sustaining ecosystems

• What is an ecosystem?


  A community of living organisms interacting
• What are the two main components of an ecosystem?

  Abiotic and biotic factors
• Who are the producers in a food chain?

  Plants
• How do plants produce their own food?

  Through photosynthesis using sunlight
• What do food chains illustrate in an ecosystem?

  The flow of energy through the ecosystem
• What do the arrows in a food chain represent?

  The direction of energy transfer
• What are the three types of consumers?

  Herbivores, carnivores, omnivores
• What are decomposers?

  Fungi and bacteria
• What is a biome?

  A large geographical area with similar climate
• How does latitude affect the climate of a biome?

  Closer to the equator, the warmer it is
• What are the levels of a rainforest?

  • Emergent
  • Canopy
  • Understory
  • Forest Floor
• What are some commercial uses of rainforest plant extracts?

  Medicines, cosmetics, and food products
• What are the elements of tropical rainforests?

  Equatorial locations, high humidity, nutrient-poor soil
• What is the temperature range in tropical rainforests?

  Rarely falls below 64°F (18°C)
• How much rainfall do tropical rainforests receive annually?

  Can reach up to 400 cm each year
• Why is soil important in the rainforest ecosystem?

  Plants absorb nutrients and water from it
• What are the layers of soil in the rainforest profile?

  1. Top Soil: Rich in organic matter
  2. Sub Soil: Contains some decomposed matter
  3. Rock: Parent material for topsoil
• What is the temperature range in tropical rainforests?

  25 - 30 °C
• How much rainfall do tropical rainforests receive?

  More than 200 cm/year
• What type of soil is found in tropical rainforests?

  Very infertile soil, fast decomposition
• What is the climate of a temperate deciduous forest?

  5 - 20 °C with 75 - 150 cm/year rainfall
• What type of soil is found in temperate deciduous forests?

  Fertile loams
• What is the climate of the taiga biome?

  -5 - 5 °C with 30 - 80 cm/year rainfall
• What type of trees are mainly found in the taiga?

  Mainly coniferous trees
• What is the climate of a desert biome?

  30 - 40 °C with <25 cm/year rainfall
• What type of soil is found in deserts?

  Very dry, sandy, or stony soil
• How do animals adapt to desert conditions?

  By surviving extreme temperatures and nocturnality
• What is the climate of the tundra biome?

  -10 - 10 °C with 15 - 25 cm/year rainfall
• What type of soil is found in the tundra?

  Poor, permanently frozen subsoil (permafrost)
• What types of plants grow in the tundra?

  Low growing and dense plants in mats
• What types of animals are found in the tundra?

  Large mammals and many birds
• What biomes are the most productive in terms of biomass?

  Hot and wet climates