Ecosystems revision Year 8 Flashcards
What are the 4 climate regions?
Hot desert
Deciduous Forest
Tropical Rainforest
Tundra
Where in the world do you find tropical rainforest?
Near the Equator.
Where in the world would you find The Arctic Tundra?
Near the North Pole.
What is the climate like in the rainforest?
Hot and wet.
What is the climate like in the Arctic Tundra?
Cold and dry.
What do we call the layer of permanently frozen soil in the tundra?
Permafrost.
What is the climate like in the deciduous forest climate region?
warm summers, mild winters, rain all year round.
What is the climate like in the desert region?
Hot and dry.
What does ecosystem mean?
A natural unit made up of living things and their non-living environment; for example a forest, a coral reef.
Define the term Biome.
A very large ecosystem.
What are the 4 layers of the rainforest?
Emergent layer
Canopy
Under canopy or understory.
Forest floor or shrun layer.
The soil in the rainforest is deep but only the top few inches contain nutrients. Why?
When plant and animal material falls on the forest floor it is quickly broken down by decomposers (insects, worms, bacteria). This releases nutrients. These are taken up quickly by plant and tree roots before they can soak deep into the soil.
How are trees in the emergent layer specially adapted to their environment?
They grow very tall to reach sunlight.
They have special buttress roots to stop them falling over.
Their roots grow near the surface to get maximum nutrition.
What are epiphytes and where do they live in the rainforest?
They are plants which live on trees in the canopy. Orchids are epiphytes.
What are lianas and where can they be found in the rainforest?
They are vines and they live on trees in the emergent layer.
Name one way plants in the shrub layer (forest floor) have adapted to their environment?
They have large leaves to gather sunlight, as it is dark in this layer.
What does biodiverse mean?
Has many species of plants and animals.
Name a rainforest animal and explain how it has adapted to its environment.
A sloth lives in the canopy. They have adapted by having large claws to help them to cling on to the branches. Their hair id filled with green algae which allows them to be camouflaged to hide from predators.
Name 3 threats to the rainforest.
Deforestation for logging.
Large areas being burned and cleared for farming palm oil.
Large areas being cleared for cattle ranching.
Explain how deforestation in the rainforest may contribute to climate change.
Less trees = less carbon dioxide being taken up.
Disturbing peat bogs releases carbon into the atmosphere.
This all leads to more Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas which contributes to climate change by keeping the Earth warm.
How are plants in the Arctic Tundra adapted to their environment?
They can carry out photosynthesis with very little light and in cold temperatures.
They grow low to the ground and close together for protection from cold and wind.
They send out runners to spout new plants instead of having seeds as the growing season is very short.
How is an Arctic fox adapted to its environment?
It has shorter legs, tail, ears and snout to reduce heat loss.
It has a thick coat.
Its fur turns white in winter and brown in summer to help it to hide.
How is a musk oxen adapted to its environment?
It has a thick shaggy coat with fluffy hair underneath to keep it warm.
It has short legs to reduce heat loss.
They huddle together in herds for warmth and safety.
Name some of the indigenous people of the tundra.
Inuit
Nenets
Enets
Sami
Name 3 reasons why the Arctic Tundra is under threat.
Hunting
Extraction of oil, gas and metal ores
Global warming
