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
What does SAC mean
Special Area of Conservation
26
9 types of UK woodland
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
27
Describe a Traditional orchard
Open grown fruit trees set in herbaceous vegetation Defined by structure and management
28
Describe wood pasture and parkland woodland What maintains these habitats
Mosaic habitat with veteran and ancient trees Maintained by grazers which diversify ground fungi
29
Describe an upland oakwood woodland Where is it found What type ofweather is preferred
Dominated by (sessile) oak and birch N and W of UK Damper weather preferred
30
What is the history of lowland Beech and Yew woodland Where is it found What is the growth of beech like
Historically managed as coppice S and E UK Beech is a shaded tree as the leaves don’t drop when they die
31
Describe the soil in upland mixed ashwood woodland Where are they found What is the biodiversity like What plant species dominates
Base rich soils - limestone, chalk, calcerous (high pH) N and W High Ash
32
Describe the soil in wet woodland What trees (3) are present
Poorly drained or seasonally wet soils Alder, birch and willows
33
Which woodland habitat is often ancient
Lowland mixed deciduous
34
What 2 trees are often found in lowland mixed deciduous woodland
Oak and ash
35
What are the soils like in upland birchwood woodlands Where are they found
Acidic soils (Birch can tolerate poorer soils and higher altitude) N of UK, mostly Scotland
36
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
Self sown Scots Pine Infertile leached podzolic soil Low Crossbill birds which feed on he pine
37
What type of plant dominates grassland habitats
Graminoid species
38
Name 3 graminoid groups
Poaceae - grasses Cyperaceae - sedges Juncaceae - rushes
39
Where in the UK are grasslands most abundant
Wales due to increased rainfall
40
What would happen to grassland habitats without human impact
They would all become woodlands
41
How are grasslands considered in conservation and why
Priority - provide home to host of highly speciealised plants and animals
42
How many grassland habitats are listed in the UK BAP
6
43
6 types of UK grasslands
Purple moor grass and rush pastures Lowland dry acid grassland Lowland calcerous grassland Lowland meadows Upland hay meadows Calaminarian grassland
44
What is the most abundant type of grassland in the UK
Purple moor grass and rush pastures
45
What is the soil in purple moor grass and rush pastures like Where are they found
Poor draining In the West
46
What is the soil type in lowland dry acid grassland
Acid rocks, sand or gravel or heavily leached soil
47
What does lowland calcerous grassland grow on how many species are found per square metre
chalk or limestone 40-50
48
What type of soil are lowland meadows found on What is their distribution
Neutral soils Small and isolated fragments
49
Where are upland hay meadows found What is its lifecycle
Upland fringes of N England and Scotland Grazed in Winter by cattle, cattle removed to allow growth over summer, cut to produce hay
50
What type of soil do calaminarian grasslands form on
Metalliferous soils - soils high in metal (where there has previously been alot of mining)
51
What kind of soil does heathalnd grow on
Acidic, dry sanfy or wet peaty
52
What plant symbolises the prescence of heathland
Dwarf-shrubs (arecoid shrubs)
53
Give some exaples od arecoid / dwarf shrubs
Heather, gorse, bilberry, cowberry and crowberry
54
Over what time period do heathalnds form
20-25 years
55
What are the names and time period for each of the 3 heather stages
Pioneer heather ~5 years Building heather ~ 15 years Mature heather ~ 25 years
56
What process is carried out to prevent mature heather forming
Burning of heathland
57
What is the conservation status of heathland
Priority for nature conservation Rare and threatened habitat
58
How is lowland heathland considered in UK BAP
Priority habitat
59
How many lowland heathland habitats are under UK BAP
7
60
What percentage of lowland heathland is the UK responsible for out of Europe
20%
61
How many of the 6 species of UK reptile are found in heathland
All 6
62
Roughly how many invertebrate species rely on heathland
5000
63
What are the 7 types of heathland
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
What is the soil like in dry and humid heath Is there gourse
Freely draining, nutrient poor, acidic Yes
65
What species dominates in eastern continental dry heath Is there gourse
Heather No
66
Where is SW oceanic dry heath found What plants are present
SW England and S Wales Diverse heather species
67
Where are central warm oceanic heaths found What plants are found there
Low altitudes in warm oceanic parts of S Britain Common heather and gorse
68
Where is uplad transitional cool oceanic heath found What is its most common type of heath
N and W Britain Calluna vulgaris-Erica cinerea
69
Where does coastal dry heath form How high does the heath grow
Sea cliffs around UK inc. Gower Low-growing
70
What is the osil like in wet heath What sare some of the key species
Acidic, nutrient poor, shallow peat/sandy, impeded drainage Heather, bilberry, purple moor-grass, Sphagnum spp.
71
What proportion of the UK is wetlands
1.3%
72
What is the pH of wetlands, what is the nutrience like
Very acidic and nutrient-poor
73
What is the difference between bogs and fens
Bogs are only fed by rainwater
74
What type of soil do fens grow on
Peat - peaty or mineral soils
75
What water sources are fens fed by
Groundwater and surface run off
76
What is the biodiversity of fens
High
77
What is the biggest threat do wetlands
Being drained for development
78
What are some animals specialised for wetlands
Great crested newt, common toad, water vole, fenraft spider
79
What are the 4 types of wetland habitat
Lowland raised bog Lowland fen Poor fens Rich fens
80
What does ombrotrophic mean and which of the wetland habitats does this apply to
Rain-fed Lowland raised bog
81
What accumulates in lowland raised bogs What is the soil like What plants does this soil type encourage and why
Peat accumulation Very acidic, nutrient-poor, poorly drained Carnivorous plants as they can acheive their nitrogen from organic sources
82
Is a lowland fen always waterlogged Where do the nutrients come from How much peat is present and why
Must at least be periodically waterlogged Ground water and rain water Little peat as decom[psition rates are high
83
What water feeds poor fens What is the fertility Where are they found What is the species diversity like, what species is likely present
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
What water feeds rich fens Where are they found What is the diversity of species like Which plants are likely to be present
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
By what percentage did urban environments increase between 1990-2019
30%