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3) Terrestrial and Aquatic Biomes

Terms in this set (117)

deciduous vs evergreen
1) loose their leaves
2) retain leaves year long
herbaceous vs woody
1) primary growth, no wood component
2) secondary growth, bark and wood components
annual vs perennial
1) life cycles takes ~1yr then dies
2) plant lives many years
succulent plants:
store water in their leaves; i.e., cactus
where is the tropical rain forest located wrt equator
10-deg N and S
tropical rainforest: temperature
warm all year
tropical rainforest: annual precipitation maximim
200 cm
tropical rainforest: minimum precipitation
at least 10 cm a month
tropical rainforest: level of species diversity
the highest of any terrestrial biome
tropical rainforest: level of biomass and productivity
the highest of any biome.
tropical rainforest: forest levels
- different forest levels (canopy, understory, forest floor, etc)
tropical rainforest: what plant life forms a dense canopy
tall evergreen trees (emergent trees)
tropical rainforest: forest floor description (light/plants)
- little light
- understory plants are adapted to dark conditions
tropical rainforest: Epiphytes and lianas
- vines that climb the trees to contact more light
- epiphytes grow on one another
- lianas are woody vines
Tropical seasonal forest/Savannas: location
10 to 23.5 N (tropic of Cancer) and 10 to 23.5 S (tropic of Capricorn)
Tropical seasonal forest: climate
experiences 1 or 2 dry seasons per year
Tropical seasonal forest: plant life
- shorter trees
- more grasses and shrubs than rainforests
- trees are deciduous in the dry seasons
Tropical seasonal forest: level of species diversity
slightly lower than rainforests
Savannas: climate
similar to tropical seasonal forest
Savannas: plant life
mostly grasses; some trees and shrubs
Savannas: adaptations
adapted to fires and grazing by large herbivorous animals
Hot Desert: location
30-deg North and South
Hot Desert: high or low pressure zone
high!!
Hot Desert: annual temperature
high year round
Hot Desert: annual precipitation
less than 25 cm
Hot Desert: plant life
- sparse vegetation
- with succulent stem/leaves
- drought deciduous shrubs
- grasses
- short lived annuals
Hot desert: species diversity and abundance
high diversity; low abundance
Temperate Grasslands: location
30 to 50 N & S
Temperate Grasslands: seasonal temperature
- warm summers
- cold winters
Temperate Grasslands: precipitation
moderate precipitation year round, but highest during summer compared to winter
Temperate Grasslands: plant life
mainly all grasses!
Temperate Grasslands: plant adaptations
- grasses are adapted to fire and grazing
- high organic matter in soil due to extensive root system of grasses
Temperate Shrublands and Woodlands: location
30 and 40 N & S
Temperate Shrublands and Woodlands: seasonal climate
- Mediterranean climate like Southern Cali
- hot dry summers
- mildly rainy winters
Temperate Shrublands and Woodlands: plant life
- chaparral
- coastal sage scrub
- woody evergreen shrubs
- annual species
- pinon pine and juniper woodland frequently intermixed
Temperate Shrublands and Woodlands: plant adaptations
- adapted to and dependent on fires
- many plants will not germinate until after a fire
Temperate Shrublands and Woodlands: level of species diversity
fairly high
Temperate Deciduous Forest: location
30 and 50 North only!
Temperate Deciduous Forest: seasonal climate
- cold winters
- mild to warm summers
Temperate Deciduous Forest: precipitation
moderate year round, most occurring during summer
Temperate Deciduous Forest: level of species diversity
high, but not as high as tropical rainforest
Temperate Deciduous Forest: plant characteristics
leaves are lost in the winter
Temperate Evergreen Forest: Location
30 to 50 South only!
Temperate Evergreen Forest: seasonal climate
- mild, rainy winters
- cool, rainy, foggy summers
Temperate Evergreen Forest: plant life
dominated by large evergreen conifers
Temperate Evergreen Forest: Level of biomass
very high
Temperate Evergreen Forest: level of species diversity
low; however there's an abundance of the same species of plants
Boreal Forest: location
50 to 65 North only!
Boreal Forest: annual temperature
less than 5C
Boreal Forest: plant life
- mainly evergreen conifers (its also known as a northern coniferous forest)
- peat moss
Boreal Forest: level of species diversity
low!!
Boreal Forest: Permafrost Def:
it is when soil is permanently frozen below one meter's depth.
what disadvantages does Permafrost cause:
- it impeded drainage of water and causes surface soils to be saturated
- there is very slow decomposition in soil leading to high organic matter (marshy areas)
- it forms extensive bogs of peat moss
Tundra: location
above 65 North
Tundra: annual temperature and precipitaton
cold temperatures and low precipitation
Tundra: plant life
- theres permafrost
- some grasses
- low growing shrubs
- mostly mosses and lichens (fungi w/ cyanobacteria)
- NO TREES!
what biome is most highly modified by humans for agriculture?
temperate grasslands
which biome is least affected/modified by humans:
Tundra
Polar Deserts: what are some examples (places) and where are they located
1) Greenland in Northern Hemisphere
2) Antarctica in Southern Hemisphere
Polar Desert: annual climate
cold, covered by ice and dry all year round
Mountain Zones: what is the relationship between climate and elevation
temperature and precipitation change with elevation
What are the 4 types of mountain zones:
1) lower montane zone
2) Montane zone
3) Subalpine zone
4) Alpine zone
which biome/latitude does lower montane resemble?
temperate grasslands at 40-deg
which biome/latitude does Montane resemble?
temperate deciduous or evergreen forest at 40-50- deg
which biome/latitude does Subalpine resemble?
boreal forest at 50-deg
which biome/latitude does Alpine resemble?
tundra at 65-deg
limnology:
is the study of freshwater ecosystems. it is divided into the study of the lotic and lentic system
lotic systems:
flowing water systems such as rivers and streams
lentic systems:
still water such as lakes and ponds
Lotic Systems: what are stream orders
its a system used to describe the origin of streams from mountains (high elevation) to lakes and oceans.
lotic system: 1st order stream
the smallest stream originating at the highest elevation
lotic system: 2nd order stream
is formed when two 1st order streams converge
lotic system: 3rd order or higher order stream
are formed when large rivers lead into lakes or the ocean
what are some 1st order stream characteristics (temp, O2 content, depth, width, speed, nutrient and life content level):
- cold
- high O2
- shallow
- narrow
- fast moving
- low nutrient content
- low life content
what are some 3rd order or higher characteristics (temp, O2 content, depth, width, speed, nutrient and life content level):
- warm
- lower O2
- deep
- wide
- slow moving
- higher nutrient conent
- higher life content
lotic zones: what are the 4 types of zones
1) pelagic zone
2) benthic zone
3) hyporheic zone
4) riparian vegetation
lotic system: pelagic zone
describes the flowing water of the main channel
lotic system: in pelagic zones what are nekton?
- nekton is the term used to describe the organisms living in the pelagic zone.
- nekton are swimmers capable of overcoming the current
- ex: fish
lotic system: benthic zone
describes the bottom of the stream
lotic system: what type of organisms occupy the benthic zone?
bottom dwellers such as invertabrates, insect larvae
lotic system: hyporheic zone
the soil below and adjacent to the stream where water movement still occurs
lotic system: what type of organisms occupy the hyporheic zone?
invertebrates
lotic system: riparian vegetation (zone)
the are that lies adjacent to the stream/river.
lentic system: what are the requirements for a lake to occur (there are 2)
1) depressions in the landscape fill with water
2) the flow of water in a lotic system is impeded (forming a new body of water)
lentic system: what are the 4 types of zones
1) pelagic zone
2) photic zone
3) benthic zone
4) littoral zone
lentic system: what 2 qualities define the lentic system zones?
1) depth
2) degree of light penetration
lentic system: pelagic zone
is all open water
lentic system: what organisms live in the pelagic zone
it is dominated by zooplankton (amoeba, larval crayfish) and fish
lentic system: photic zone
it is the upper layer of the pelagic zone where light is able to penetrate.
lentic system: what organisms live in the photic zone
dominated by phytoplankton (photosynthetic)
lentic system: benthic zone
is the bottom of the lack
lentic system: what organisms live in the benthic zone
invertebrates and bacteria that feed on detritus falling from the pelagic zone above.
lentic system: littoral zone
it is the near shore region where the benthic zone lies within the photic zone
lentic system: what organisms live in the littoral zone
fish, invertebrates, zooplankton, phytoplankton, and riparian vegetation
lentic system: which zone in the lentic system is the most productive and diverse?
littoral zone
what similarities/differences do freshwater and marine ecosystems have (wrt how their zones are characterized)
- they both have pelagic and benthic zones
- marine ecosystems in addition have many diverse littoral ecosystems as well.
what are the different types of Marine littoral ecosystems (name 4)
1)Estuaries
2)Intertidal zones
3)Coral reefs
4)Kelp forests
Estuaries: where do they occur
at junctions between rivers and oceans
Estuaries: what is brackish water
it describes the mixture between fresh and salt water in the estuary
Estuaries: what is the salinity level of the water
it varies since it is brackish
Estuaries: what is the level of productivity
very high!!
Estuaries: what organisms live there
- many fish species (often in their juvenile stage)
- invertebrates
- shorebirds
- seagrasses
intertidal zones: where do they occur
at the junction between marine and terrestrial environments
intertidal zones: what factors characterize them
- it depends on how long the area resembles more of a marine or terrestrial zone
- salinity level
- level of wave action
- temperature
intertidal zones: what organisms live there
- it varies based on the conditions
- mainly marine invertebrates (sea urchin) and algae that attach to the intertidal substrate
Coral Reefs: where do they occur
in warm, shallow waters such as tropical regions along the equator
coral reefs: what organisms live there
a large diversity of species
coral reefs: what is the level of biomass and productivity
very high, it is comparable to the tropical rainforest
kelp forest: where are they found
in cold, shallow waters (ex: along the Cali Coast
kelp forest: what organisms live there
a large diversity like the coral reef (algae, invertebrates, fish, marine mammals.
the marine pelagic zone is also referred to as ____ ____
open ocean
what types of organisms live in the marine pelagic zone
1) nekton
2) phytoplankton (cyanobacteria, dinoflagellates, diatoms)
3) zooplankton (protists, crustaceans)
how deep is the marine photic zone
~200 m in depth
what is the role of falling detritus in the marine pelagic zone
it supplies energy and nutrients to the area below the photic zone
The marine benthic zone is also referred to as ____ ____
ocean floor
what is the temperature and pressure like in marine benthic zone
near freezing temps and very high pressure
what type of organisms live in the benthic zone
- not very many
- some organisms live in the sediment (bacteria, marine worms)
- some graze on the sediment (echinoderms)
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