ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 20 - TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS

what is a terrestrial ecosystem?

an ecosystem found only on landforms

what are the six primary terrestrial biomes?

-tundra
-tropical forest
-grassland
-desert
-taiga
-deciduous forest

terrestrial ecosystem vs aquatic ecosystem

terrestrial ecosystems have:

• greater light availability than aquatic systems

• greater fluctuations in temperature

• greater gas availability ex.) carbon dioxide

how much space do terrestrial systems take on Earth?

28.26% of the earth

what type of adaptations have animals and organisms had to make in order to survive a terrestrial life?

• retain water ( transport/doesn't evaportate )

• withstand extreme weather patterns

• transport gametes ( eggs

what is the desert biome?

-it covers 1/3rd of the earth's land surface -receives minimal amound of rain fall ( 25 cm a year )

• it is very hot in the day and cool at night

• also found in arctic

what adaptations do animals in the desert have?

• they can survive long periods without water ( conserve water )

• they can live in extreme heat without overheating

• most are small and burrow underground to avoid direct heat of the sun

• most are nocturnal or hunt only at night.

what adaptations do plants in the desert have?

• survive dry conditions

• reduced leaves or none at all

• leaf surfaces are reduced to spines and thorns to minimize water loss by evaporation

• shallow root systems /or deep tap roots to access rainwater and ground water

• most are small

what animals are in the desert?

• rodents

• kangaroo rats

• snakes

• lizzards

what is the grassland biome?

- found in areas too dry to support forests

what animals are found in the grasslands?

• hares

• rodents

• gophers + squirrels

• locusts

• grasshoppers

• bisons

• zebras

• antelopes

what is the vegetation like in grasslands?

- grass that are adapted to irregular periods of precipitation and dryness
-forbs

what is the rainforest biome?

• found in tropical and subtropical parts where rain falls every day. (

• cover much of central africa

how much precipitation does the rainforest receive during a year?

- 200 cm of precipitation

what animals are found in the rainforest?

- arboreal mammals ( monkeys

what are epiphytes?

• a plant that grows on other plants

• found in rainforest

what vegetation is in the forest?

• several hundred different species of trees

• forests crowded together and form an overhead canopy of branches

Canadian Rainforest

• "Great Bear Rainforest"

• found on the Pacific coast of Bristish Columbia

• home to cougars

what is the deciduous forest biome?

• trees that shed leaves in the winter

• 4 seasons

• cold winters

what animals are found in the deciduous forest biome?

deer

what is the vegetation in deciduous forest biomes?

- deciduous trees that lose their leaves in the winter

what is the taiga biome?

• also known as the BOREAL FOREST

• long severe winters

what animals are in the taiga biome?

black bears

what is the vegetation like in the taiga biome?

- coniferous trees ( pine trees/ trees that have cones )

what is the tundra biome?

• permafrost ( the ground is permanently frozen )

• low lying plants

• arctic climate

• continuous night in the winter and continuous daylight in the summer

• white furred animals ( to hide in the snow )

what animals are in the tundra?

- white furred animals

what is the vegetation like in the tundra?

• like the desert there are not much plants

• the plants are low lying

• lichen

alpine tundra biome

• like the tundra except no permagrost

• warmer and longer growing seasons -> higher productivity

• less severe winters

• higher species diversity than arctic tundra

what do plants need to grow and thrive?

• SUNLIGHT to carry photosynthesis

• GASSES ( C02 ) absorbs co2 and releases oxygen

• SOIL to grow in

How do plants help our environment?

• release oxygen in the atmosphere

• absorb carbon dioxide

• provide habitat and food for wildlife

• regulate the water cycle

What is soil?

Loose covering of weathered ( broken-down ) rock particles enriched with decaying organic matter.

What are the components of soil?

45% WEATHERED ROCK ( sand gravel

Soil profile

a vertical section of the soil that depicts all of its horizons.
- extends from the soil surface to the parent rock material

soil horizon

a layer parallel to the soil surface whose physical

layers in a soil profile

surface litter -\> top soil -\> sub soil -\> rock particles -\> bedrock

surface litter

composed of loose

top soil

dark-coloured layer with large amounts of organic matter mixed with minerals

sub soil

contains less organic matter and fewer organisms than topsoil

rock particles

contains no organic matter; chemical content of materials in this layer help determine the pit of soil

bed rock

solid layer of rock

humus

organic material resulting from the breakdown of plant and animal remains

• contains nutrients taken up by plants from soil.

• increases the water-holding ability and the acidity of soil

• good for agricultural use

what living things are in soil?

- burrowing animals ( worms

Why is bacteria and fungi important in soil?

• recycle and help decay materials

• they breakdown complex organic materials ( nitrogen ) into simpler forms that plants use as nutrients

why are earthworms so important?

- they move through soil

property

an attribute

properties of soil

• porosity

• pH ( acidity or basicity )

• texture

soil texture

determined by the size of the mineral particles in the soil
- depends on the percentage of clay

loam

• type of soil that is ideal for agriculture

• has large spaces for air and water drainage and the ability to hold nutrients and water

• PERFECT COMBINATION OF SAND

what is the soil texture of loam?

40% silt
40% sand
20% clay

porosity

the quality of being porous

what is the importance of porosity?

they allow water and air to move through the soil
- different types of soil have different degrees of soil

low porosity

- small

high porosity

- large

pH

measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution on a logarithmetic scale
- 7 is neutral
- x

Soil pH

• depends on the amount of rainfall and the amount of organic material the soil contains

• rainwater dissolves and removes minerals

why is soil pH important?

• affects how easily nutrients can be removed from soil which affects the kinds of plants that will grow in the soil. which affects the amount of organic matter farmers have to add to soil.

• the optimum pH range for most plants is between 5.5 and 7.5 pH levels.

soil leaching

the loss of soluble substances and colloids from the top layer of soil by percolating precipitation.
-\> the materials lost are carried downward and are generally redeposited in a lower layer.
IN OTHER WORDS -\> to wash nutrients out of the soil

biodiversity

biological diversity and variability of life on earht

parent material

material from which a soil is formed

permafrost

a thick subsurface layer of soil that remains frozen throughout the year

xenobiotic

a chemical substance found within an organism that is not naturally produced or expected to be present within the organism
- MAN MADE / ARTIFICIAL

pedology

the study of soil

taxonomy

The scientific study of how living things are classified

• uses latin language

• binomial nomenclature ( Genus species )

taxonomic levels of organization

Domain

kingdom

a taxonomic level

• there are 6 of them

• archaebacteria

species

a taxonomic level
- a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding

symbiosis

when individuals of two or more species live in direct and intimate contact with one another

types of symbiosis

mutualism

mutualism

A relationship between two species in which both species benefit
- lichen

commensalism

A relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected
- shark and remora fish

What are the 2 types of cells?

prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells

prokaryotic cells

no nucleus

Eukaryotic cells

does have a nucleus
does have membrane bound organelles

what domain and kingdom are earthworms found in?

Domain Eukarya
Kingom Animalia

classification of an earthworm

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Class: Clitellata
Order: Opisthopora
Family: Lumbricidae
Genus: Lumbricus
Species: L. terrestris

lichen

An organism made of a fungus and either algae or autotrophic bacteria that live together in a mutualistic relationship.
Main food source in the tundra

Arboreal

living in trees; of or relating to trees

Soil buffering capacity

• ability of the soil to resist changes in pH

• calcium carbonate ( CACO3) is able to neutralize soil acidity

arid

having little or no rain

how does climate influence soil?

climate becomes cooler

what is a general rule of topography when referring to the soil that is in a particular area?

• land surfaces that are higher ( convex ) lose water through run off

• lower surfaces ( concave ) receive extra water HIGH UP -> DRY DOWN LOW/VALLEY -> MOIST/SATURATED

what is the difference between south facing slopes and north facing slopes?

south: less moist and warmer

three ways that erosion can occur

• wind

• water

• ice

formation of the drumheller hoodoos

- made through the process of WIND EROSION

formation of the bay of fundy hopewell rocks

- formed by WATER EROSION and the continuous battering of the waves against the shore

factors of formation of soil

parent material
climate
topography
living organisms
time

what influences parent material?

-texture; soil texture

-clay contents; affects the soil's ability to retain cations

or the cation exchange capacity

- mineralogy; minerals vary in their resistance to weathering

- buffering capactiy; the ability of a soil to resist changes in pH.

leach

drain away from soil "the nutrient quickly leached away"

climate

things that affect the climate

wind's effects on soil

causes erosion and redistributes soil and particles and alters the effectiveness of precipitation.

temperature's effect on soil

helps determine the rate of chemical reactions and the intensity of biological activity.
-\> it also has to do with the freezing and thawing of the ground.

water's effect on soil

causes a reactive environment and is a transport medium for nearly all living organisms and reactions in soil

topography

shape of the land

topography's affect on soil

the slope of a mountain/hill can impact the temperature of soil in and around that particular area land
-\> the shape of the land surface influences the redistribution of the water received as precipitation.

general rule of topography

land that slope up ( convex ) lose water by run-off -\> the soil is less developed and drier

land that is sloped down ( concave ) receive extra water -\>the soil is strongly developed and moist

south facing slopes are warmer and less moist