Ecosystems And The Biosphere

BIOL1 309

What organisms are PRIMARY PRODUCERS?

plants

What organisms are PRIMARY CONSUMERS?

herbivores

SECONDARY CONSUMERS

Carnivores

Apex or tertiary consumers eat what?

other carnivores 

What are decomposers?

organisms that harvest energy from waste

In the carbon cycle where is the reservoir for carbon?

the atmosphere

From what molecule is carbon retrieved from?

carbon dioxide

In the nitrogen cycle where is the reservoir for nitrogen?

the atmosphere

How is nitrogen retrieved?

the only way to retrieve nitrogen is through nitrogen fixers

In the phosphorous cycle where and how is phosphorus retrieved?

from rocks by breaking down the rock into soil

Polar Ice Terrestrial Ecosystem Climate

extremely cold, dry and windy year round

Polar Ice Plant Life

None, NO SOIL for roots to grow into

Polar Ice Animal Life

phytoplankton, crustaceans, worms, ice fishes

Polar ice have what to keep their cells from freezing?

antifreeze chemicals

Tundra Ecosystem Climate

long winters, very cold and dark, summer is 6-8 weeks long

Tundra Plant Life 

NONE during winter, shrubs, grasses, lichens, moss during summer 

Taiga/ Coniferous Forest Plant Life

evergreen trees, firs, spruce, pine trees

Taiga Animal Life

mammals/ birds with thick layers of insulation

Temperate Deciduous Forest Climate

all 4 seasons, hot summers, cold winters

Temperate Deciduous Forest Plant Life

shrubs, grasses, moss, ferns maple, aspen, birch, oak

Temperate Grassland Climate

all 4 seasons, hot summers, cold winters

Temperate Grassland Plant Life

tall grasses in the east, short grasses in the west

Temperate Grassland Animal Life

burrowing animals, snakes, bobcats

Desert Climate

hot days, cold nights, very dry, little rainfall

Desert Plant Life

drought resistant plants, cacti, sage bushes

Desert Animal Life

reptiles do very well, few mammals, NO amphibians 

Tropical Rainforest Climate

warm, heavy rainfall year round

Tropical Rainforest Plant And Animal Life

VERY DIVERSE

Savanna Climate

dry winters, wet summer, warm year round

Savanna Plant Life 

grass and drought resistant trees

Chaparral Climate

summers that are so dry, lightning strikes can start a fire

Chaparral Plant Life

fire resistant plants

Lakes and Ponds are ______________.

standing freshwater

Difference between a lake and a pond

lake is bigger and deeper

Rivers and Streams

flowing freshwater

Difference between river and a stream

river is larger, deeper, and longer

Estuaries and Wetlands

where freshwater meets salty oceans

Estuary organisms must ________________.

be able to withstand rapid changes in salinity

Weather patterns are controlled by what 4 things?

• curvature and tilting of the Earth

• Air Circulation

• Local Topography

• Ocean Currents