Download APES Ch 6 (Major Ecosystems of the World - Bennatti

APES Ch 6 (Major Ecosystems of the World) Study Guide
Although this site is designed for younger children, it is good practice for matching plant types and
climate to biomes
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.watauga.k12.nc.us/ma/Old%
2520Stuff/Old%2520Pages/mission.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.watauga.k12.nc.us/
ma/Old%2520Stuff/Old%2520Pages/Teacher%2520Resources.htm&usg=__hbu8sX7
NQTMmlDmFQ9FiWywQQfw=&h=353&w=521&sz=60&hl=en&start=131&sig2=bAZw
UubTsy6iL1cVEzX8Zg&tbnid=eyOcNv3NWX1CpM:&tbnh=89&tbnw=131&ei=0AeNSdi
sNMzAtgebi72ECw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbiome%2Bpowerpoint%26start%3D120%
26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN
Vocabulary
Biome- large, relatively distinct terrestrial region with a similar climate, soil, plants and animals
regardless of its location in the world
Permafrost- soil that is permanently frozen
Species richness- diversity (number) of species
Primary productivity- the rate at which energy is accumulated in an ecosystem by plants
Monoculture- growing only one species
Desertification- conversion of land to desert
Alpine- mountain
Salinity- salt concentration
Plankton- free-floating organisms in aquatic ecosystems that are carried by currents
Phytoplankton- photosynthetic plankton such as algae and cyanobacteria
Zooplankton- animal plankton such as jellyfish, protozoa, krill, and also larvae of many organisms
including shrimp, crabs, lobsters, barnacles,…
Nekton – organisms that are relatively strong swimmers such as whales, most fish, and turtles
Benthos- bottom-dwelling organisms such as sea cucumber, worms, clams, scallop, sea stars,
lobsters
Headwater streams- small, cool, fast flowing streams that are feed a river and are its source
Flood Plain- flat areas along a river bank that are prone to flooding
Tributaries –rivers which feed into a larger river
Delta- low lying plain formed by sediments deposited at the mouth of a slow-moving river
Limnetic zone- open water farther from shore than the littoral zone and extending down to the depth
reached by sunlight
Littoral zone- shallow areas around the shore of a lake where light reaches to the bottom
Profundal Zone- deeper areas of a lake which light does not reach
Estuary- area where fresh water and salt water mix
Zooxanthellae- algae that live in the tissues of coral animals and carry out photosynthesis
Intertidal zone –region between low tide and high tide marks
Pelagic Environment – all ocean water from the shoreline to the deep sea floor (divided into the
neritic and oceanic provinces)
Euphotic Zone- zone of the ocean where there is enough light to support photosynthesis
Neritic Province- part of the pelagic environment that overlies the ocean floor from the shoreline to
a depth of 200 m
Oceanic Province- open ocean that does not lie over the continental shelf
Bycatch- fish, birds, sea turtles, dolphins and other organisms unintentionally caught in nets and
other fishing gear
Aquaculture- farming aquatic organisms (mussels, salmon, oysters, etc)
1.
Describe at least three characteristics of the tundra.
-treeless, boggy plains dominated by lichens, mosses and other small plants; harsh, cold winters and
short summers; geologically young, nutrient-poor soils saturated with water due to permafrost
preventing drainage of water; plant root depth limited by permafrost; numerous shallow ponds, lakes
and bogs; Arctic tundra is found only in the northern hemisphere
2.
List at least three species of wildlife that are characteristic of the tundra.
Lemmings, voles, weasels, artic fox, snowshoe hare, ptarmigan, snowy owls, caribou, musk oxen
3.
Describe at least three characteristics of the boreal forest (also known as taiga).
Stretches across North America and Eurasia south of the tundra; found only in the northern
hemisphere; acidic and nutrient-poor soils covered with deep organic layer of pine and spruce
needles; dominant plants are spruce, balsam fir, eastern larch and other conifers
4.
Explain why conifers are well-adapted to the conditions of the boreal forest.
Small needle-like leaves reduce water loss during the winter months when liquid water is not
available; can resume photosynthesis as soon as warm weather returns
5.
List at least three species of wildlife that are characteristic of the boreal forest.
Caribou, moose, wolves, bear, lynx, sable, mink
6.
Describe the location of the temperate rainforests.
Northwestern N. America (Washington, Oregon, N. California, Alaska, British Columbia),
southeastern Australia and southern South America
7.
Describe conditions in the temperate rainforests.
High rainfall, cool summers and mild winters (little seasonal change in temp.), nutrient poor
soil with high organic content; high rainfall and dense coastal fogs; dominant plants are sitka
spruce, Douglas fir, western hemlock western red cedars, abundant epiphytes
8.
List at least three species of wildlife characteristic of the temperate rainforest.
Mule deer, elk, spotted owl, squirrels, wood rats
9.
Hot summers, cold winters and moderate precipitation are characteristics of this biome.
Temperate deciduous forest
10.
List at least four tree species that are characteristics of this ecosystem and at least four species
of wildlife.
Oak, hickory, maple, beech deer, (once wolves, pumas, bison), bears
11.
What conditions determine the type of prairie found in the grasslands (shortgrass or tallgrass)?
Amount of water; shortgrass plants are more drought-tolerant
12.
Name two factors that prevent prairies from becoming temperate forests.
Uncertain rainfall and frequent fires
13.
Describe two characteristics of chaparral vegetation that makes it well-adapted to this biome.
Fire-adapted; short, hard, leathery leaves reduce water loss
14.
Where in the US can you find chaparral? Where else in the world?
Mountains of Southern California; also Mediterranean coast, southwestern and southern Australia,
central Chile, southwestern S. Africa
15.
Describe three adaptations of desert plants.
Reduced leaves or no leaves or shed leaves during dry spells, store water in stems, protected by
spines, thorns or toxins
16.
Describe three adaptations of desert animals.
Small, active at night and sleep during day, many live underground during driest month (not
mentioned in book but long ear to lose excess heat)
17.
How do day and night temperature compare in the desert?
Dramatic change due to low water vapor content of the air
18.
What conditions are characteristic of savannas?
Low rainfall or prolonged annual dry seasons. Little seasonal change in temperature.
19.
What is the dominant form of vegetation in savannas?
Grasses with occasional trees such as acacias
20.
Describe how vegetation changes with elevation on mountains.
Traveling up a mountain is like traveling to higher latitudes.
21.
Name two biomes found only in the northern hemisphere.
Taiga and tundra
22.
Choose two biomes and discuss the effects of human activities on those biomes.
-logging in boreal forest (currently major source of wood for world markets)
-conversion of savanna to farmland and loss of wildlife habitat and also desertification due to
overgrazing
-Deserts are fragile…damage is slow to recover. Off-road vehicles lead to erosion, development has
led to drop in groundwater levels
-Chaparral in Calif. is being rapidly developed. Fire prevention allows flammable vegetation to build
up and leads to hotter, more destructive fires; removing vegetation increases risk of mudslides during
winter rains
-tallgrass prairie is almost all gone (now N. America’s rarest biome)….90% converted to farmland
-overgrazing and deforestation have damaged areas of temperate deciduous forests
-temperate rain forests contain old growth species that could live many 100s of years. Once
harvested, the forest takes 100s of years to develop the same characteristics. Much of the logged
forest is replaced with monoculture forests.
-Tundra is very slow to recover from damage. Oil and natural gas development and military use
causes damage that persists 100s of years
23.
Which zone in a lake has the highest productivity? Littoral
24.
Water reaches its maximum density at ___4 __ °C.
25.
Describe spring and fall turnovers.
In the spring as ice melts it warms to 4 C reaching its max. density, sinks and nutrient-rich
water from the bottom rise to replace it. During the fall as water cools it reaches 4 C again and
sinks again causing water to rise from the bottom
26.
Do spring and fall turnovers occur in all lakes? Explain? Only in temperate areas as the
water much reach 4 C
27.
How do spring and fall turnovers affect algae populations? Rise due to increase in nutrients
28.
List at least three ecosystem services provided by wetlands.
Flood prevention, groundwater recharge, water purifiers, wildlife habitat
29.
What is a mangrove?
Tropical coastal wetlands characterized by mangrove forests whose stilt-like roots support the trees
and act as nursery areas for marine organisms
30.
Describe the values of salt marshes.
-absorb much of the energy of a storm surge preventing or reducing flood damage; serve as nursery
areas for many species of fish and shellfish
31.
Describe the conditions in which coral reefs are found.
-clear, warm, shallow water
32.
Describe the at least three ways humans affect coral reefs.
-collecting coral, breaking coral with anchors and boat groundings, overfishing, fishing using
cyanide and dynamite, nutrient rich runoff from farms and cities can trigger ecological changes such
as blooms of plankton which lead to pop increase in crownof-thorn sea stars which feed on coral,
climate change
33.
Explain why coral reefs are particularly vulnerable to global warming.
Tolerate just a very narrow range of temperature conditions. Only a 1 C increase in temperature can
cause expulsion of zooxanthellae and bleaching.
34.
What is the primary source of food in the deeper waters of the oceanic province?
Marine snow…organic debris that rains down from the upper waters
35.
Describe what factors led to the severe degradation of the Everglades.
Construction of dikes that affected the flow of water from Lake Okeechobee, creation of levees,
canals and pump stations designed to prevent flooding and pump water to south Florida
citiesDevelopment that resulted from draining and filling the Everglades, pollution of fertilizers etc
from agriculture especially sugar cane
36.
Describe the steps that have been proposed to partially restore the Everglades.
-Prevent runoff from sugar cane farms so less phosphorus and nitrogen flows into the Everglades
-govt purchase farmland lying between Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades…land will be converted
back into marsh
-US Army Corps of Engineers and the South FL Water Mgt District will reengineer the system of
canals, levees and pumps to restore a more natural flow of water to the Everglades
-raise roads in the ares so water can flow under them