ecosystems Flashcards
what is an ecosystem?
unit that includes all the abiotic and biotic factors in an area
types of organisms in a ecosystem?
producer, decomposers and consumers
what is a producer?
an organism that uses sunlight to produce food (plants)
what is a consumer?
an organism that gets energy from eating other organisms - either producers or consumers
what is a food chain?
shows the direct links between what eats what
what is a food web?
shows all of the interconnections of food chains and how they overlap
what is a decomposer?
organism that gets its energy by breaking down dead material (bacteria and fungi)
what is nutrient cycling?
the transfer of nutrients - when dead material is decomposed, the nutrients are released into the soil, which are taken by the plants. the plants may be eaten by consumers. when they die, the nutrients are released back to the soil
types of global ecosystems [6]
- tundra
- grassland
- tropical rainforest
- polar
- hot desert
- temperate deciduous forest
characteristics of tundra [3]
- winter is very cold, summers are brief and little rainfall
- found at high latitudes (above 60 N)
- layer of permanently frozen ground called permafrost
characteristics of savannah grassland [3]
- found between the tropics
- distinct dry and wet seasons, rainfall is still low
- vegetation is grasses and few trees
characteristics of temperate grassland [3]
- found in higher latitudes
- more variation in temp and less rainfall
- no trees only grass
characteristics of temperate deciduous forest [3]
- found in mid latitudes
- 4 distinct seasons: warm summers and mild winters and all year rainfall
- deciduous trees lose their leaves during winter
characteristics of polar [3]
- found in north and south poles
- very cold, icy and dry
- remain in the dark most of the year
characteristics of hot deserts [3]
- found between 15 and 35, N and S of equator
- little rainfall, very hot during day and very cold at night (no clouds to trap in heat)
- shrubs and cacti are sparsely distributed
describe the climate of tropical rainforests
- same all year round (no definite seasons)
- near the equator so temperature is hot: around 20-28C
- rainfall is very high, 2000m per year approx
describe the soil of tropical rainforests
- not very fertile as the heavy rain washes nutrients away
- there are nutrients on the surface due to leaves decaying, but this is very thin as decay is fast
describe the plants in tropical rainforests
- most trees are evergreen and tall
- vegetation cover is very dense so little light reaches forest floor
- there are lots of epiphytes (plants that grow on other living plants and take nutrients and moisture from air)
describe the animals in tropical rainforests
-very diverse
- lots of insects and birds
- loud and brightly coloured animals
describe the people in tropical rainforests
- make a living by hunting and fishing
- adapted to life over generations
how are rainforests interdependent ecosystems?
all parts of the ecosystem are dependant on each other - if one of them changes, so will the others eg: if deforestation happens, the risk of flood increases as the trees cannot intercept and take in water. this affects animals, plants and the people in the ecosystem
how have plants adapted to the rainforest conditions?
- buttress roots help support their trunks and compete for sunlights as they are tall trees
- thick and waxy leaves with pointy tips that allow water to run off easily and not weigh down the leaf
- smooth, thin bark as there is no need to protect the trunk from colder weather. smooth bark allows water to run off easily
describe the layers of rainforest
forest floor: receive least amount of light, prone to floods
under canopy: shadier and cooler, seedlings lie dormant until bigger plants/trees die
canopy: 20-40 m tall, habitat for most wildlife like insects, birds and animals
emergent: tall around 60 m tall, help trap sunlight to help them grow
how have animals adapted to the rainforest conditions?
- most of the animals spend their entire lives in the canopy. they have strong limbs that help them climb and leap
- some animals have flaps of skin that help them glide between trees. others have suction cups to help climb
- some animals can camouflage and hide from predators
