APES Biomes Flashcards - Terrestrial & Aquatic

Climate, precipitation, & NPP for terrestrial, other identifying factors for aquatic. (bd is biodiversity, *not* BOD)

Temperate Seasonal/Deciduous Forest

50-225cm precipitation, 5-20°C, high NPP

Temperate Grassland

0-25cm precipitation, -5-20°C, limited NPP

Temperate Rainforest

150-350cm precipitation, 5-20°C, high NPP

Tropical Rainforest

250-450cm precipitation, 20-30°C, VERY high NPP

Savanna

50-275cm precipitation, 20-30°C, limited NPP

Desert

0-100cm precipitation, 18-30°C, limited NPP

Tundra

0-100cm precipitation, -10-5°C, low NPP

Taiga/Boreal Forest

25-200cm precipitation, -5-10°C, low NPP

Shrubland/Chaparral

25-125cm precipitation, -5-20°C, limited NPP

Freshwater: Streams & Rivers

The Lotic System: divides into 3 zones; source (high DO, low NPP), transition (lower DO, more NPP), and floodplain (least DO, highest NPP)

Freshwater: Ponds & Lakes

Lentic Systems: divided into 4 zones; littoral zone (top, high NPP), limnetic zone (second, low NPP), profundal (third, low NPP), and benthic (lowers, low NPP) keep in mind that the lower you go, the less light there is

Freshwater: Inland Wetlands

High productivity (high nutrient levels, lots of sunlight). Lots of services- filter toxic water, reduce flooding, maintain biodiversity, etc

Marine: Open Ocean

Can be divided into 5 zones: intertidal (high biodiversity), coastal (lower bd), euphotic (lots of sun, low bd), bathyal (low light, low NPP), and abyssal (no light, little productivity)

Marine: Estuaries & Salt Marshes

Extremely biodiverse, high nutrient levels + sunlight = VERY high NPP, brackish water

Marine: Intertidal Zone

Along coastline between the high & low tide marks- hard to survive in due to the tide changes & surf, highly specialized species live here

Marine: Coral Reef

In warm & shallow seas, very high NPP & bd- think tropical rainforest of the ocean, water is low in nutrients

Watershed

an area or a ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas

Biome

A region of the globe that shares similar characteristics

Defining Biome Characteristics: Terrestrial

temperature, precipitation, plant & animal communities

Defining Biome Characteristics: Aquatic

light availability, depth, temperature, currents and tides