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BIO232 Plant Ecology > L11 Temperate Biomes > Flashcards

L11 Temperate Biomes Flashcards

1
Q

What is the climax community in the UK

A

Temperate deciduous forests

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2
Q

Where are temperate deciduous forests found
Are there more in the Northern or Southern hemisphere

A

Above and below Capricorn and Cancer
More in Northern hemisphere

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3
Q

What are the characteristics of a deciduous forest climate

A

Cold and wet winters
Warm, slightly drier summers

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4
Q

What is the minimum annual rainfall in a deciduous forest

A

500-750mm

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5
Q

When did the soils of temperate deciduous forests form

A

Since last glaciation

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6
Q

Where would Welsh temperate rainforests have dominated

A

West coast

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7
Q

What trees could you expect to find in temperate deciduous forests

A

Oak, maple, beech, chesnut, elm, linden, walnut

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8
Q

Why do temperate deciduous forests have species from the dry tropical forest lineage

A

Frost tolerant bark

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9
Q

What trees are from the dry tropical forest lineage, what is the name for the group

A

Furgails
Oak, maple and beech

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10
Q

What is the soil of temperate deciduous forests like

A

Mull soils
High level of organic matter from leaf litter
High decomposition rates

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11
Q

What tree would dominate on shallow chalk soil

A

European beech (Fagus sylvatica)

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12
Q

What tree would dominate on deeper clay soils

A

Oak

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13
Q

How does the structural layering of temperate deciduous forests compare to dry tropical, boreal and rainforests

A

More structural layers than dry tropical and boreal
Less than rainforests

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14
Q

What are the vertical layers of temperate deciduous forests

A

Canopy layer
Shrub layer / subcanopy
Herbaceous / field layer
Ground layer

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15
Q

What effects can seasonality have

A

Changes in light availability, resources (food, shelter)

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16
Q

What happens to leaves in autumn

A

Chlorophyll is broken down
Nutrients are withdrawn

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17
Q

Are yellow and red leaves still photosynthesising

A

Yes, just using pigments other than chlorophyll

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18
Q

What causes leaves to fall

A

A change in structure of the petiole

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19
Q

Are the pigments of yellow and red leaves added after chlorophyll breaks down

A

No, the pigments are already present, but with the chlorophyll green pigment removed, they are now visible

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20
Q

What causes yellow pigment

A

Carotenoids and flavonoids

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21
Q

What causes orange pigment

A

Carotenoids - B-carotene

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22
Q

What causes red pigments

A

Anthocyanins and carotenoids

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23
Q

When is anthocyanin synthesised

A

Onset of autumn, not actually present the whole time like the carotenoids that produce yellow and orange

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24
Q

What is the season of dormacy

A

Winter

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25
Q

Why does the herbaceous layer form in Spring

A

The canopy is open (light availability) and temperatures are warm

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26
Q

What occurs in trees during spring

A

Sap rises from roots to branches
Some trees flower before leaf flush e.g. Maple, hazel, hawthron

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27
Q

What nutrients are found in young leaves

A

High in phosphorous and nitrogen

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28
Q

Why do insects appear in spring

A

Hatching of larvae is coordinated with nutrient rich time of leaves

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29
Q

Explain phenological mismatch in deciduous woodlands

A

Some plants change their phenology to bloom sooner (plasticity) as a result of climate change
Insects are less plastic so can’t adapt and miss out on nutrient rich period of herbaceous plants

30
Q

What kind of mismatch is the phenological mismatch occuring in deciduous woodlands as a result of climate change

A

Temporal

31
Q

What may arise as a result of this temporal mismatch

A

Increase in invasive species which then have resource not previously available

32
Q

What changes occur in summer

A

Canopy layer becomes denser

33
Q

What is the negative implication of being a seasonal cyclic tree
Why does it still occur

A

Expends large amounts of energy
Proccess only beneficial in regions with long growing seasons

34
Q

Name some animals of temperate forests

A

Badgers
Bats
Squirrel
Owls
Bears
Birds

35
Q

Where are boreal forests found

A

North of temperate deciduous forests
None in Southern hemisphere

36
Q

What proportion of the Earths surface is covered by boreal forest

A

8%

37
Q

What proportion of the Earths surface is covered by boreal forest

A

8%

38
Q

What are the climatic conditions in boreal forests

A

Long cold winters
Short warm summers
Low precipitation

39
Q

What is species diversity like in boreal forests

A

Low

40
Q

What trees are found in boreal forests
Why do they have lower diversity

A

Coniferous spruce, fir, pine, larch
Gymnosperms - lower diversity than angiosperms due to shorter radiation period
Sometimes an understory of broad-leaved Alder, birch and aspen

41
Q

What is prodocutivity like in boreal forests and why

A

Low productivity and slow decomposition as it is cold and dry

42
Q

What type of soils are in boreal forests
What can accumulate

A

Acidic soil
Peat accumulation (carbon sinks)

43
Q

What are the threats to boreal forests

A

Logging
Oil and gas extraction
Mining

44
Q

What is the soil in boreal forests like

A

Young and shallow
Leaf litter composed of conifer needles

45
Q

What is the mineral content of boreal forest soil like and why
What forms as a result and what can this be called

A

Acidic water washes away major mineral components
Leaves powdery layer of silicon oxide soils - podzol or spodosol

46
Q

What colour is the B horizon of boreal forest soil and why

A

Reddish colour due to iron and lack of humus

47
Q

What is the fertility of boreal forest soils like and why

A

Low fertility
Due to leaching from acidic soils and low decomposition rates from leaf litter

48
Q

What is the vegetation structure in boreal forests

A

A single layer - the tree canopy
Ground layer of lichen or moss
Can be low shrubs and scattered herbs depending on disturbance regime or successional process

49
Q

How does succession work in boreal forests

A

No classic succession
Shifting mosaic of plant comunities existing in response to fire, soil moisture, permafrost depth, organic layer and nutrient depletion

50
Q

Fires and carbon dioxide in boreal forest

A

Boreal forests exist as a carbon sink
Fire releases large amounts of carbon dioxide through biomass burning
Charred soils have decreased reflectivity, absorb more solar energy, increase soil temp, depth of thaw and decompostion rate
Regrowth varies, deciduous species may dominate where the organic layer burned
Gradually, evergreen species insulate surface and thaw layer decreases

51
Q

Fires and carbon dioxide in boreal forest

A

Boreal forests exist as a carbon sink
Fire releases large amounts of carbon dioxide through biomass burning
Charred soils have decreased reflectivity, absorb more solar energy, increase soil temp, depth of thaw and decompostion rate
Regrowth varies, deciduous species may dominate where the organic layer burned
Gradually, evergreen species insulate surface and thaw layer decreases

52
Q

What is paludification
What occurs in boreal forests following this

A

Succession in the abscence of life
Eventually ocygen in the soil becomes too low and the roots starve, killing the trees
Area becomes covered in moss or peat bog

53
Q

How does evergreen growth benefit boreal trees

A

Photosynthesis can occur all year, takes advantage of anytime when growing is possible

54
Q

Adaptations of evergreen plants

A

Needles are very dark green for maximum absorption of solar radiation
And increases leaf temperature in microclimate which increases photosynthesis rates
Narrow shape and size of lead reduces surface area, minimising water loss
Somata is sunken within leaf - sheltered

55
Q

What is the drawback of the evergreen stratergy

A

Constant exposure increases risk of being damaged

56
Q

Animals found in boreal forests

A

Wolves
Grazers
Cross-hatch

57
Q

What are 2 types of tundra

A

Arctic
Alpine - above 60˚ latitude

58
Q

What is the climate in tundra biomes

A

Lack summer warmth entirely
Growth only occurs during breif cool summer
Months of bitter cold

59
Q

Are there trees, why

A

Cold temperatures restrict woody growth so treeless

60
Q

What is the diversity like in tundras

A

Low

61
Q

What plants can be found in tundras

A

Highly specialised, endemics
Grasses and sedges
Shrubs where there is snow
Mosses and lichens

62
Q

Which tundra has highest diversity

A

Alpine tundra (mountains)

63
Q

What is the climate in Arctic tundras

A

2-6 months of complete darkness
Average winter temperature of -35˚C

64
Q

What is the climate like in alpine tundra

A

More variable than Arctic
Intense radiation on mountain tops
-12˚C to 10˚C
Cold and dry
Temperature fluctuations between day and night
Precipitation 300mm per year (low)

65
Q

What are soils like in alpine tundra

A

Course, rocky, well drained
Deep moist peats remain wet in summer as drainage is impeded by permafrost = tundra bog

66
Q

What are the dominant vascular plants in tundras

A

Perennial herbs and dwarf shrubs
Many semi-evergreen
No pterophytes as they may not get the temperature for germination

67
Q

What are some adaptations of tundra plants

A

Grow close to surface in dense mats and cushions
Pubescent (hairy)
Vegetative

68
Q

What name is given to the wat flowers move in tundras and why is this beneficial

A

Heliotrophic flower movement
Favours seed maturation

69
Q

Why are many tundra species vegetative

A

High metabolic cost of seed production and uncertainty of seedline recruitment

70
Q

What type of root growth do tundra plants have and why

A

Lateral root growth due to low soil temperatures and undeveloped soil

71
Q

Animal life in tundras

A

Many vertebrates - small rodents, hares, caribou, musk oxen, mountain goats, migratory birds
Alpine marmots, pika and ungulates

BIO232 Plant Ecology (15 decks)

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