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Geography Flashcards

(78 cards)

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1
Q

Ecosystem

A

A community of living organisms that live in and interact with each other in a specific environment. Building blocks for biological organisation.

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2
Q

Abiotic factors

A

Relating to things in the environment that are not living.

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3
Q

Biotic factors

A

Relating to living things in the environment.

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4
Q

Four spheres

A

Lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, atmosphere.

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5
Q

Lithosphere

A

AKA geosphere. The solid part of the earth’s crust, consisting of rocks and soil.

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6
Q

Hydrosphere

A

All of earth’s water bodies, including lakes, rivers, streams, oceans, ground water and ice caps.

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7
Q

Biosphere

A

The realm of living things, including plants and animals.

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8
Q

Atmosphere

A

Layers of gas surrounding the earth.

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9
Q

Interaction between the four spheres

A

A change in one area can cause a change in another.

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10
Q

Example of an interaction between the four spheres

A

For example, rain (hydrosphere) falls from clouds in the atmosphere to the lithosphere and forms streams and rivers that provide drinking water for wildlife and humans as well as water for plant growth (biosphere).

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11
Q

Natural biome

A

Large areas on Earth with similar conditions such as climates and living organisms.

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12
Q

List the different biomes

A

Tropical rainforests, temperate forests, taiga forests, woodlands, savanna grasslands, temperate grasslands, desert, tundra, alpine

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13
Q

Tropical rainforest location

A

Between the latitudes of 23.5°N (tropic of Cancer) and 23.5°S (tropic of Capricorn) – the tropics.

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14
Q

Ecosystem dynamics

A

There is a flow of energy between the elements. There is an exchange of matter between the abiotic and biotic elements within the system ie nutrient cycles.

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15
Q

Components of an ecosystem

A

Rocks, landforms, climate, flora, fauna, soils.

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16
Q

Cycles within the ecosystem

A

While energy is supplied to an ecosystem from the sun and is ultimately lost, nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen are continually recycled and reused over and over.

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17
Q

Biogeochemical

A

the cycle in which chemical elements and simple substances are transferred between living systems and the environment.

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18
Q

Tropical rainforest flora

A

Characteristics include sucker roots that allow them to attach to trees. Woody stems. Eg. orchids, philodendrons, ferns, bamboo, and banana trees.

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19
Q

Tropical rainforest soil

A

Nutrient poor

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20
Q

Tropical rainforest rainfall

A

Very high annual rainfall. 200cm of rain per year.

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21
Q

Tropical rainforest average temperature

A

Daily: range from 20c to 25c. Warm and humid all year round.

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22
Q

Tropical rainforest fauna characteristics

A

Camouflage, mimicry, limited diet, poison, and nocturnality.

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23
Q

Tropical rainforest fauna examples

A

Jaguar, African grey parrot, toucan, and spider monkey.

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24
Q

Temperate forests locations

A

East north America, Europe, east Asia.

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25
Temperate forest flora characteristics
Lose their leaves and regrow them.
26
Temperate forest climate characteristics
Ave temp of 10c . 75 - 150cm rainfall annually
27
Temperate forest fauna
Deer, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, people.
28
Temperate forest soil fertility
High fertility.
29
Taiga forests location
Across Alaska, America, Eurasia.
30
Taiga forests flora
Plenty of trees. Cone bearing trees w needles. Spruce hemlock. Leaves don't fall off and decay, soil isn't very fertile. Trees go well and are suited to the cold weather
31
Taiga forests soil fertility
Low fertility
32
Taiga forests fauna
Moose, rabbit, owl
33
Woodlands location
Cover 20% of the world's land surface. Highly concentrated between the equatorial rain forests and the midlatitude deserts and semideserts.
34
Woodlands flora
Trees and shrubs, climbers, bulbs, grasses, mosses, lichens.
35
Woodlands climate characteristics
Summers with little rain, fires every 5-20 years. Temperate climate. No extremes, Four seasons. 15-17c in summer.
36
Woodlands soil fertility
Organic rich soil environment.
37
Woodlands fauna
Birds, bats, reptiles, amphibians, ground dwelling and arboreal mammals, invertebrates.
38
Savanna grasslands location
Africa. 1/4 of land is grasslands.
39
Savanna grasslands flora
Grass. Dry grassy fields.
40
Savanna grasslands climate characteristics
25-75cm of rainfall annually. Ave temp 20c
41
Savanna grasslands soil
Nutrient rich soil.
42
Savanna grasslands fauna
Giraffe, zebra, bison.
43
Desert location
Cover 20% of the earth and are on every continent. Mainly found 30 to 50 degrees latitude, called the mid-latitudes. These areas are about halfway between the equator and the north and south poles.
44
Desert flora
Cacti and succulents, wildflowers, and trees, shrubs, and grasses. Examples include prickly pear cacti, tumbleweed, Mexican poppies and orange trees.
45
Desert climate characteristics
Very low precipitation, low humidity, and an overall moisture deficit. Typical deserts have average annual temperatures of 20=25°C. In hot and dry deserts highs reach around 44-50°C. The soil surface can reach greater than 70°C
46
Desert soil
Thin, sandy, rocky, and generally grey in colour. Surface may appear crusty. Sand.
47
Desert fauna
Long eyelashes, thick eyebrows and nocturnality. Examples include coyotes, bobcats, spiders, fennec foxes.
48
Tundra location
Northern parts of the world arctic ocean Europe Asia and north America.
49
Tundra flora
No trees because they cant adapt. Small shrubs
50
Tundra climate
Cold. Goes down to -51c. IN the warmer months, the highest temperature is around 10c. Extremely dry and cold.
51
Tundra soil
Largely permafrost or soil that remains frozen year-round,
52
Tundra fauna
Insects. Characteristics such as thick fur
53
Climate
Atmospheric changes over longer periods of time, usually defined as 30 years or more.
54
Weather
Short-term changes in the atmosphere. An average of weather conditions over time. A change in climate can lead to changes in weather patterns.
55
Koppens climate classifications
(A) Tropical, (B) Dry, (C) Temperate, (D) Continental, (E) Polar
56
A
Tropical moist climates: all months have average temperatures above 18 degrees Celsius
57
B
Dry Climates: with deficient precipitation during most of the year
58
C
Moist Mid-latitude Climates with Mild Winters
59
D
Moist Mid-Latitude Climates with Cold Winters
60
E
Polar Climates: with extremely cold winters and summers
61
Purpose of a climate graph
To show the average rainfall and temperatures experienced at a place throughout the year. Useful to compare conditions in different places.
62
Six factors that influence climate.
Latitude, Altitude, Prevailing winds, Distance from the sea, Ocean currents, Great mountain barriers.
63
Spatial distribution of the major biomes
Tropical biomes are found near the equator. As you move away from the equator, you enter the temperate zone, and the furthest from the equator is the polar zone.
64
Spatial distribution of climate.
Areas directly above the equator are hot, dry, and arid. As we move further from the equator the climate is temperate. Above the temperate zone is snow and polar regions.
65
Soil
It consists of inorganic particles and organic matter. Soil provides the structural support to plants used in agriculture and is also their source of water and nutrients.
66
Biomass
Material that comes from living organisms, such as plants and animals. The most common biomass materials used for energy are plants, wood, and waste.
67
Ecological balance
Ecosystems are usually in a stable equilibrium or homeostasis. Disruptions or changes in this balance are corrected by some negative feedback to return the system to its point of balance.
68
Latitude
Position in relation to the equator.
69
Altitude
How high above sea level a location is. Higher = colder.
70
Prevailing winds
Wind distributes heat and moisture around the earth. Wind blowing from cold places cause cooler climates. Wind blowing from warm places cause higher temperatures.
71
Distance from sea
Wind from oceans and seas cool nearby places during summer, and have a warming effect in winter.
72
Ocean currents
A warm ocean current increases the temperature and rainfall of any place it passes. Cold ocean currents have the opposite effect.
73
Great mountain barriers.
Mountains determine the amount of precipitation a place receives. When warm and moist air is forced to rise over high mountains, the rainfall is heavy.
74
Systems
Heat budget, hydrological cycle, atmospheric circulation, carbon cycle.
75
Heat budget
The balance of incoming and outgoing heat on earth.
76
Hydrological cycle
Precipitates to earth from the atmosphere. It can run off and seep into the surface of the earth or be stored in ice caps. Water returns to the atmosphere through evaporation, transpiration
77
Atmospheric circulation
Large scale movement of air. Means by which thermal energy is redistributed on the earth.
78
Carbon cycle
The process where carbon is recycled through the ecosystem.

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