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APES > Biomes Test Chap 7-8 > Flashcards

Biomes Test Chap 7-8 Flashcards

(78 cards)

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1
Q

Weather

A

Short-term properties of the troposphere at a given time and place

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2
Q

Climate

A

The average long-term weather of an area (long term temperature and precipitation)

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3
Q

Most important factors in climate

A

temperature and precipitation

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4
Q

factors that influence temperature and precipitation

A

uneven heating of earth’s surface, seasonal changes, Coriolis effect, long-term variations in the amount of solar energy striking the earth, properties of air and water

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5
Q

Greenhouse effect

A

the natural trapping of heat in the troposphere

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6
Q

Greenhouse gases

A

water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons

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7
Q

El Niño-Southern Oscillation

A

a periodic climate change that can trigger extreme weather changes over two-thirds of the globe. The prevailing westerly winds weaken or cease in the Pacific Ocean, which makes the surface water warmer along North and South American coasts

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8
Q

Biomes

A

terrestrial regions with the characteristic types of natural, undisturbed ecological communities adapted to the climate of the region

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9
Q

Desert

A

An area where evaporation exceeds precipitation (precipitation is typically less than 25cm per year)

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10
Q

Deserts cover about __% of the earth’s surface, mainly between __ North and __ South latitude

A

30, 30, 30

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11
Q

Plant adaptations for deserts

A

small or no leaves, wax-coated leaves, tap roots, spines, and deep roots

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12
Q

Animal adaptations for deserts

A

nocturnal lifestyle (so their water doesn’t get evaporated), thick outer coverings, and dry/concentrated waste

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13
Q

Habitat destruction of deserts is particularly harmful because…

A

desert’s slow plant growth, low species diversity, slow nutrient cycling, and water shortage. Any damage done at all persists and doesn’t get fixed naturally

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14
Q

Salinization

A

The buildup of salt in soil due to the evaporation of water used for irrigation

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15
Q

Aquifer depletion

A

causes some deserts to subside (sink)

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16
Q

Subsidence

A

The space underground where water used to be in a desert that then collapses in on itself and sinks

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17
Q

Human impact on deserts

A

Salinization, aquifer depletion, extraction of natural resources (oil, iron, copper, gold, silver, diamonds, and sand)

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18
Q

Grassland

A

a region with enough average precipitation to allow grass to prosper, but with precipitation so erratic that drought and fire prevent large stands of trees from growing

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19
Q

human impact on grasslands

A

grazing of domesticated animals on grasslands (mostly in Africa and Asia), conversion of grassland into cropland (due to fertile soils), and mining/drilling (for oil, natural gas, and other natural resources)

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20
Q

main types of grasslands

A

tropical grasslands, temperate grasslands, polar grasslands

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21
Q

tropical grasslands

A

found in areas with high average temperature, low to moderate precipitation, and a prolonged dry season (near equator)

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22
Q

savannas

A

tropical and subtropical grasslands that are warm all year with alternating wet and dry seasons

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23
Q

temperate grasslands

A

have large temperature differences from season to season and little rain that is unevenly distributed through the year

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24
Q

types of temperate grasslands

A

tall-grass prairies, short-grass prairies, pampas, veldt, and steppes

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25
polar grasslands
also called arctic tundra (at poles) or alpine tundra (at elevation), are very cold with the small amount of precipitation falling as snow, has permafrost
26
permafrost
perennially frozen layer of soil
27
Chaparral
also called temperate scrubland, occurs along coastal areas where the winters are mild and moderately rainy (more than grasslands) and summers are long, hot, and dry, prone to fires, dominated by a dense growth of spiny evergreen shrubs
28
Three main types of forests
tropical, temperate, and boreal
29
tropical rain forests
broadleaf evergreen forests with a war annual mean temperature, high humidity, and heavy rainfall almost daily, poor soil quality (because of how many plants live on it)
30
tropical deciduous forests
also called tropical monsoon forests or tropical seasonal forests, are warm year-round with most rainfall occurring during a monsoon season
31
Layers of plants in tropical rainforests
emergent layer, canopy layer, understory layer, immature layer, herb/shrub layer
32
emergent layer
layer 1, plants that can't share light
33
canopy layer
layer 2
34
understory layer
layer 3, plants that adapted to live in the shade
35
immature layer
layer 4, saplings
36
herb/shrub layer
layer 5
37
Animals in rain forests tend to be...
specialists, who specialize in their layers, avoiding competition through resource partitioning, creating incredible biodiversity
38
temperate rain forests
also called coastal coniferous forests, have moderate temperatures with frequent rains (but still seasons)
39
temperate deciduous forests
have moderate temperatures that change significantly from season to season with abundant precipitation spread throughout the year
40
boreal forests
also called evergreen coniferous forests or taigas, have a dry and cold climate with long winters and short summers
41
human impact on forests
logging (decreases biodiversity), clear-cutting (for use as cropland or grazing areas), hunting of large predators, mining (for peat, iron, gold, diamonds, etc), and air pollution and acid deposition
42
Mountain regions make up __% of earth's land surface
20
43
mountain regions are important because...
of their dramatic changes in altitude, climate, soil, and vegetation without short distances
44
mountains contain a majority of the world's _______
forests
45
Each 100 meter gain in elevation on a mountain is roughly equivalent to
a 100 kilometer change in latitude
46
Rain Shadow effect
as clouds move West across America, they have to ascend to get over mountains, and to do that they have to condense. When they condense, it makes them rain, and then once they cross the mountains to the other side (the windward side), it doesn't rain because theres no rain left in the clouds
47
human impact on mountains
extraction of timber and mineral resources, hydroelectric dams and reservoirs altering local ecosystems, recreational disturbances (skiing, trekking, tourism), increased air pollution (from automobile use), changes in climate and UV radiation (from global warming and ozone depletion), increased warfare
48
Marine biomes
saltwater, estuaries, coastal wetlands, coral reefs, the oceanic zone, polar ecosystems
49
freshwater biomes
freshwater, lakes/ponds, rivers/streams, and inland wetlands
50
nekton
organisms capable of sustained locomotion against the prevailing water movement (swimmers)
51
benthos
bottom-dwelling organisms without the need for swimming
52
Saltwater oceans cover about __% of the earth's surface
71
53
Oceans are essential for regulating...
global temperature and climate
54
Marine zones
neritic zone, oceanic zone
55
neritic zone
extends to the edge of the continental shelf, contains 90% of marine species
56
oceanic zone
includes all waters beyond the continental shelf, least productive of all ecosystems because of light
57
estuary
partially enclosed area of coastal water where seawater mixes with freshwater (brackish), constant water movement from tides and currents provides for a nutrient rich environment with a wide range of temperature and salinity, very biodiverse
58
coastal wetlands
areas of coastal land that are covered with saltwater all or part of the year, incredibly important because they filter water, protect shorelines from erosion, and provide feeding and breeding grounds for many organisms
59
marsh
grass, freshwater or estuarine
60
bog
moss, inland freshwater
61
swamp
trees, freshwater, estuarine, or marine, mangrove swamps
62
halophytic trees
mangrove swamp trees that grow in saline conditions
63
Coral reefs
massive colonies of coral polyps living in a secreted skeleton of calcium carbonate (limestone - CaCO3)
64
Coral
phylum cnidaria, mutualistic symbiosis with zooxanthellae (algae)
65
threats to coral reefs
warming and acidification of the oceans, which causes the calcium carbonate to dissolve, causing coral bleaching. Also increased UV radiation, global warming, and runoff pesticides, fertilizers, and industrial chemicals
66
polar caps are considered marine ecosystems because
the main food source is plankton
67
Artic Ocean
North, rich in nutrients from surrounding land masses, polar bears
68
Antarctic Ocean
South, not as rich in nutrients, lack surrounding land masses, penguins
69
Freshwater life zones occur when water has a...
salinity of less than 1ppt
70
lentic systems
standing water, like lakes, ponds, and inland wetlands
71
lakes
large bodies of standing fresh water, formed when precipitation, runoff, or groundwater seepage fills depressions in the earth's surface
72
littoral zone
first lake zone, near the shore, where rotted plants stop growing
73
limnetic zone
second lake zone, open, sunlit water surface layer away from the shore that extends to the depth penetrated by sunlight
74
profundal zone
third lake zone, the deep, open water where it is too dark for photosynthesis
75
benthic zone
fourth lake zone, bottom of the lake
76
source zone
first river zone, headwaters, cold, clear, highly oxygenated water
77
transition zone
second river zone, headwater streams merge to form wider, deeper streams, the warmer and slower moving water supports more biodiversity, particularly phytoplankton
78
flood plain zone
third river zone, joins streams into wider and deeper rivers that meander across broad, flat valleys, supports the greatest number of both plant and animal species

APES (6 decks)

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