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Questions and Answers
Tropical rainforests have low levels of precipitation.
Tropical rainforests have low levels of precipitation.
False
Salinity is a type of abiotic factor that affects the functioning of an ecosystem.
Salinity is a type of abiotic factor that affects the functioning of an ecosystem.
True
Photoperiodism is only important for animal growth and development.
Photoperiodism is only important for animal growth and development.
False
Heliophytes grow best in shade conditions.
Heliophytes grow best in shade conditions.
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Temperature has no effect on plant growth and development.
Temperature has no effect on plant growth and development.
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Precipitation patterns do not affect the type of vegetation in an area.
Precipitation patterns do not affect the type of vegetation in an area.
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Wind is a factor that can cause desiccation in plants through decreased evapo-transpiration.
Wind is a factor that can cause desiccation in plants through decreased evapo-transpiration.
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All plants are adapted to the same light conditions.
All plants are adapted to the same light conditions.
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The topographic factors of an area have a direct influence on the flora and fauna.
The topographic factors of an area have a direct influence on the flora and fauna.
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Tundra ecosystems have high levels of precipitation.
Tundra ecosystems have high levels of precipitation.
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Soil pH is a characteristic that has no influence on plant and animal life.
Soil pH is a characteristic that has no influence on plant and animal life.
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Halophytes are a type of plant that grows on rocks.
Halophytes are a type of plant that grows on rocks.
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The steepness of a slope has no effect on the flow of water and soil erosion.
The steepness of a slope has no effect on the flow of water and soil erosion.
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The windward side of a mountain receives less rainfall than the leeward side.
The windward side of a mountain receives less rainfall than the leeward side.
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Study Notes
Ecosystem Factors
- Deserts, tropical rainforests, and tundras exhibit distinct differences in solar flux, temperature, and precipitation patterns.
Chemical Factors
- Availability of essential nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur affects ecosystem functioning.
- Level of toxic substances, salts causing salinity, and organic substances in soil or water also influence ecosystem functioning.
Climatic Factors
- Temperature, light, relative humidity, precipitation, and wind influence the climate of a region and are important abiotic factors.
- Light and temperature affect basic metabolic processes of plants like photosynthesis, seed germination, flowering, and fruiting.
- Different plants adapt to different light conditions, such as heliophytes (full sunlight) and sciophytes (shade or diffused sunlight).
- Photoperiodism (duration of day and night) affects plants and animals, particularly in reproductive stages.
- Temperature affects plant and animal growth and development, with extreme temperatures leading to freezing or thermal injury.
- Precipitation patterns and magnitude determine the type of vegetation and distribution of animal species in an area.
Topographic Factors
- Physical geography of an area influences flora and fauna through indirect climatic factors.
- Altitude, latitude, and longitude affect temperature, pressure, wind velocity, solar intensity, and humidity.
- Steepness of slope influences water flow, soil erosion, siltation, wind speed, and other factors.
- Windward and leeward sides of a mountain affect rainfall in the region.
Edaphic Factors
- Soil is a complex matrix consisting of weathered rock material, organic matter, inorganic gases, minerals, and soil biota.
- Soil characteristics like texture, pH, porosity, water, salinity, organic matter, and mineral matter influence plant and animal life.
- Different ecological groups of plants have evolved with distinct adaptive features on different types of soils.
- Examples of adapted plants include halophytes (saline soils), oxalophytes (acidic soils), psammophytes (sands), lithophytes (rocks), and calcicoles (calcareous soils).
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Description
This quiz explores the physical and chemical factors that affect the functioning of different ecosystems, including deserts, tropical rainforests, and tundras.
