unit B Flashcards
tropical rainforest
20-25 degrees C
100-200 inches of precipitation
dominant vegetation : vines, orchids, palm trees
dominant animals: monkeys, insects parrots frogs
tundra
20 cm precipitation
-15°c to 5°c
plants have short life cycle
hours of sunlight varies
taiga
40-100cm (mostly snow)
4°c to 14°c
large conifer trees, mostly snow, birds migrate
animals hibernate
grassland
25-57cm 4°c to 30°c lots of food few trees includes prairie and savannah
rainforest
> 200cm
25°c to 30°c
vines, big trees, monkeys,
most diverse biome
deciduous trees
75-150cm,
14°c to 27°c
trees loose leaves in fall
distinct summer and winter seasons
desert
<25cm
12° -27°
very little plant life
night time is cool compared to the day
biomes
the worlds major communities classified according to the predominant vegetation and characterized by adaptations of organisms to that particular environment
south equator grassland is
savannah
fastest changing biome
tundra
fastest changing biome
tundra
how do most animals obtain nutrients and energy
eating plants or other animals
area with the warmest climate
rainforest
the desert is cool during the night, so that brings down the average temperature
biome with least amount of precipitation
tundra
temperature greatest to least
Rainforest, desert, grassland, deciduous forest, taiga, tundra
temperature greatest to least
Rainforest, desert, grassland, deciduous forest, taiga, tundra
invasive species
a species that is not native to a specific area, but is very well adapted to a particular niche
invasive species
a species that is not native to a specific area, but is very well adapted to a particular niche
native species
a species that originates and has developed in a specific area
ecological niche
Role for an organism in an ecosystem, that allows it to be sustainable
why are invasive species so dangerous
Invasive species throw off the natural harmony that exists in an ecosystem, buy creating competition for food and space, and attracting even more invasive species along with them
higher ecological niche means …
higher biodiversity
ecotone
overlapping area between 2 ecosystems
transitional area
-act as a buffer or protection
example of an ecotone
wetlands, act as a buffer to a river or body of water, filtering and stopping all bad chemicals
lake zones
LLPB littoral limnetic profoundal benthos
littoral
shoreline, where the water reaches the bank
-holds the most plantlife (seaweed) due to high sunlight penetration
limnetic
slightly deeper, open water
-slight sunlight, with lots of algae
profundal
area beneath limnetic, no sunlight reaches
-no plants, no sunlight
benthos
bottom of the lake, no vegetation
lake stratification
layers based on temperature, top down
-depends on seasons
epilimnion (lake stratification)
very warm in summer, very cold in the winter
-top! epic!
thermocline (lake stratification)
transitional area, changes in temperature from top zone to bottom
hypolimmion (lake stratification)
cold in summer, warmer in winter
-very bottom of the lake
common factors of water quality
- chemicals
- temperature
- sunlight
- water pressure
what does water quality determine
what can all exist in the water
-amounts of vegetation and organisms
physical properties of ‘good’ water
biological diversity, water movement, clear and cold
ways to test water quality
- pH
- oxygen levels
- turbidity
- temperature
- nitrates
- bioindicators
dissolved oxygen
above 8ppm is good, the higher the better
-most important thing for good water quality
eutrophication
process when oligtrophic turns inot a eutrophic lake
“death of a lake”
-due to addition phosphates and nitrates
pH (water quality)
determines what can survive
-having a pH of 7 is ideal, anything higher or lower is too acidic or basic for life
coliform bacteria
high coliform means there is sewage problem inside the lake, pollution and bacteria
(poor water quality)
high temperature means,,
low dissolved oxygen
BOD (biological oxygen demand)
the amount of dissolved oxygen used by decomposers
high BOD - probably a highly populated and diverse lake, means there is less dissolved oxygen for other organisms
turbidity
clearness in the water of lakes
high turbidity - unclean water, less access to sunlight, warmer water conditions, allows shelter for pathogen
temperature
low dissolved oxygen, and high turbidity
-less life can survive in warmer water
nitrates and phosphates
too much of nitrates and phosphates means an out of control plant life, which leads to high levels of BOD
-at some point there will be a water quality problem, just not right away
bioindicators
number and variety of organisms
-certain sensitive organisms that only exist in very good water quality
water movement
the more movement in water the better, as it allows for oxygen to be dissolved easier into water
difference in water during the day and night
more oxygen in the day, due to sunlight and photosynthesis
less oxygen during the night, as plants go through respiration
in clean water (pop vs variety)
population is high
variety is low
eutrophic lake
common in alberta, shallow murky water
-lots of sediment buildup, warmer and more plant life
increase in temperature means
decrease in density
density water exception
water has different density properties
-gets warmer particles speed up getting further and further away
importance of water density
as water freezes top down, fish are able to survive underneath the top layer of ice
lake turnover takes place at
4 degrees celcius (highest density of water)
litter
the top layer of soil, composed of decomposed grass and leaves
topsoil
very rich, containing organic soil
- allows plants to grow
- soil beneath the litter
subsoil
not great for growing, filled with clay and rocks
bedrock
very deep down depending on location
- very strong
- useful for house foundations
humus
specfically the organic compound of soil, formed with decomposed things
permafrost
frozen soil
-frozen all the time
muskeg
in the taiga biome
climatographs
average temperature and precipitation
-determines what grows and lives
canopy
top layer of vegetation in a forest
understory
below the canopy layer
-shrubs and small trees
climatograph of biomes
temperature and precipatation
-gives a range of the average (no months involved)
scale of classification
individual -> species -> population -> community -> ecosystem -> biome -> biosphere
species
all individuals that can interbreed naturally to produce fertile offspring
habitat
enviroment/place where organisms grow
abiotic factors
sunlight, pH, water
biotic factors
competition, disease
estuary
area where fresh water and salt water meet
rescource partitioning
multiple similar species sharing a niche
- able to ‘work it out’ and function together
- avoids competition
hypolimnion
lower level of stratification, which remans cool year round
watershed
area of land that seperates water flowing to different bodies of water
