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BIO232 Plant Ecology > L5 UK Habitats > Flashcards

L5 UK Habitats Flashcards

1
Q

What is a biome and how is it classified

A

World vegetation formation classified according to structure

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2
Q

What is a habitat

A

Natural environment in which an organism / group of organisms live / complete their life cycle

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3
Q

On what scale is a biome

A

Global

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4
Q

On what scale is a habitat

A

Regional or local

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5
Q

How is vegetation dynamic

A

Vegetation shows patterns in shapes and colour which can change with ecological succession or disturbance

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6
Q

What is ht vegetation hierarchy (4 levels)

A

Site
Habitat
Community
Population

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7
Q

What biome is the UK

A

Temperate woodland biome

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8
Q

Is British flora of recent or ancient origin

A

Recent

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9
Q

What 2 places to native S Wales species come from

A

Mediterranean and Arctic

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10
Q

How much of the UK is farmland

A

52%

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11
Q

How much of the UK is woodland

A

13%

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12
Q

How much of the UK is mountin, moorland and heath, and what is the trend in this

A

11% and decreasing

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13
Q

How much of the UK is semi-natural grasslands

A

10%

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14
Q

What is the UK BAP and when was it established

A

UK Biodiversity Action Plan
1994

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15
Q

What does the UK BAP entail

A

Describes biological resources in the UK and provide detailed conservation plans for these resources
Action plans for most threatened species and habitats

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16
Q

What is the name of the second UK government biodiversity plan

A

UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework

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17
Q

4 main habitats of the UK

A

Woodlands
Grasslands
Heathland
Wetland

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18
Q

What is the canopy of a woodland habitat like

A

Closed

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19
Q

What is the climax community in the UK

A

Woodlands

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20
Q

How is woodland structure stratified

A

It has structural heterogeneity - different species exist at different heights

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21
Q

What effect do temporal variations have on biodiversity

A

Encourage biodiversity

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22
Q

How much of UK woodland can be considered ancient

A

2.5%

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23
Q

What are the requirments to be an Ancient Woodland

A

Continually wooded since 1600AD
Have Ancient woodland indicator species

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24
Q

What does SSSI mean

A

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

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25
Q

What does SAC mean

A

Special Area of Conservation

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26
Q

9 types of UK woodland

A

Traditional orchards
Wood pasture and parkland
Upland oakwood
Lowland beech and yew woodland
Upland mixed ashwood
Wet woodland
Lowland mixed deciduous
Upland birchwood
Native pine

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27
Q

Describe a Traditional orchard

A

Open grown fruit trees set in herbaceous vegetation
Defined by structure and management

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28
Q

Describe wood pasture and parkland woodland
What maintains these habitats

A

Mosaic habitat with veteran and ancient trees
Maintained by grazers which diversify ground fungi

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29
Q

Describe an upland oakwood woodland
Where is it found
What type ofweather is preferred

A

Dominated by (sessile) oak and birch
N and W of UK
Damper weather preferred

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30
Q

What is the history of lowland Beech and Yew woodland
Where is it found
What is the growth of beech like

A

Historically managed as coppice
S and E UK
Beech is a shaded tree as the leaves don’t drop when they die

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31
Q

Describe the soil in upland mixed ashwood woodland
Where are they found
What is the biodiversity like
What plant species dominates

A

Base rich soils - limestone, chalk, calcerous (high pH)
N and W
High
Ash

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32
Q

Describe the soil in wet woodland
What trees (3) are present

A

Poorly drained or seasonally wet soils
Alder, birch and willows

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33
Q

Which woodland habitat is often ancient

A

Lowland mixed deciduous

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34
Q

What 2 trees are often found in lowland mixed deciduous woodland

A

Oak and ash

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35
Q

What are the soils like in upland birchwood woodlands
Where are they found

A

Acidic soils (Birch can tolerate poorer soils and higher altitude)
N of UK, mostly Scotland

36
Q

What plant species domiates native pine woodland
What is the soil like
What is the diversity like
Name a species that depends on this habitat

A

Self sown Scots Pine
Infertile leached podzolic soil
Low
Crossbill birds which feed on he pine

37
Q

What type of plant dominates grassland habitats

A

Graminoid species

38
Q

Name 3 graminoid groups

A

Poaceae - grasses
Cyperaceae - sedges
Juncaceae - rushes

39
Q

Where in the UK are grasslands most abundant

A

Wales due to increased rainfall

40
Q

What would happen to grassland habitats without human impact

A

They would all become woodlands

41
Q

How are grasslands considered in conservation and why

A

Priority - provide home to host of highly speciealised plants and animals

42
Q

How many grassland habitats are listed in the UK BAP

A

6

43
Q

6 types of UK grasslands

A

Purple moor grass and rush pastures
Lowland dry acid grassland
Lowland calcerous grassland
Lowland meadows
Upland hay meadows
Calaminarian grassland

44
Q

What is the most abundant type of grassland in the UK

A

Purple moor grass and rush pastures

45
Q

What is the soil in purple moor grass and rush pastures like
Where are they found

A

Poor draining
In the West

46
Q

What is the soil type in lowland dry acid grassland

A

Acid rocks, sand or gravel or heavily leached soil

47
Q

What does lowland calcerous grassland grow on
how many species are found per square metre

A

chalk or limestone
40-50

48
Q

What type of soil are lowland meadows found on
What is their distribution

A

Neutral soils
Small and isolated fragments

49
Q

Where are upland hay meadows found
What is its lifecycle

A

Upland fringes of N England and Scotland
Grazed in Winter by cattle, cattle removed to allow growth over summer, cut to produce hay

50
Q

What type of soil do calaminarian grasslands form on

A

Metalliferous soils - soils high in metal (where there has previously been alot of mining)

51
Q

What kind of soil does heathalnd grow on

A

Acidic, dry sanfy or wet peaty

52
Q

What plant symbolises the prescence of heathland

A

Dwarf-shrubs (arecoid shrubs)

53
Q

Give some exaples od arecoid / dwarf shrubs

A

Heather, gorse, bilberry, cowberry and crowberry

54
Q

Over what time period do heathalnds form

A

20-25 years

55
Q

What are the names and time period for each of the 3 heather stages

A

Pioneer heather ~5 years
Building heather ~ 15 years
Mature heather ~ 25 years

56
Q

What process is carried out to prevent mature heather forming

A

Burning of heathland

57
Q

What is the conservation status of heathland

A

Priority for nature conservation
Rare and threatened habitat

58
Q

How is lowland heathland considered in UK BAP

A

Priority habitat

59
Q

How many lowland heathland habitats are under UK BAP

A

7

60
Q

What percentage of lowland heathland is the UK responsible for out of Europe

A

20%

61
Q

How many of the 6 species of UK reptile are found in heathland

A

All 6

62
Q

Roughly how many invertebrate species rely on heathland

A

5000

63
Q

What are the 7 types of heathland

A

Dry and humif heath
Eastern continental dry heath
SW oceanic dry heath
Central warm oceanic heath
Upland transitional (sub-montane) cool oceanic heath
Coastal dry heath
Wet heath

64
Q

What is the soil like in dry and humid heath
Is there gourse

A

Freely draining, nutrient poor, acidic
Yes

65
Q

What species dominates in eastern continental dry heath
Is there gourse

A

Heather
No

66
Q

Where is SW oceanic dry heath found
What plants are present

A

SW England and S Wales
Diverse heather species

67
Q

Where are central warm oceanic heaths found
What plants are found there

A

Low altitudes in warm oceanic parts of S Britain
Common heather and gorse

68
Q

Where is uplad transitional cool oceanic heath found
What is its most common type of heath

A

N and W Britain
Calluna vulgaris-Erica cinerea

69
Q

Where does coastal dry heath form
How high does the heath grow

A

Sea cliffs around UK inc. Gower
Low-growing

70
Q

What is the osil like in wet heath
What sare some of the key species

A

Acidic, nutrient poor, shallow peat/sandy, impeded drainage
Heather, bilberry, purple moor-grass, Sphagnum spp.

71
Q

What proportion of the UK is wetlands

A

1.3%

72
Q

What is the pH of wetlands, what is the nutrience like

A

Very acidic and nutrient-poor

73
Q

What is the difference between bogs and fens

A

Bogs are only fed by rainwater

74
Q

What type of soil do fens grow on

A

Peat - peaty or mineral soils

75
Q

What water sources are fens fed by

A

Groundwater and surface run off

76
Q

What is the biodiversity of fens

A

High

77
Q

What is the biggest threat do wetlands

A

Being drained for development

78
Q

What are some animals specialised for wetlands

A

Great crested newt, common toad, water vole, fenraft spider

79
Q

What are the 4 types of wetland habitat

A

Lowland raised bog
Lowland fen
Poor fens
Rich fens

80
Q

What does ombrotrophic mean and which of the wetland habitats does this apply to

A

Rain-fed
Lowland raised bog

81
Q

What accumulates in lowland raised bogs
What is the soil like
What plants does this soil type encourage and why

A

Peat accumulation
Very acidic, nutrient-poor, poorly drained
Carnivorous plants as they can acheive their nitrogen from organic sources

82
Q

Is a lowland fen always waterlogged
Where do the nutrients come from
How much peat is present and why

A

Must at least be periodically waterlogged
Ground water and rain water
Little peat as decom[psition rates are high

83
Q

What water feeds poor fens
What is the fertility
Where are they found
What is the species diversity like, what species is likely present

A

Acid water (pH <5)
Low to moderate fertility
In uplands or in association with lowland heath
Species-poor, high cover of Sphagnum bog mosses

84
Q

What water feeds rich fens
Where are they found
What is the diversity of species like
Which plants are likely to be present

A

Alkaline, mineral enriched, calcerous water (pH >5)
Confined to lowlands
Species-rich
Mosses moxed in with vascular plants - Carex sedges, butterbean and marsh marigold

85
Q

By what percentage did urban environments increase between 1990-2019

A

30%

BIO232 Plant Ecology (15 decks)

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