paper 3- Global Ecosystems

Question 1

what is a biome

Answer 1

large scale ecosystem with a distinctive vegetation

Question 2

Describe tropical forest climate

Answer 2

-hit and wet climate
-same all year round
-hot, temp between 20-28
-high rainfall, 2000mm per year
-12 hours of day light

Question 3

Characteristics of tropical forest

Answer 3

-plants: trees are evergreen, plants grow fast and are adapted to max light
-animals: dense vegetation provides large food variety, different habitats so there are lots of different species e.g. gorillas, monkey etc
-soil: plants shed leaves all year, these decompose fast so constant supply of nutrients in soil

Question 4

Describe the climate of temperature forest

Answer 4

-four distinct seasons
-mild and wet climate
-summers warm
-winter cold
-rainfall very high, 1500mm per year, it rains all year round
-dats short in winter, longer in summer

Question 5

Characteristics of Temperature forest

Answer 5

-plants: cold climate so take longer to grow this mean fewer plant species, leaves drop in autumn
-animals: not a wide range of food and habitats for animals so less different species
-soils: leaves decompose quite quickly this mean the soil is relatively thick and nutrient-rich

Question 6

Describe Taiga (Boreal) forest climate

Answer 6

-climate is dry and cold
-short summer long winter
-temp in summer 10degrees
-rainfall is low around 500mm per year (most snow)
-daylight in summer
-little to no daylight in winter

Question 7

Characteristics of taiga (boreal) forest

Answer 7

-plants: evergreen trees, coniferous trees e.g. pine, fur are common
-animals: few animals species because less food and habitats due to cold climate, animals are adapted to cold climate
-soil: needles form trees decompose slowly, so soil is quite thin, nutrient-poor and acidic

Question 8

Describe the desert climate

Answer 8

-low rainfall less than 250mm per year
-hot and dry
-temp around 45 day to cold at night e.g. 0
-more daylight in summer than winter
-cloudy in winter

Question 9

Characteristics of the desert

Answer 9

-plants: growth is sparse due to lack of rainfall. Little plants species e.g. cacti
-animals: few animals, the animals are adapted to cope with hot climate, e.g. snakes, lizard
-soil: sparse vegetation this mean little leaf litter, dry climate means slow decomposition so soil is thin and nutrient poor

Question 10

Describe tundra climate

Answer 10

-cold dry climate
-temp are low in summer 5-10 degrees and in winter Lower then -30 degrees
-low rainfall, less than 250mm per year (mostly snow)
-little daylight in summer (mostly clouds) and in winter no daylight

Question 11

Characteristics of tundra

Answer 11

-plants: cold, lack of light this makes it hard for plants to grow, hardly any trees, vegetation includes mosses, grasses etc
-animals: few species, lots of birds, adapted to cold
-soil: sparse vegetation mean little leaf litter, decomposition is slow so soil is think and nutrient-poor

Question 12

Describe tropical grassland climate

Answer 12

-low rainfall, 800-900mm per year
-distinct wet and dry seasons
-temp are high before wet season, 35 degrees and 15degrees before dry season
-lot of sunshine

Question 13

Characteristics of tropical grassland

Answer 13

-plants: grass, shrub and small plants, a couple of scattered trees
-animals: lots of animals e.g. lions , grasshopper, elephant etc
-soil: grass dies back in dry season causing a thin, nutrient-rich soil, nutrients are washes out during wet season

Question 14

Describe the climate of temperature grassland

Answer 14

-hot summer up to 40 degrees and cold winter down to to -40 degrees
-200-250mm of rainfall per year, mostly in late spring early summer
-daylight varies through the year