Paper 1 - Ecosystem and components Flashcards
ecosystem definition
An ecological concept defining the relationships between a set of living objects and the attributes of those objects
biome definition
a large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat, e.g. forest or tundra.
Large-scale ecosystem
trophic levels
relating to feeding and nutrition
nutrient cycling
the cycle of biological and chemical elements and compounds in specific patterns through substances in an ecosystem; the uptake, use, release, and storage of nutrients by plants and their environments.
nutrients are stored in
biomass, litter, soil
nutrient diagram
types of biomes
Tropical rainforests - warm, moist
Tundra - cold, moist
Temperate deciduous forests - warmish, moist
deserts - warm, dry
carniferous forests - cold, moist
mediterranian - middle, fairly moist
temperate grassland - middle, fairly moist
Savanah grassland - warm, fairly moist
distribution of rainforests
occuring in a band around tropic of capricorn and the tropic of cancer
climate of tropical rainforests
humid due to much rainfall there is
temp varies little
25-30*C
why is TRF soil usually poor quality
Nutrient cycle
most of the nutrients are stored in the plants. Dead organic matter falls to the ground providing valuable nutrients for new growth
permafrost region
flora +fauna somewhat sparse
seasonal change is minimal
biogeochemical feedback loop
where gases stored are released from permafrost
