Chapter 54 Review Questions

Which biogeographic realm has been separated from the other landmasses for more than 85 million years?

Australian

Which biogeographic realm has been separated from the other biogreographic realms for the longest period? What animals characterized this biogeographic realm?

The Australian realm - platypus and spiny anteater

How does tundra compare to desert? How does temperate grassland compare to savanna?

The tundra and desert are both dry and have little plant life. The temperate grassland and savanna both grassy with low rainfall

What climate and soil factors produce the major biomes?

Tundra: long harsh winters and cold summers; poor soil Taiga: cold hard winters and poor acidic soil Temperate rain forest:mild winters and cool summers; nutrient poor soil high in organic content Temperate deciduous forest: rich soil with hot summers and cold winters Temperate grasslands: hot summers cold winters, fires, nutrient rich topsoil Chaparral: really dry summers with thin and infertile soil Deserts: hot and cold temp extremes with poor soil Savanna: low rainfall and dry periods; soil is rich in aluminum topical rain forest: rain with rich soil

Where do ecotones occur?

agriculture field meets woodland, where stream flows through forest

This biome, with its thicket of evergreen shrubs and small trees, is found in areas with Mediterranean climates

chaparral

The transition zone where two ecosystems or biomes meet and intergrade is called a(n)

ecotone

This coastal body of water has access to the open ocean and a large supply of fresh water from rivers.

estuary

How do you distinguish between freshwater wetlands and estuaries? Between flowing-water and standing water ecosystems?

freshwater wetlands is in between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. flowing water is like streams and rivers and standing water is like lakes and ponds.

What are the four main marine environments?

intertidal zone, benthic environment, and the pelagic environment (neritic province and oceanic province)

Emergent vegetation grows in the ____________________ zone of freshwater lakes.

littoral

Which aquatic ecosystem is often compared to tropical rain forests? Why?

mangroves and idky

The ________________________ is open ocean from the shoreline to a depth of 200m.

neritic province

Sea grasses......

occur in shallow water of the oceans benthic environment

Organisms in aquatic environments fall into three categories: free-floating _________________, strongly swimming _______________, and bottom-dwelling ____________.

plankton-neckton-benthos

What environmental factors are most important in determining the adaptations of organisms that live in aquatic environments

salinity, dissolved oxygen, water depth, temp, pH, presence and absence of waves and currents

This biome is a tropical grassland interspersed with widely spaced trees

savanna

South of tundra is the ______________, which consists of coniferous forests with many lakes.

taiga

Forests of the northeastern and middle eastern United States, which have broad leaf hardwood trees that lose their foliage annually are called

temperate deciduous forest

The deepest, richest soil in the world occurs in

temperate grassland

What are plankton, nekton, and benthos?

the ecological categories of organisms in acquatic ecosystems

What is biogeography?

the study of the geographic distribution of plants and animals

What is an ecotone?

the transition zone where two communities or biomes meet and intergrade

Temperate-zone lakes are thermally stratified, with warm and cold layers separated by a transitional

thermocline

This biome is a tropical grassland interspersed with widely spaced trees.

tropical rain forest

The northernmost biome, known as ___________________, typically has little precipitation, a short growing season, and permafrost.

tundra