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All 15 Flashcards — Zonation
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Question
Define zonation.
Answer
Zonation is a change in species composition across space along an environmental gradient.
💡 Hint
Across space.
Question
In one line, what is zonation?
Answer
A change in species composition across space along an environmental gradient.
💡 Hint
Across space.
Question
Name four common environmental gradients.
Answer
Altitude, latitude, tidal level, and soil depth.
💡 Hint
A-L-T-S.
Question
What generally happens to biodiversity with increasing altitude?
Answer
Biodiversity generally decreases as altitude increases because conditions become colder, windier, and growing seasons shorten.
💡 Hint
Higher = harsher.
Question
What is an environmental gradient?
Answer
A gradual change in an abiotic factor across space (e.g., tidal exposure, altitude, moisture, light).
💡 Hint
Gradual abiotic change.
Question
List the three core reasons zonation occurs.
Answer
Abiotic conditions change, species have tolerance limits, and competition affects where species survive.
💡 Hint
Abiotic + tolerance + competition.
Question
Which tidal zone usually has the highest biodiversity and why?
Answer
The low tide zone, because it is submerged most of the time and conditions are more stable.
💡 Hint
More stable.
Question
Give one example of a zonation gradient.
Answer
Tidal level on a rocky shore (high tide zone → mid tide → low tide).
💡 Hint
Rocky shore.
Question
Which fieldwork method is used to study zonation?
Answer
Transects (often with quadrats at intervals) to record changes across a gradient.
💡 Hint
Line + samples.
Question
Why does zonation occur?
Answer
Because abiotic conditions change across space, species have tolerance limits, and competition excludes less adapted species from some zones.
💡 Hint
Tolerance + competition.
Question
In kite diagrams, what does width represent?
Answer
Abundance (number of organisms).
💡 Hint
Width = abundance.
Question
Define a transect.
Answer
A transect is a straight line laid across an environmental gradient along which observations are made at intervals.
💡 Hint
Line across gradient.
Question
What does a kite diagram show?
Answer
Species distribution and abundance along a transect; kite width indicates abundance and position shows where the species occurs.
💡 Hint
Width = abundance.
Question
What does “tolerance limits” mean?
Answer
The range of abiotic conditions a species can survive and reproduce in; outside the range it cannot persist.
💡 Hint
Range of survival.
Question
Zonation occurs at what two scales?
Answer
Local scale (e.g., rocky shores, forests) and global scale (e.g., climate zones and biomes).
💡 Hint
Local + global.
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Topic 2.8 hub
Biomes, zonation, succession
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