Paper 1: The Living World: Biomes + Ecosystems Flashcards
Eg of small scale food chain
-shrubs
-insects
-mouse
-owl
food web and food chain difference
-food chain = 1 transfer of energy
-food web = many food chains of energy transfer
Nutrient cycle - inputs
-rain
-weathering of parent rock
Nutrient cycle - outputs
-surface runoff
-leaching
Nutrient cycle - store
-litter
-soil
-biomass
Nutrient cycle - flow
-littering
-decomposition
-plant uptake
nutrient cycle
the circulation of nutrients between biotic and abiotic elements,
decomposer
An organism which eats dead organisms,
-breaks them down into simpler materials.
primary consumer
The name given to an organism that eats a producer. A herbivore.
secondary consumer
An organism that obtains its energy by eating the primary consumer.
outline how nutrient cycle works
-weathering of parent rock
-flow = plant uptake or output = surface runoff
trophic level
The position of an organism in a food chain, food web or pyramid.
why does not all biomass get transferred to another animal in a food chain
-not all of the matter eaten by an organism is digested.
how much biomass is passed on to each trophic level
10%
-the total amount becomes very small after only a few levels.
biome
An ecosystem on a global scale
why do biomes vary
the latitude affects the climatic conditions needed for an ecosystem
Describe the distribution of the tropical rainforest biome (3)
-Most tropical rainforest is found between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn (1).
- For example, there is a large area of rainforest in the north of South America (1).
-There is some rainforest found along the north coast of Oceania (1
Tundra
found near the North and South poles. Very few plants and animals can survive here.
Taiga (coniferous forest)
found in Scandinavia, Russia and Canada. Evergreen trees thrive in this cool temperate climate.
Temperate deciduous forest -
found across Europe and in the USA.
-These trees lose their leaves every year and thrive in mild and wet conditions known as a temperate maritime climate.
Temperate grassland
-found in Hungary, South Africa, Argentina and the USA.
-Consists of grass and trees
- thrive in a temperate continental climate of moderate rainfall and mild conditions.
Chaparral or evergreen hardwood (Mediterranean)
- found around the Mediterranean Sea, around Perth and Melbourne in Australia and California in the USA.
Desert
found near the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
Conditions here are very hot and dry. Plants and animals are specially adapted to survive in the harsh conditions.
Tropical rainforest
found near the Equator.
The climate is hot and humid and many different species can be found here
