Lecture 3 - Ecosystems

Question 1

grassland was dominant between ..-.. years

Answer 1

100,000-11,650 years

-supported heliophile species

Question 2

elm decline was … years ago

likely due to diseases, …, … and cutting trees

as a consequence of a .. and .. climate

Answer 2

7500-5000
Coleoptera, pollarding
cooler, wetter

Question 3

What is pollarding?

Answer 3

Cutting of top branches.

Question 4

Landnam clearances happen when forests are cleared till .. declines

~.. year cycles

Answer 4

productivity, 50

-increase in grassland herbs such as Plantago lanceolata

Question 5

Neolithic clearances happened ..-..Ka

A time of more … deforestation , especially in well-populated areas such as .., .., .., ..

Answer 5

5k-4.1ka
permanent
breckland, wiltshere, dartmoore, SW Cumbria

• Breckland has light dry soils
• Centre of microlithic flint mine industry

Question 6

Bronze age clearances happened ..-..ka

Clearances continued due to .. expansion and .. increase

Answer 6

4.1-2.7ka

agriculture, population

Question 7

iron age clearances happened ..-..ka

Due to arrival of … from Europe with better .. technology

Answer 7

2.7-1.9ka

Celts, farming
-started to get permanent farmland here

Question 8

Grasslands are managed by .. or .., as a consequence grasslandplants have adaptations such as :
.... ..
.. ..
.. ..
... ..
....

Answer 8

grazing, mowing
intercalary meristem
rhizome spread
adpressed growth
low palatibility
ephemeral

Question 9

Intercalaray meristems are only in .. and .., with a meristem present at the .. of each leaf (which the plant can regrow from)

Answer 9

grasses, horsetails

base

Question 10

adpressed growth involves negative …, making it hard for leaves to be .. due to being adpressed

Answer 10

phototrophism

grazed

Question 11

low palatibility includes .., .., .. .. and ..

Answer 11

spines, distastefulness, woody tissues, toxins

Question 12

ephemeral plants exploit .. soil, and grow during times of .. grazing

Answer 12

bare, limited

Question 13

Calcifuge species such as .. .. grow in .. soils

Calcicole species such as .. .. grow in .. soils

Answer 13

Nardus stricta, acid

Scabiosa columbaria, calcareous

Question 14

Festuca ovina grows over a wide .. range

Answer 14

pH

Question 15

Iron, Manganese, Boron, Copper and Zinc are more abundant in .. conditions.

Sulfur, Ca, Mg, Phosphorous and Molybdenum all favour .. conditions

Answer 15

acidic

alkaline

Question 16

Standard soil structure is :
O - ..
A - ..
B - ..
C - ..
R - ..

However Rendzina soil does not have a .. layer

Answer 16

organic
surface
subsoil
substrate
bedrock

Rendzina no Subsoil layer

Question 17

Rendzina soils are typically .. with shallow .. soil directly over ..
The soil has a .. pH and .. fertility

Answer 17

immature, surface, limestone

high, low

Question 18

The main characteristic of limestone grassland is … soil

This soil type tends to be thin due to pure … leaving little .. residue, meaning a deep soil profile can’t form and it tends to get … away

Answer 18

Rendzina
limestone, insoluble, washed

-Limestone grassland is often species rich.

Question 19

Limestone/rendzina soils tend to be present on grassland …, with a pH above .. and containing species such as .. .. and .. ..
These soils have … .. fertility (20 species /m2)

Answer 19

slopes
7
festuca ovina, scabiosa columbaria
very low

Question 20

Podzol soils tend to be present on the .., with a pH below .. and containing species such as .. .., .. .. and .. ..

It has .. fertility (<10 species/m2)

Answer 20

plateau
5
deschampsia flexuosa, calluna vulgaris, festuca ovina

Question 21

Alluvial soils tend to be found at the .. .., with a pH between ..-..
They contain species such as .. .. and .. .. and have .. fertility (5-15 species m2)

Answer 21

valley bottom
5.5-7.5
Urtica dioica
Arrhenatherum elatius
medium

Question 22

limestone grasslands are the most … diverse habitat in the UK, as the soils have some … it prevents dominance of a single species

Answer 22

flouristically

stress

Question 23

Maximum crop + litter = ..

Answer 23

productivity

Question 24

currently in the … epoch

Answer 24

holocene (11650 - modern)

Question 25

slash and burn are … forest clearances

Answer 25

temporary

Question 26

5 peaks of Plantago pollen between the Elm decline and Iron age (..BC) suggest 5 … clearances

Answer 26

500, Landnam

Question 27

Rhizomes allow plants to spread without …, the root stalks providing new nodes for ..

Answer 27

flowers, growth

Question 28

low pH always .. poor as .. species are adapt to grow on them (.. effect)

Answer 28

species, fewer, reservoir

Question 29

Grime’s hump-backed curve summarises .., .., .., .. .. and ….

Answer 29

dominance, stress, disturbance, niche differentiation, colonisation