Terrestrial Ecosystems Flashcards
What influences the Abundance and Diversity that can be supported?
The Abiotic (Physical Properties) of the environment, and Chemical Properties of the soil Biotic factors like the bacterial & plant communities also affect the type of animal community that can be supported
What are the four levels of Forest Structure?
Emergent Layer
Dry/ish, windy
Canopy
Drier, lots of food, sunny & productive
Understory
Some light, warmer, still damp
Forest Floor
Cool, damp, dark (big stuff & Decomposers/Detritivores)Soil
Foundation of terrestrial ecosystems & reservoir for nutrients
From top to bottom, what is soil?
Litter
Topsoil
Subsoil
Bedrock
Litter
Dear organic matter, leaves, grass etc.
Topsoil
Some small pieces of parent rock & humus - nutrient-rich, dark-organic material
Subsoil
Less humus, more rock
Bedrock
All parent rock, generally impermeable
What is a long Nutrient Cycle?
Geologic formations
What is a short Nutrient Cycle?
Food Chains
What are the three Nutrients Cycles?
Carbon/Oxygen cycle
Phosphorus (for phospholipids, nucleic acid, structures ( [Ca3 (PO4)2] )
Nitrogen (nucleic acids, amino acids/proteins, chlorophyll)
What is the main reservoir for the Carbon/Oxygen cycle?
The Atmosphere
What is the main reservoir for the Phosphorus cycle?
The Lithosphere (rock)
What is the main reservoir for the Nitrogen cycle?
The Atmoshpere
What is Nitrogen Fixation?
Take N from atmoshpere & stick it to other atoms (usually makes Ammonia [NH3] which it quickly ionized to Ammonium [NH4+] )
