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7 - biomes Flashcards

(27 cards)

1
Q

define a biome

A
  • a large-scale, global ecosystem with distinct vegetation
  • the 7 biomes are : tropical forest / temperate forest / boreal forest / tropical grassland / temperate grassland / desert / tundra
  • (pg. 87 for location diagram)
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2
Q

describe the tropical forest’s climate

A
  • same all year round
  • very hot because near to the sun (equator)
  • very high rainfall, around 2000mm/y
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3
Q

describe the tropical forest’s characteristics

A
  • plants grow quickly and are adapted to take in maximum light
  • dense vegetation, species and habitats like jaguars, anacondas, gorillas
  • everything dead decomposes quickly, so there is a constant supply of nutrients in the soil that are cycled quickly
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4
Q

describe the temperate forest’s climate

A
  • four distinct seasons, with warm summers and cool winters
  • very high rainfall (up to 1500mm/y)
  • shorter days in winter, longer in summer
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5
Q

describe the temperate forest’s characteristics

A
  • decent number of plant species / forests have broad-leaved trees, shrubs and undergrowth
  • habitats of mammals, birds and insects
  • decent speed of decomposition, so soils are relatively thick and nutrient-rich
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6
Q

describe the boreal forest’s climate (aka Taiga)

A
  • short cool summers, long cold winters (below 20c)
  • low precipitation, which often falls as snow
  • daylight in summer months, little to none in winter
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7
Q

describe the boreal forest’s characteristics (aka Taiga)

A
  • evergreen and coniferous trees
  • relatively few animal species because of less food availability and cold climate
  • plants decompose slowly, so thin, nutrient-poor soil. ground is often mostly frozen
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8
Q

describe the tropical grassland’s climate

A
  • low rainfall
  • distinct wet and dry seasons
  • highest temp. before wet season (35c), lowest temp after it (15c)
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9
Q

describe the tropical grassland’s characteristics

A
  • grass, scrubs and small plants
  • insects, lions, elephants, giraffes, etc
  • thin, nutrient-rich soil in dry seasons, but washed out in wet seasons
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10
Q

describe the temperate grassland’s climate

A
  • very hot summers, very cold winters
  • low rainfall
  • varied light because far from equator
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11
Q

describe the temperate grassland’s characteristics

A
  • grass and small plants
  • fewer animal species - mammals and rodents
  • high temp in summer means fast decomposition so relatively thick and nutrient-rich soil
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12
Q

describe the desert’s climate

A
  • very low rainfall, maybe once every 2/3 years
  • HOT deserts are very hot in day, cold at night
  • HOT deserts get lots of sunlight because of little cloud cover
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13
Q

describe the desert’s characteristics

A
  • sparse plant growth, maybe cacti
  • few animal species, but those are adapted to harsh climates (e.g lizards, snakes, scorpions)
  • little decomposition anyway, but slow so soils are thin and nutrient-poor
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14
Q

describe the tundra’s climate

A
  • low in summer and VERY low in winter (-30c)
  • low precipitation, most of it falls as snow
  • continuous daylight in summer, and little to no daylight in winter, due to high latitudes
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15
Q

describe the tundra’s characteristics

A
  • barely any plants or trees
  • few species - some arctic foxes/hare and lots of birds that migrate south for the winter
  • thin, nutrient-poor soils, and a layer of permafrost below the soil surface
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16
Q

what factors is biome distribution affected by?

A
  • altitude (colder climate, so limits species and matter)
  • rock type (weathering/permeability/nutrient differs)
  • soil type ( acidity/drainage/nutrient differs)
  • drainage (if drainage is poor, soil gets waterlogged and conditions become very wet)
17
Q

examples of biotic/abiotic components

A
  • biotic: flora & fauna
  • abiotic: soil, water, rock, atmosphere
18
Q

how does the biosphere provide resources for humans?

A
  • food
  • medicine (lots of plants have medicinal properties)
  • building materials (pine/sap/straw)
  • fuel (wood/grass/animal fat burnt as fuel by the indigenous)
19
Q

how do humans exploit the biosphere through energy demand?

A

increasing demand for energy means:
- forests are cut down to clear land for cash crops
- trf is often flooded by the building of hydroelectric dams
- drilling for oil in tundra melts the natural permafrost

20
Q

how do humans exploit the biosphere through water demand?

A

increasing demand for water means water resources (lakes/rivers/aquifers) being over-exploited, so plants and animals often no longer have enough water to survive

21
Q

how do humans exploit the biosphere through mineral demand?

A

increasing demand for minerals such as gold/iron means increased mining in tropical forests which are responsible for lots of deforestation and toxic chemicals being washed into streams and rivers, killing wildlife

22
Q

how and why does the biosphere help regulate the atmosphere?

A
  • plants take in co2 and give out oxygen in photosynthesis
  • decreases global warming and neutralises acidic soils, affecting the organisms living there
23
Q

how does the biosphere keep soil healthy?

A
  • plant roots and certain animals spread nutrients through the soil, helping maintain soil structure and fertility
  • roots of vegetation, hold the soil together protecting it from eroding
  • vegetation intercepts rainfall before reaching the ground to prevent leaching (where nutrients in the soil) are washed away
24
Q

how does the biosphere regulate the water cycle?

A
  • water is taken up by plants, so less reaches rivers, preventing flooding and soil erosion
  • plants release water slowly into the atmosphere, reducing the risk of droughts in drier areas (eg trf)
25
why is demand for resources increasing?
- population increase - increased demand for one resources means increased demand for another (eg food->water to grow it->energy to transport that water) - increased wealth (affluence and disposable income) - urbanisation (resource-intensive and transportation/distances) - industrialisation (manufacturing and producing goods increases demand for energy and palm oil)
26
what was thomas malthus' theory?
- population is increasing faster than the supply of resources - so, at some point, when the two meet, people will be killed by catastrophes (famine/illness/war) until the population returns to a level where there are enough resources to support it again
27
what was ester boserup's theory?
- however much the population grows by, people will always produce sufficient resources to meet their needs - because if resource supplies became limited, people would come up with new ways to increase production to avoid hardship