Environmental Systems And Societies Flashcards - Biomes And Measuring Methods

Front 1

Measuring Marine abiotic factors

Back 1

Salinity, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, wave action.

Front 2

Measuring Freshwater abiotic factors

Back 2

Turbidity, flow velocity, pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature.

Front 3

Measuring Terrestrial abiotic factors

Back 3

Temperature, light intensity, wind speed, particle size, slope, soil moisture, drainage, mineral content.

Front 4

Capture-release-recapture

Back 4

Method to estimate aboundance of organisms. Not really suitable for population of very large mammals, particularly in remote locations.

Front 5

Dry weight measurements of quantative samples

Back 5

could be extrapolated to estimate total biomass, if needed to estimate the biomass of trophic levels in a community.

Front 6

Diversity

Back 6

A genetic term for heterogeneity. The scientific meaning of diversity becomes clear from the context in which it is used, it may refer to heterogeneity of species or habitat, or to genetic heterogeneity.

Front 7

Genetic Diversity

Back 7

The range of genetic material present in a gene pool or population of a species.

Front 8

Habitat Diversity

Back 8

The range of different habitats or number of ecological niches per unit area in an ecosystem, community or biomes.

Front 9

Simpson Diversity Index

Back 9

D= N(N-1) / ∑n(n-1)

D = diversity index
N = total number of organisms of all species found
n = number of individuals of a particular species

A high value of D suggests a stable and ancient site, and a low value of D could suggest pollution, recent colonization or agricultural management.

Front 10

Biomes

Back 10

A collection of ecosystems sharing similar climatic conditions;

For example, tundra, tropical rainforest, desert.

Front 11

Desert Biomes

Back 11

Deserts are areas where evaporation exceeds precipitation.
• Deserts have little precipitation and little vegetation.
– Found in tropical, temperate and polar regions.
• Desert plants have adaptations that help them
stay cool and get enough water.
• The flora and fauna in desert ecosystems adapt to their environment through their behavior and physiology.

Front 12

Rain Forest

Back 12

• Forests have enough precipitation to support stands of trees and are found in tropical, temperate, and polar regions.
• Tropical rain forests have heavy rainfall and a rich diversity of species.
– Found near the equator.
– Have year-round uniformity warm temperatures and high humidity.