Spatial Variation Flashcards
(19 cards)
1
Q
what are the two broad categories of ecosystems?
A
- Aquatic: marine (70% of earths surface) and freshwater (1.8%)
- terrestrial: divided into biomes
2
Q
Abiotic factors of terrestrial ecosystems
A
- abiotic factors (rain and temp) vary in relation to latitude and elevation
3
Q
Tropical Wet Forests/ Tropical Rainforests
A
- equatorial regions
- broad leaved plants with no seasonal loss
- stable yearly sunlight and warm temps
- diverse speciation
- horizontal layers: sparse layer of plants and decay, shrubby understory, trees, upper canopy
4
Q
Savannas
A
- extensive dry season
- mainly grasses and forbs
- fire is a common disturbance
- plants have diverse root systems to quickly resprout after a fire
5
Q
Subtropical Deserts
A
- very dry, evaporation exceeds precipitation occasionally
- lack of perennial vegetation, animals often burrow
- very higher soil temps in the day, lower in the night
- Hot deserts have higher day temps, cold deserts have lower night temps
6
Q
The Chaparral/Scrub Forest
A
- found in California, Mediterranean and s. Australia
- high rainfall in winter, very dry summers
- many plants become dormant in the summer
- mostly shrubs adapted to occasional fires
7
Q
Temperate Grasslands/Prairies
A
- North America, Eurasia
- hot summers, cold winters
- high precipitation
- trees mostly near rivers and streams, vegetation mostly dense grasses with complex root systems
- grazing animals
8
Q
Temperate Forests
A
- mid-latitude NA, w, Europe, E. Asia, Chile, NZE
- very low and very high temps, growing season over spring-fall
- consistent precipitation, deciduous trees, few tree species
- more open as trees are shorter
- rich soil due to leaf litter
9
Q
Boreal Forests/Taiga
A
- south of the artic circle
- long dry winters and short wet summers
- high precipitation (usually snow) little evaporation
- coniferous evergreen plants, low plant diversity
10
Q
Artic Tundra
A
- Artic regions
- low summer temp, very low winter temp
- low precipitation and evaporation
- plants low to the ground
- low diversity, productivity and biomass
- permafrost - frozen soil inhibiting nutrient release
11
Q
The Ocean
A
- continuous body of salt water with relatively uniform chemical makeup
- different zones based on light penetration with distinct species
12
Q
The Intertidal Zone
A
- between high and low tide
- sandy, rocky or muddy beaches
- variable environment, ie shore may be struck by numerous waves, organism must adapt to potential damages - crustaceans
13
Q
The Neritic Zone
A
- end of intertidal to a depth around 200m
- light still penetrates here (photic zone) so photosynthesis occurs
- silty, well-oxygenated, low pressure, stable temp
- phyto and zoo plankton, small fish, shrimp
14
Q
Oceanic Zone
A
- photic, aphotic and abyssal zones
- post 200m no photosynthesis
- thermal stratification, mix of warm and cold water
- nutrient scarcity
- major upwellings dredge nutrients from dead material from the bottom of the ocean around
15
Q
Benthic realm
A
- below the oceanic zone, just beyond the continental shelf
- base of sand, silt and dead organisms
- decreasing temperature with increasing depth
- nutrient rich
16
Q
Rivers
A
- Moves from a source (headwater) or origin to a lake or ocean
- source and channel are cold, low in nutrients and clear
- photosynthetic phytoplankton
- mouth is wider, slower, more silt and less clear and warmer
17
Q
Lakes and Ponds
A
- temperature is a major factor on organisms
- in the summer, top is warmer, bottom is cold
- photosynthetic organisms in the photic levels
- bacteria in aphotic levels break down dead material
18
Q
Wetlands
A
- permanently or periodically water-saturated soil
- vegetation is plants rooted with leaves, stems and flowers far above surface
- includes: marshes, swamps, bogs, mudflats, saltmarshes
- marshes and swamps have slow and steady flow, bogs are stagnant and deoxygenated
19
Q
Estuary
A
- Mix of fresh and saltwater, brackish
- areas for offspring of crustaceans, mollusks and fish
- variable salinity
