tropical rainforest biome
-humid tropical climate (af)
-broadleaf evergreens
-water plentiful
-competition for light
- Epiphyte plants
-layered structure
-very high species diversity
-much of the animal life is in the canopy layer
-rapid decomposition
tropical deciduous forest biome
-rainfall is seasonal
-trees may be deciduous
-forest not as dense as TRF
Tropical Savanna biome
-often tropical savanna climate
-wet and dry season
-grassland with scattered trees/woodland
-fire important
Tropical Scrub biome
-long dry season
-Transitional plants
-thorny plants
-plants must avoid water loss
desert biome
-subtropical deserts
-rainshadow and interior
-cold ocean currents
-xerophyte plants
-animals: nocturnal, avoid water loss, long dormancy
annual plants
xerophyte
-only grow when there is enough moisture
perennials
xerophyte
Sclerophyllous leaves
small/needle leaves
-Phreatophytes
-Succulents
mediterranean woodland and shrub
-mediterranean climate
-woody shrubs, adapted to drought and fire: sclerophyllous leaves and extensive root system
Midlatitude forest biome
Humid C Climates and Milder D climates
-Water plentiful
-Most midlatitude forests deciduous
-Eastern US, Western Eurrope, Eastern China, Southern hemisphere
Midlatitude Grasslands biome
Mid latitude steppe climates (semi-arid) Tall grass prairies to short grass steppe
-fire an important factor
-large herds and grazing animals
-used for agriculture
Boreal Forest biome
-subarctic D climates
-one of the most extensive biomes
-needleleaf, evergreen, conifers
-little species diversity
-taiga
Tundra Biome
-no trees; dominated by shrubs and herbs
-permafrost
-boggy soil in summer
-many migratory birds
Chaparral
summer drought
-deep roots
-sclerophyllous leaves
- fire-adapted
epiphyte plants
plant that lives on other plants
biogeography
the study of the geographic distribution of plants, animals, and other organisms
ecosystem
collection of organisms interacting with each other and with their environment such that the system itself
biome
a grouping of ecosystems of a similar type, related by having a similar type of vegetation
evergreen
plant doesn't drop leaves all at once
needle-leaf
leaves are needles
broadleaf
leaves are broad and flat
deciduous
plant drops all leaves during unfavorable season
sclerophyllous
hard leaves and short distance in-between
phreatophyte
plants with deep root system that draws water supply from water table
conifer
tree that bears cones and evergreen needlelike or scalelike leaves.
succulent
plants that store water and have short root systems
taiga
the swampy coniferous forests of the high northern latitudes. Siberia and Canada
photosynthesis
sun's energy captured by green plants
-carbon dioxide goes in, oxygen and sugar goes out
food chain
energy flowing in one way direction
-plants<herbivores<carnivores
biomass
total mass of living material
carbon cycle
the life cycle of organic material from air to liquid to solid and back to air
5 soil forming factors
1. geology
2. climate
3. biology
4. topography
5. time
leaching
the process when water dissolves materials and carries them downward in the soil
parent material
the source rock from which the soil is made
igneous (extrusive)
rocks formed from cooling of magma
-reach surface still molten
-cool slowly
-coarse textured
igneous (intrusive/Plutonic)
rocks formed from cooling of magma
-cool and solidify below the surface
-cool rapidly
-fine-textured
sedimentary
formed from fragments of pre-existing rock by pressure or chemical
metamorphic
rocks that have been altered by heat and/or pressure
foliated
layered metamorphic rocks
non-foliated
non-layered metamorphic rock
granite
Intrusive
high in quartz and other light minerals, low in iron and magnesium
basalt
Extrusive: a dark refined fine-grained volcanic rock that sometimes displays a columnar structure
rhyolite
Extrusive: a pale fine-grained volcanic rock of granitic composition
gabbro
Intrusive: a dark, coarse-grained plutonic rock of crystalline texture
sandstone
clastic
sedimentary rock formed from sand grains
conglomerate
clastic
sedimentary rock formed from coarse fragments of varying sizes
limestone
organic/chemical
formed on the sea/floor from precipitated calcium carbonate
coal (bituminous coal)
organic
sedimentary rock of organic origin
marble
non-foliated limestone
shale
clastic
sedimentary rock formed from clay particles settling in quiet water
slate
non-foliated shale
internal structure of earth
crust
upper mantle
asthenosphere
mesosphere
outer core
inner core
crust
continental: granatic rock, less dense, lighter in color, sial
Oceanic: basaltic rock, dense, dark minerals, sima
mantle
igneous rock, dark minerals
-3 layers
+Solid Mesosphere
+Partially melted Asthenosphere
+Ridgid Upper Mantle
lithosphere
crust and upper mantle
asthenosphere
partially melted mantle
-cause for plate tectonics
mohorovicic discontinuity (MOHO)
boundary between crust and mantle
core
inner= solid
outer= liquid
-temperature increases with depth
continental drift
gradual movement of the continents across earth's surface over time
pangaea
Laurasia and Gondwanaland
laurasia
Northern Pangaea
gondwanaland
Southern Pangaea
mid-oceanic ridge
a long, seismically active submarine ridge system situated in the middle of an ocean basin and marking the site of the upwelling of magma associated with seafloor spreading
subduction
one plate is pushed beneath another, and moves down into the mantle
spreading center
process that occurs at mid-ocean ridges, where new oceanic crust is formed through volcanic activity
convergent
tectonic plates move towards each other
Oceanic-Continental=
-mountain range, deep ocean tench, earthquakes, volcanos
Oceanic-Oceanic
- arc of volcanic islands, earthquakes, deep ocean trench
continental-continental
-mountain ranges, earthquakes, no subdu
divergent
tectonic plates moving away from each other
volcanoes form
transform
tectonic plates move past each other laterally (horizontally)
-earthquakes
terrane
piece of lithosphere carried by a moving plate, then accreted (attached) to a continent
mantle plume
hot spot in mantle
-overlying plate moves past the hot spot
silica
content directly related to viscosity of lava
composite volcano
volcano
-cone shaped
-andesitic lavas
-explosive eruptions/lava flows
-convergent boundaries, inland of subduction zones
shield volcano
volcano
-rounded shape
-basaltic
-non-explosive eruptions
-divergent boundaries, hot spots
cinder volcano
volcano
-small
-high gas content
-explosive
lava dome
volcano
-irregular, lumpy shape
-rhyolitic lava
-potentially explosive
-subduction zones, continental volcanos
andesite
lava with a medium/high silica content. 60%
viscous
high silica
thick lava
pyroclastic flow
dense, destructive mass of very hot ash, lava fragments, and gases ejected
batholith
-large plutons
-granitic rock
-form mountain ranges
dike
type of later vertical rock between older layers of rock
anticline fold
fold
mountain
syncline fold
fold
valley
overturned fold
fold
overlapping
fault
a fracture in rock along movement has taken place
epicenter
point on the earth's surface vertically above the focus of an earthquake
focus
the location where the earthquake begins
richter scale
measures amplitude of ground motion
factors determining damage of earthquakes
-magnitude
-distance
-soil conditions
-buildings