 cm/year of rain - dry season, wet season
frequent fires
climate change and desertification
Savanna (animals)
large grazing mammals (herbivores, mammals) (migrate away to greener/moister pastures)
insects - ants and termites
burrowing animals
Savanna (plants)
poor soil and lack of moisture: lack of trees
grass doesn’t burn - plants grow off shoots below ground, able to survive droughts
leaves are deciduous during dry season to conserve water
Desert (location)
SW N America
SW strip of S America
N Africa
Mid/S Asia
Australia
between 30ºN and 30ºS latitude, areas in rain shadows
Desert (characteristics/threats)
DRIEST BIOME - lack of precipitation
low and unpredictable rain
hot temperatures, however others relatively cold
threat: semi-arid regions becoming deserts (DESERTIFICATION, climate change)
Desert (animals)
adapted to conserve water: nocturnal, burrowing animals to hide/keep cool,
seed-eaters
Desert (plants)
ranges from no perennial vegetation - scattered deep-rooted shrubs/water storing succulents
waxy coatings decrease water loss on leaves, spikes/pricks to avoid vegetating
large production of seeds stored for heavy rains
Chaparral (location)
COASTAL AREAS
Mediterranean
Small bit of S CA
SW Australia
Chaparral (characteristics/threats)
“place of evergreen scrub oaks”
rainy winter/hot and dry summer due to ocean currents
*near coasts, basically a desert but with a bit more precipitation because of ocean currents and evaporation
*threat: human fire prevention - build-up of flammable leaves; fires become worse **
Chaparral (animals)
browsers (deer, fruit-eating birds, seed-eating rodents, lizards and snakes)
temp. regulation in bigger ears, nocturnal, etc.
Chaparral (plants)
dense, spiny shrubs with evergreen leaves
plants adapted to fires/lightning fires - flammable leaves/chemicals that rapidly regenerate via food reserves in roots
ashes fertilize soil
seeds disperse during heat to grow in fertilized soil
Temperate Grasslands (location)
Midwestern US
SE S America
Mid-Eurasia
SW Asia near Mediterranean
Temperate Grasslands (characteristics/threats)
similar to Savana, but: less/no trees and seasons
along rivers/streams but conditions too dry for a forest
strong/productive agricultural region
**increasing agriculture, urban development
Temperate Grasslands (animals)
bison (thick coat for winter and pronghorns
wild horses and sheep of Asian landscape
burrowing animals (churn soil)
birds nesting on the ground/burrowing
Temperate Grasslands (plants)
drier regions: shortgrass prairie
wetter regions: tallgrass prairie
Temperate Broadleaf Forests (location)
mid-latitude regions (E, W Eurasia, SE S America, E N America, small bit of S Africa)
Temperate Broadleaf Forests (characteristics/threats)
hot summers/cold winters
relatively high precip.
sufficient moisture required for large trees
*urban development, increased hurricanes and temperatures, fragmentation (roads) of forests
Temperate Broadleaf Forests (animals)
Invertebrates (mice, shrews, ground squirrels)
birds
Predators: bobcats, foxes, black bears, mountain lions, squirels, etc.
hibernation, foraging, behavioral adaptations
Temperate Broadleaf Forests (plants)
DECIDIOUS trees (oak, hickory, birch, maple - dropping leaves allows dormancy and prevents water loss in winter because of frozen soil)
Taiga (Boreal Forest, Coniferous) (locations)
Russia, N India, N N America, Chile and N S America
Taiga (Boreal Forest, Coniferous) (characteristics/threats)
LARGEST TERRESTRIAL BIOME
cool, high elevations (mountains) - long, snowy, cold winter - short, wet summers - not much
warm, moist, coastal air - some temperate rain forests
*shrinking due to climate change
Taiga (Boreal Forest, Coniferous) (animals)
moose, elk, hares, bears, wolves, grouse, migratory birds
*migration, hibernation, climate acclimation
Taiga (Boreal Forest, Coniferous) (plants)
conifer needles (cone shaped, waxy coating prevents snow build-up but retains moisture) decompose slowly and don’t drop seasonally, make few nutrients
Tundra (location)
N Hemisphere (N Eurasia, Greenland, N N America)
Tundra (characteristics/threats)
*permafrost (continuously frozen subsoil)
cold, long winters with low light and low precipitation/poor drainage
*climate change - melting, releasing CO2
Tundra (animals)
alpine tundra - high mountain top communities
animals with good insulation (musk, oxen, caribou, arctic fox, snowy owl), migratory animals
Tundra (plants)
SHALLOW-ROOTED PLANTS - dwarf shrubs, grasses, mosses, lichens - no trees
Polar Ice (location)
Antarctica, Greenland (high latitude, N of tundra)
Polar ice (characteristics/threats)
polar ice surrounded by sea ice
year-round cold
*climate change, melting
Polar ice (animals)
nematodes, mites, wingless insects
marine biomes visit ice to rest/breed/eat on (seals, marine birds)
Polar ice (plants)
lichens/small plants and mosses
