Ecosystem Ecology Flashcards
A large area characterized by its vegetation, soil and wildlife
Biome
5 major types of biome
-aquatic
-grassland
-forest
-desert
-tundra
-bodies of water surrounded by land
-have a salt content of less than one percent
Freshwater biome
Examples of freshwater biome
-ponds
-rivers
-lakes
-study of inland waters
-derived from the Greek limne (marsh, pond) and Latin limnaea (marsh)
Limnology
study of the structure, function, and change of organisms in fresh waters as affect by their dynamic physical, chemical and biotic environments
Freshwater ecology
Examples of Freshwater (7)
-lakes
-ponds
-rivers
-streams
-springs
-bog
-wetlands
Freshwater habitats can be classified by different factors
-temperature
-light penetration
-nutrients
-vegetation
Freshwater ecosystems can be divided into
-lentic ecosystem (still water)
-lotic ecosystem (flowing water)
Importance of freshwater ecosystem
-mitigation against climate variability
-water purification
-shoreline stabilization
-sequestration of carbon dioxide
Examples of marine biomes
-ocean
-coral reefs
-estuaries
Marine comes from the Latin word
mare (sea or ocean)
Marine habitats can be divided into
-coastal
-open ocean
-Found in the area that extends from as far as the tide comes in on the shoreline out to the edge of the continental shelf (7%)
-most marine life is found in these areas
Coastal habitats
found in the deep ocean beyond the edge of the continental shelf
Open ocean habitats
Ecosystem services given by Mangroves (7)
- wood
- livelihoods
- coastal protection
- water filtration
- tourism
- fisheries
- climate regulation
A transitional area of vegetation between two different plant communities
Ecotone
Services given by Seagrass (10)
- oxygen
- food
- biodiversity
- nutrient cycling
- water quality
- habitat corridors
- climate resilience
- carbon storage
- livelihoods
- shelter
Ecosystem services of Coral Reefs (5)
- tourism and recreation
- medicine
- coastal protection
- acts as home and nursery
- food and fishing
-Coral reefs are created by tiny animals called
-their limestone skeletons build up over time, forming the base complex reef habitat
Coral polyps
- A partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea
-form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environments (ecotone)
Estuary
Estuaries are subject both to marine influences such as:
-tides
-waves
-influx of saline water
-riverine influences (flows of freshwater and sediment)
The mixing of seawater and freshwater provides
high levels of nutrients
Animals that thrive, migrate, or give birth in estuaries (6)
-Pacific herring
-surfperch
-juvenile flatfish
-rockfish
-anadromous salmonids
-lampreys
Terrestrial habitats are spread out across a large range of environments such as: (7)
-caves
-deserts
-farms
-forests
-grasslands
-shorelines
-wetlands
Constitute terrestrial habitats
-semi natural or manmade habitats
-national parks
-biosphere reserves
Types of terrestrial habitats (4)
-forests
-deserts
-mountains
-grassland
-31% of the total land surface
-300 million of plant animals live in this habitat
Forest
Forest ecosystem is divided into 4 different subgroups
-tropical
-temperate
-boreal
-plantation
Layers of a forest
-emergent layer (highest)
-canopy layer
-understory layer
-forest floor
-have the highest diversity
-located around the equator
Tropical forests
Characteristic features of tropical forests
-humidity
-excessive rainfall
-similar to temperate forest but with harsher temperature
-also called “Taiga”
-largest land biome
-winters are long and extremely cold
Boreal forest
-forests that are cultivated for the purpose of commercialization
-1 or 2 species are cultivated
-genetically altered to provide better resistance against diseases and commercial viability
Plantation forest
-areas where the most dominant vegetation is grasses
Grassland
Grasslands are subdivided into
-tropical grasslands
-temperate grasslands
- also known as the “Savannah)
Tropical grassland
Characteristics of tropical grasslands
-widely spaced grassy fields and woodlands
-sufficient light reaches the ground
-receive 30 to 50 inches of rain every year followed by a dry season
-similar to tropical grasslands, except it has warm summers followed by cold winters
-annual rainfall ranges between 30 to 35 inches
Temperate grassland
Temperate grasslands are categorized into
-Steppes
-Prairies
Characterized by grasslands with tall grasses
Prairies
Grassland with relatively short grasses
Steppes
-biomes that receive less than 10 inches of rainfall annually
Deserts
Animals in deserts adapt to the heat by
-burrowing or living in caves
Common terrestrial animals found in deserts
-antelopes
-camels
-foxes
-gazelles
-goats
-cheetah
-African wild dogs
-lizards
-hyrax
-North African ostrich
-desert crocodiles
-largest desert in the world
-classified a polar desert
Antarctic
-largest subtropical desert
Sahara
largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets
The Great Basin
-large landforms that rise above the surrounding surface
-have colder climates due to high elevation
Mountains
Mountain faunas
-bighorn sheep
-brown and black bear
-grizzly bear
-mountain goats
-mountain lions
-antelope
The effect of Earths’s rotation on the direction of winds and current
Coriolis effect
How tall is
a.) Mt. Apo?
b.) Mt. Everest?
a. Mt. Apo — 2,954 m
b. Mt. Everest — 8,848.86 m
