Environmental Science 20 Unit 2: Terrestrial Ecosystems Review Questions
A.Vocabulary
Understand and be able to apply each of these terms.
1. Biome – has it’s own unique geography and climate
2. Climate – an areas temperature and precipitation
3. Latitude – as distance away from equator increases; average temperature decreases
4. Altitude – as elevation increases average temp decreases
5. Climatograph- combination of precipitation and temperature on one graph
6. Primary Succession – occurs when a new ecosystem develops where there was none before
7. Secondary Succession – occurs following the disruption of an existing ecosystem
8. Desertification- dry areas become more desert-like due to human activities
9. Salinization- occurs during irrigation of cropping systems leaves evaporated salt in the soil
10. Fallowing- allowing a field to rest between cropping with a cover on it
11. Silviculture- he field of science that deals with the long-term planning, planting, and maintenance of
forests and trees
12. Soil- a complex mixture of minerlas, decomposing materials and living organisms
13. Bedrock- process forms the parent material from lava, granite or limestone
14. Physical Weathering- rock is broken down by wind and weather
15. Chemical Weathering- rocks react with substances such as acid and water
16. Biological Weathering17. Erosion- natural process that redistributes soil and minerlas across the earth
18. Famine-large-scale undernourishment occurs in a population
19. Organic- do not use synthetic pesticides and herbicides
20. Arable Land- land that is fertile and can be used to grow crops
21. GMO- Genetically Modified Organisms
22. Strip farming- planting different crops in alternating strips along land contours
23. Terracing- shaping land to create level shelves of Earth to hold soil and water
24. Proteins- helps build and maintain all body structures
25. Carbohydrates- the main source of the body’s energy
26. Lipids- helps form membranes and hormones
B. Short Answer Questions:
Be able to read, analyze, and give complete answers to questions like these.
1. Label the windward and leeward slopes of the diagram below.
Windward
Leeward
Image from www.fao.org
2. Describe how the rainshadow effect can alter the climate of the windward and leeward sides of a
mountain range. Give an example of a type of biome you might expect on each slope.
Warm air travels up a mountain, air cools and moisture condenses. Windward side receives more
precipitation than the leeward side.
3. What effect does living near a large ocean or lake have on average air temperatures?
Warmer temperatures
4. Give an example each of a location where primary succession and secondary succession could occur.
Primary is new growth where there was none before.
Secondary is place where there has been a fire or decomposing forest
5. Why is primary succession so much slower than secondary succession?
Soil in primary is not established with nutrients
6. Complete this summary chart of the land-based ecosystems.
Precipitation
(High, Low, or
Seasonal)
low
Avg. Temperature
(High, Low, or
Seasonal)
high
Subtropical
Desert
Important Abiotic Factors
Located interior continent
Ex) Sahara Desert
low
Rainshadow effect on opposite side. No rainfall
High
Leeward side of Himalayan Mountains
Coastal
Desert
Rainshadow
Desert
Seasonal
Seasonal
Sonora Desert. Tend to have more rainfall do to latitude
low
low
Antartica
Temp mostly below freezing
seasonal
high
Wind patterns prevent moisture from collecting
seasonal
seasonal
Farther from equator so experience seasonal temperatures
low
low
Short growing season
high
high
Dense with plant growth due to high precipitation
Temperate
Desert
Polar Desert
Savanna
Prairie
Tundra
Tropical
Rainforest
high
Located at higher altitudes
Deciduous
Forest
low
low
Coniferous trees
Boreal Forest
high
high
Temperate
Rainforest
8. Climatograph
Use the data provided to construct a climatograph. Temperature should be displayed as a line graph and
precipitation as a bar graph.
Month
January
Precipitation
(inches)
0.2
Temperature (°F)
-6
February
0.5
-2
March
0.8
-7
April
0.9
28
May
1.1
45
June
1.6
52
July
1.9
50
August
2.4
48
September
1.8
37
October
0.7
18
November
0.5
9
December
0.2
-2
What type of biome do you believe this is? Give specific observations from your graph to justify this answer.
Tundra
seasonal temperatures varies, low precipitation
9. What are the main areas in the world where drylands are found?Tropic of Cancer, North America, Great
Plains
10. How is desertification both a cause and an effect of poverty? People over use land for growing food, this
causes degradation of the land causing less crop output
11. What are the main causes of famine? Lack of food due to poor soil
12. What are the three main food staples? Corn, wheat, rice
13. What is the Dust Bowl? What are the factors contributing to this occurrence? Soil degradation of the 1930’s,
soil uncovered and left to blow away with high winds and lack of moisture
14. Describe the impact the Dust Bowl had on the people quality of life and the economy? 1/7 farmed the land
giving them income, animals died from blocked airways and lack of food and water.
15. Describe how a small scale farmer can adapt their way of farming to potential increase their profitability?
(Case Study Larson Farm) plant higher profit crops, organic farm so no cost for fertilizer,cattle eat crops so
have a higher quality beef for sale.
16. What are the 4 forms of soil degradation? Erosion, Physical, Biological, Chemical
17. What type of soil is susceptible to erosion? Low moisture, low organic matter, steep hills, poor structure
18. What practices can reduce soil erosion? Increase vegetation cover, increase organic matter, plant
windbreaks
19. How is dirt considered living? Contains thousands of microorganisms, provide life for all
20. How does fungus mycelium make dirt? Breaks down matter to provide nutrients
21. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages for using fertilizers?
Adv- increase yield, provide nutrients for the soil that it lacks
Disadv- contaminates water, decrease soil fertility
22. Label the diagram with the soil layers.
O- Ground level, A- Topsoil, B- subsoil, weathered parent material, C- Bedrock
23. What are sizes of the following particles?
Gravel: __2mm______________________
Sand: ______0.05-2 mm__________________
Silt: _______0.002-0.05 mm_________
Clay: _____< 0.002_____________________
24. Every type of soil is a mixture of what? Sand, silt, clay, organic matter
25. What are some of the creatures you can find in the ground? Bacteria, root fungus, night crawler, nemotode