End Of Year Exams Flashcards
What is an ecosystem?
The living organisms in a particular area, together with the non-living components of the environment.
What does abiotic mean?
Non-living elements of an ecosystem, such as climate, temperature, water, and soil type.
What are the abiotic components?
Climate
Soil
Water
How are ecosystems dependent on the climate?
The temperature and amount of rainfall are very important for determining what species can survive in the ecosystem
How are ecosystems dependent on the soil type?
The soil type is important as this provides nutrients that will support different plants
How are ecosystems dependent on the amount of water available?
The amount of water available in an ecosystem will determine what plants and animals can be supported
What does biotic mean?
Living elements of an ecosystem, such as plants and animals.
What is flora?
A biotic factor of an ecosystem, which is all types of plant species.
What is fauna?
A biotic factor of an ecosystem, which is all the different types of animals.
What are natural causes of changes to ecosystems?
Wildfire/forest fire
Flooding
Drought
Earthquake
Volcanic eruption
Tornado
Tsunami
Cyclone
Disease
What are human causes of changes to ecosystems?
Pollution
Hunting, fishing or poaching
Introducing invasive animals
What is a biome?
A large scale ecosystem
What factors determine the climate of a biome?
Latitude
Air pressure
Winds
What is the order of biomes from the north pole to the equator?
Tundra
Taiga coniferous forest
Temperate deciduous forest
Evergreen hardwood (mediterranean)
Desert
Savanna grassland
Tropical rainforest
What is the order of layers of the earth?
Crust
Mantle
Outer core
Inner core
What is the asthenosphere?
The upper part of the Earth’s mantle, where the rocks are more fluid. It is made up of semi-molten rock called magma.
What is the lithosphere?
The lithosphere is the outer layer of the Earth, which includes both the crust and the upper layers of the mantle. The lithosphere is split into tectonic plates.
Describe the characteristics of oceanic crust
- Denser than continental crust
- Can be subducted
- Constantly destroyed and replaced
Describe the characteristics of continental crust
- Older
- Lighter
- Cannot be destroyed
What are convection currents?
A movement within the Earth’s mantle caused by the heat of the core.
What do the convection currents do?
The convection currents move the plates. Where convection currents diverge near the Earth’s crust, plates move apart. Where convection currents converge, plates move towards each other.
What are plate boundaries?
The region where two or more tectonic plates meet. It is a zone of intense seismic activity.
What is a convergent/destructive plate boundary?
- When an oceanic plate and a continental plate collide towards each other, the oceanic plate is forced under the continental plate and subduction takes place.
- This happens because the oceanic plate is denser and heavier than the continental plate
- The plate sinks into the mantle to form magma.
- The pressure of the magma builds beneath the Earth’s surface, and rises up through a stratovolcano, which are often very violent