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Environmental Science > Group 1: Terrestrial Ecosystem > Flashcards

Group 1: Terrestrial Ecosystem Flashcards

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1
Q

a land based community of organisms
and the interactions of biotic and
abiotic components in a given
area.

A

terrestrial ecosystem

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2
Q

cover approximately 140 to 150 million
km2, which is about 25 to 30
percent of the total earth’s surface
area.

A

terrestrial ecosystem

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3
Q

FIVE MAJOR TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS

A

I. Desert
II. Grassland
III. Tundra
IV. Forest
V. Taiga (Northern Coniferous)

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4
Q

are barren areas of land characterized by extremely high or low temperatures, low rainfall, and scarce or no vegetation.

A

DESERTS

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5
Q

DESERTS ARE CLASSIFIED INTO TWO TYPES

A
  1. Hot Desert
  2. Cold Desert
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6
Q

ADAPTATION OF ANIMALS IN DESERT

A
  1. The animals avoid being out in the sun during
    the daytime and live in burrows to escape the intense heat.
  2. Light colors are poor absorbers of heat. Most desert animals are pale in color, which prevents their bodies from absorbing more heat from the sun.
  3. Desert animals have extra tubules in their kidneys that help them extract most of the water.
  4. Desert plants have short growing seasons and long dormancies.
  5. The stem is the only part that stores water, and water is stored as a thick, viscous liquid.
  6. The cactus desert has an extensive root system that roots can grow up to 100 ft. under to access water from the soil.
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7
Q

Compared to the typical “desert,”
These Deserts are typically much
harsher environments. It’s the driest and hottest place on Earth. One is characterized by extreme
temperatures and has very few resources.
Rainfall is uncommon, and in some years there is no measurable precipitation at all.

A

TROPICAL DESERT

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8
Q

Tropical deserts are situated on the western margins of the continents between 15° and 30°
latitudes north and south of the equator. It is also known as _____

A

The Sudan-type climate.

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9
Q

Regions include parts of:
(Tropical deserts)

A

Africa
Asia
North America
South America

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10
Q

Africa (Tropical deserts)

A

Sahara desert in Northern Africa, Namib, and Kalahari in Southern Africa.

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11
Q

Asia (Tropical deserts)

A

The Arabian, Iranian, and Thar deserts.

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12
Q

North America (Tropical deserts)

A

The Mohave, Sonoran, Californian, and Mexican deserts.

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13
Q

South America (Tropical deserts)

A

Peruvian Desert (the driest desert in the world).

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14
Q

Temperatures (Tropical deserts)

A
  • Highest percentage of
    sunshine of any climate
    -Average 90F and daytime can reach 120F
    -Gets very cold at night temperature fluctuates on a daily basis
    -Arid climate
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15
Q

Rain (Tropical deserts)

A

-Rain shadow effect
-Hadley Cells circulate the warm air up and around in a circle, cooling it as it brings it back down to the earth
-Low humidity results in quick
evaporation and little rainfall

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16
Q

FLORA (Desert)

A

Adaptations - hot and dry environments
- xerophytes
- phreatophytes

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17
Q

plants that have adapted by altering their physical structure.

Special ways of storing and conserving water
Few leaves, or spines—a large surface area on a leaf allows more water
to evaporate from the plant.
Waxy coatings and hair help insulate the plant and slow water loss.

A

xerophytes

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18
Q

plants that have adapted to living in the desert by growing long roots.

Moisture deep within the earth, at or near the water table
Many plants can inject toxic chemicals into the soil

A

phreatophytes

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19
Q

HUMAN IMPACTS (Desert)

A
  • Oil drilling and running pipes: make the
    soil is uneven and vulnerable to erosion
  • Urbanization and human interaction pollution create problems for animals and natural processes; they also cause various plants and animals to go extinct
  • Irrigation and agriculture—draining
    water to the point where it cannot be replenished, causing further
    desertification
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20
Q

have low rainfall and strong
temperature contrasts between
summer and winter.

A

TEMPERATE DESERT

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21
Q

a barren area of land where little precipitation
occurs (less than 10%), and living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life.

A

TEMPERATE DESERT

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22
Q

Temperatures are high in the summer and low in the winter. They are found at higher longitudes.

A

TEMPERATE DESERT

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23
Q

CLIMATE (temperate desert)

A
  • The desert’s climate is very hot and also very dry. But most coastal deserts are in moderately cool to warm areas.
  • They usually have very cool winters followed by long, and warm summers.
  • In the summer, the weather heats up to between 12 and 24 degrees Celsius.
  • The temperature in the winter is generally 5 degrees Celsius.
  • Most deserts are usually located in areas near the equator. The weather is not always the same in all deserts.
  • There is also a very low amount of precipitation in the desert. Most deserts receive less than 25 centimeters a year, receiving the least rain in the spring and summer.
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24
Q

LOCATION (temperate desert)

A

Temperate deserts are found in the latitudes between tropical and polar regions.
* They typically have similar aridity and lower temperatures than tropical deserts.

Examples include deserts in North America, such as the Great Basin, and the Atacama Desert in Chile, along with arid regions across Eurasia and China. Often overlooked by mountains, temperate deserts are frequently characterized by a rocky landscape with shrub vegetation and interesting geological features including canyons and hoodoos—tall, generally skinny, and conical-shaped, vertical protrusions of rock.

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25
Q

PLANTS (temperate desert)

A

All plants in a Temperate Desert must
be adapted to the dry conditions.
Common adaptations:
- Reduction of leaves
- A thick waxy cuticle
- Dense coating of hairs
- Extensive underground root system

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26
Q

ANIMALS (temperate desert)

A

The desert is full of animal life, but they spend much of their time hiding.
These animals have many strategies for surviving in the desert:
- Nocturnal lifestyle
- Living in burrows
- Slender bodies with long limbs
- Specialized snouts, waxy body coatings, and efficient kidneys
- Long eyelashes

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27
Q

HUMAN IMPACTS (temperate desert)

A

Recreational use of off-road vehicles is the most
damaging human activity in temperate deserts.

  • It compacts the soil, makes the landscape more
    susceptible to wind, and water erosion. destroys
    vegetation and reduces animal populations
  • Invasion of non-native plants through human-caused habitat destruction displaces native species and increases fire risk
  • Overgrazing by cattle and sheep has led to soil
    compaction, erosion, and the introduction of aggressive nonnative weeds
  • Military exercises cause extensive damage to plants and soil
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28
Q

These deserts are characterized by
cold winters with snowfall and high
overall rainfall throughout the winter
and occasionally over the summer. Also known as the Polar Desert. Antarctica is the Earth’s
largest desert and the Arctic is the second largest. The mean winter temperature is
between -2 to 4 degree Celsius and the
mean summer temperature is between
21-26 degree Celsius

A

Cold Desert

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29
Q

Cold deserts are found in

A

Central Asia, western North America, southeastern South America, Antarctica, and the Arctic.

30
Q

COLD DESERT ANIMALS

A

In the Arctic, many animals are
living on land and in Antarctica,
Wildlife lives entirely in the ocean.
We can find in the Desert animals
like polar fox, lemming brown,
Siberian reindeer, polar foxes and
humpback whale.
All animals are adapted to the
climate with a large fur or fat that
helps keep heat and energy

31
Q

is a type of vegetation where
grasses dominate the cover, often in
environments conducive to their
growth. It has more water than a desert, but not enough to support a forest. Grasses can survive vast temperature changes. (from -25 to 75 degrees Celsius)

A

GRASSLAND

32
Q

GRASSLAND LOCATION

A

Grasslands occur naturally in all
continents except Antarctica and
are found in most ecoregions of the
Earth. Found in every continent in Africa,
America, South America, and Australia.

33
Q

TROPICAL GRASSLAND SEASONS

A

Rainy seasons
Drought seasons

34
Q

GRASSLAND IS CLASSIFIED INTO TWO TYPES:

A

TROPICAL GRASSLAND
TEMPERATE GRASSLAND

35
Q

also known as savanna or veldt, are located between 30ºN and 30ºS of the equator. They
are found in South America, Africa,
Asia, and Australia.

A

TROPICAL GRASSLAND

36
Q

experience temperatures that do not drop below freezing and have distinct wet and dry
seasons. Depending on latitude, the
annual range of temperature can be
between -20°C (-4°F) to 30°C (86°F).

A

TROPICAL GRASSLAND

37
Q

savannas that are caused by soil conditions and are not entirely maintained by fire. These can occur on steep hills or ridges with shallow soil, or in valleys with clay soils that become waterlogged in wet weather.

A

Edaphic savannas

38
Q

Savannas are categorized into three
categories

A

derived, climatic, and edaphic.

39
Q

are ones that are engineered either by humans or elephants through the eating, and removing of vegetation and trees.

A

Derived savannas

40
Q

are when some trees can survive the length of the dry season.

A

Climatic savannas

41
Q

TROPICAL GRASSLAND
RAINFALL/SEASON

A

The average annual Rainfall in savannas is 76.2-
101.6 cm (30-40 inches).
The savanna has both a dry and wet Season.
Seasonal fires are critical to the biodiversity of the savanna.
The start of the dry Season is signaled in October by a series of violent thunderstorms followed by a strong drying wind.
During the dry Season, fires are common around
January. Poachers who want to clear away dead
grass to make it easier to see their prey often start fires in savannas. The fires do not completely destroy the community. The majority of the animals killed in the fires are insects with short lives.

42
Q

TROPICAL GRASSLAND LOCATION

A

Tropical Grasslands of the world near the equator produce plants that can withstand hot weather for the majority of the year, as well as drought and fires.
The African savannas are probably the most well known, but Tropical Grasslands can also be found in South America, India, and Australia.
Even though they are all hot, the annual rainfall
varies. The Australian plains may only receive 18
inches (45.72 centimeters) of rain per year, but
African savannas receive more than 50 inches (127 centimeters).
South America’s llanos and Pantanal are
frequently flooded during a portion of the year.

43
Q

TROPICAL GRASSLAND ANIMALS

A

Although it may appear that Animal life is scarce
on the savanna, it is actually thriving. Elephants,
zebras, wildebeest, giraffes, and other browsers
eat the grasses on Africa’s savannas, which are
then eaten by cheetahs, lions, and other
predators.
Emus and other foragers in Australia rely on hot
Grasslands. Insects, on the other hand, constitute
the majority of Animal life in the savannas. There
are billions of locusts, termites, and flies here.
Zebras prefer fibrous grass, whereas hartebeest
eat plant stalks left by previous foragers. Giraffes
and elephants eat the trees, and carnivorous
Animals hide in the tall grasses before pouncing.

44
Q

TROPICAL GRASSLAND
VEGETATION

A

The savanna soil is porous, allowing water to drain quickly. It only has a thin layer of humus (the organic portion of the soil formed by the partial decomposition of plant or animal matter), which provides nutrients to vegetation.
Savannas are sometimes referred to as forests.
Grass and forbs are the most common types of
vegetation (small, broad-leaved plants that grow with grasses). Because of differences in rainfall and soil conditions, different savannas support different grasses.
Frequent fires and large grazing mammals kill
seedlings, keeping tree and shrub density low.

45
Q

Threats to tropical Grassland

A

Fire - managing fire is very typical because it can be very dangerous and fatal to the lives of every
breathing being. Fire in a forest is way more
troublesome than compared to the cities and villages.
Animal grazing - Animal grazing affects the soil
because when these animals graze, they disturb the soil with their tongue.
Change in the climate - Savanna is expanding its
range in reaction to the visible variation in the climate there, and it is possible that the Grasslands are shifting dramatically and the distribution of vegetation changing.
Clearing of trees - The vegetation in these areas are disturbed by the process of thinning down the trees. There are many techniques used in clearing or cutting down woody plants. Heavy machinery was also used for this process.

46
Q

are
characterized as having grasses as
the dominant vegetation. Trees and
large shrubs are absent.

A

Temperate grasslands

47
Q

LOCATION (temperate grasslands)

A

Argentina, Uruguay – pampas
Australia – downs
Central North America – plains and
prairies
Hungary – puszta
New Zealand – downs
Eurasia-Russia, Ukraine-Asia – steppes
South Africa – veldts

48
Q

CLIMATE (temperate grasslands)

A

Temperate grasslands have a mild
range of temperatures but distinct
seasons. The summers are hot and
winters cold. During summers, the
temperature can be well over 100
degrees Fahrenheit.

The biome receives about 10 – 35
inches of precipitation a year in
the late spring and early summer,
and much of it falls as snow in the
winter.

49
Q

TEMPERATURE
& RAINFALL (temperate grasslands)

A

Seasonal temperature variation may be slight in
tropical grasslands but varies by as much as 40 °C
(72 °F) in temperate grassland areas.

The soil makes the temperate grasslands such an
integral part of human society. It is unusually rich,
fertile, and deep. The world’s most fertile soil is
found in the eastern prairies of the US, the pampas
of South America, and the steppes of Ukraine and
Russia.

The seasons deliver patterns of rainfall that never hit
the extremes of a monsoon, which could wash soil
and vegetation away. The mean annual rainfall in
the North American grassland areas are 300 to 600
millimetres.

50
Q

THREATS TO
TROPICAL
GRASSLAND

A

DECREASED
BIODIVERSITY
OVERGRAZING
SOIL LOSS
FIRE

51
Q

Is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures
and short growing seasons

A

Tundra

52
Q

The term comes from the Finnish word ______,
meaning “treeless plain”. The Arctic tundra, where the average temperature is -30
to 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-34 to -6 degrees Celsius). The Arctic tundra, where the
The average temperature is -30 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-34 to -6 degrees Celsius).

A

Tunturia

53
Q

There are three regions and associated types of tundra:

A

Arctic tundra, Alpine
tundra, and Antarctic tundra.

54
Q

Polar Grasslands (Arctic Tundra)

A

Earth’s land area: 10% Polar
Grasslands.
location: northern hemisphere (Some
main places are Greenland, Canada, and
Alaska).
PRECIPITATION: Snow
SEASON: Winter & Summer
TEMPERATURE: -34°C (AVERAGE WINTER
TEMPERATURE) TO 3-12°C (AVERAGE SUMMER
TEMPERATURE).
two major nutrients: nitrogen and
phosphorus.
Biodiversity: Low
permafrost: permanently frozen
ground.

55
Q

Big areas of land that is covered with trees
and other vegetation.

Depending on the climate, different places in
the world has different types of it.

It is estimated that it covered 1/3 of
the Earth’s surface.
Largest terrestrial Ecosystem.

A

Forest

56
Q

Layers of forest

A

Emergent layer
Canopy layer
Understory layer
Forest floor

57
Q

Types of forest

A

• Temperate Deciduous
Forest
• Cold Northern
Coniferous Forest
• Tropical Forest

58
Q

a biome that has many
deciduous trees which drop their leaves in the fall. It
also called as “Broad leaf - forest” because of the
trees with wide leaves that include oaks, Elm, and
beech.
It is commonly located in the Eastern United States,
Canada, China, Japan, and Europe.

A

Temperate Decidous Forests

59
Q

Climate (Temperate Decidous Forests)

A

Four distinct seasons: Spring, summer, winter, and
autumn (fall)
Temperate deciduous forests have temperatures
ranging from -22°F to 86°F.

The average annual
rainfall is 30 to 60 inches, with added precipitation
falling in the form of snow.

As winter approaches and daylight decreases, the
production of chlorophyll in the leaves slows and
eventually stops, revealing the bright red, yellow and orange colors we associate with fall.

60
Q

Animals (Temperate Deciduous Forests)

A

There are variety of animals that can be
found in temperate decidous forest like
insects, frogs, turtles, and salamanders
in common.
Mammals including porcupine
woodpecker, red fox, and racoon can be
seen in North America decidous forest.
Two way adaptions: Migration and
Hibernation

61
Q

Plants (Temperate Deciduous Forests)

A

Oak Trees
Maple Trees
Birch Trees

62
Q

Also known as ____ or boreal forest.
A forest that grows in regions of the
northern hemisphere with cold
temperatures. Made up mostly of cold
tolerant coniferous species such as spruce
and fir.
The trees have needles instead of
broad leaves, and their seeds grow inside
protective, woody cones.

A

Cold Northern coniferous Forests (TAIGA)

63
Q

location (Taiga)

A

One type of coniferous forest, the
northern boreal forest, is found in 50° to
60°N latitudes.
Another type, temperate coniferous
forests, grows in lower latitudes of North
America, Europe, and Asia, in the high
elevations of mountains.
Most coniferous forests are located in the
Northern Hemisphere, in North America,
Europe, and Asia

64
Q

climate (Taiga)

A

The average temperature in winter is -54°C to -1°C,
while the temperatures in summer are -7°C to
21°C
Summer days are shorter because of the tilt of the
earth on its axis, while winters are longer (up to 6
months with mean temperatures below freezing).
Precipitation is high compared to the other biomes
since a lot of snow falls in the winter and rain in the
summer. The yearly precipitation is 10-30 inches
(25-75 cm.)

65
Q

Animals (Taiga)

A

Moose
Squirrel
Chikadees
Timber Wolf

66
Q

Plants (Taiga)

A

Tamarack
Balsam Fir
Black Spruce
Hemlock

67
Q

Home to more species than any other ecosystem on Earth

A

TROPICAL RAINFORESTS

68
Q

Climate (Tropical Rainforest)

A

Tropical rainforests have warm temperatures and high humidity.

69
Q

Rainfall (Tropical Rainforest)

A

Tropical rainforests typically receive between 1.5 m to 4 m of
rainfall each year.

70
Q

Location (Tropical Rainforest)

A

Tropical rainforests are
found in the equatorial
zone in Central America,
South America, Africa,
Asia and Australia

71
Q

Plants (Tropical Rainforest)

A

Rainforests are a very competitive
place for plants. Trees and other plants
live very close together. That makes
rainforests are very dense in terms of
plants.

Environmental Science (4 decks)

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