UK Woodlands

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  • Created by: ppogba
  • Created on: 10-08-19 22:28
Woodlands are made of what type of trees?
Broadleaved and Deciduous
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Name the 3 types of woodland?
Native, Ancient, Recent
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How much of UK woodlands are native?
40%
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What are native tree species defined as? What tree dominated?
species that have grown in the UK naturally since last ice age, not introduced. Birch usually dominated.
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How many species of native trees and shrubs are in the UK?
50 species.
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What are Ancient Woodlands defined as?
continually wooded since 1600 AD. (planting more common after 1600. pre-1600 likely to be native).
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What are Recent woodlands defined as?
planted or established naturally (eg. on former farm or heathland)
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What is the difference between 'Primary' and 'Secondary' woodland?
Primary = survived continually since last ice age. Secondary = planted or established since last ice age.
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What soil is typical of UK Woodland? How much of UK does it cover?
Brown Forest Soil. 45% (shows where woodland has previously been).
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Describe the make-up of Brown Forest soil?
Good quality, rich soil. Active mixing of mineral and organic matter. No sharp boundaries. pH5-7.
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Why do communities occur in woodlands?
Environmental factors/stresses. Community processes.
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Give 4 community processes?
Competitive exclusion. co-existence through tolerance. coexistence through complementary resource use. dependence.
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What are the 3 components to Community structure?
Vertical Structure (stratification). Horizontal structure (pattern). Species abundance.
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The vertical structure of UK woodlands is the most complex vertical structure of any British vegetation type. What are the 4 layers?
1. Tree layer. 2. Shrub layer. 3. field layer. 4. ground layer (mosses, small herbs).
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The field layer can be split into 2. What are they?
i) tall herbs and undershrubs. ii) layer of low herbs.
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In the horizontal structure, what are the 3 main (but intergrading) distribution types (patterns)?
1. Regular (over dispersed). 2. Random. 3. Clumped (underdispersed-most common type).
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The pattern shown by a species is a product of what?
1. Morphology and growth characteristics (eg. individual vs spreading species). 2. seed dispersal mechanisms. 3. environmental heterogeneity. 4. species interactions
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What is species abundance?
the amount a species contributes to the vegetation.
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Give 4 ways in which species abundance can be measured?
Abundance ('guesstimates'- subjective), Density, Frequency, Cover
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What are the 2 main approaches plants have to survival on the forest floor?
Shade Tolerance. Complementary resource use / complementation.
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What are 3 ways to be shade tolerant?
Absorb as much light as possible from environment. Reduce your energy requirements. both.
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Describe the leaf morphology of shade plants?
Large, thin leaves. leaves with a single palisade layer. large SA:weight ratio.
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Morphological plasticity to shading is typical of what plants compared to others?
typical of plants in partial shade conditions, rather than species consistently in deep shade.
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Why do Evergreen plants have lower energy requirements?
they do not have to make new leaves every year.
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Evergreen plants don't have to have shade type leaves. Give examples of evergreen plants?
Deschampsia flexuosa (wavy hair grass). Taxus baccarat (yew).
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However, these leaves have a low respiration rate and therefore grow slowly. Why is this?
because they must respire through winter.
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What is the Light Compensation point?
the amount of light where photosynthesis overtakes respiration.
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What would the LCP be of shade tolerant plants?
they would have lower light compensation points than plants adapted to sunny areas. This gives shade leaves an advantage at low light intensities.
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What does Complementary resource use mean? What is another name for it?
when plants 'share' resources or occupy complementary ecological niches. Also called complementation.
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Give examples of Complementary resource using plants?
blue bells, wood anemone.
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Plants can be classified by the season in which they have their main growth. What are the name of these 4 species and in what season to they have their main growth?
Vernal species (spring- daffodil). Aestival species (summer- many species). Autumnal species (autumn/winter- autumn crocus). Hiemal species (winter- snowdrop).
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Autumnal and hiemal species are also known as what?
winter annuals.
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Woodland case study (coed cymerau- N.Wales). Woodland on acidic soils dominated by sessile oak. but older oak woodlands struggle to regenerate. Acorns are viable and despite 99% being predated by squirrels, they are still there. Why poor regeneration
Upland oaks have ground layer dominated by Deschampsia flexuosa (wavy hair grass).It is a poor trapper of oak litter (blown out of woods).
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Why is it bad that the wavy hair grass can't trap oak litter?
loss of medium for acorn germination. loss of important cover to reduce rodent predation of acorns.
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What is a Vera cycle?
natural processes involving herbivores that regulate woodland formation and die-off.
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What are the 4 stages of the Vera cycle? How long does it take to complete each stage?
1. Open grassland (125yrs). 2. Scrub vegetation (75yrs). 3. Grove/woodland (250yrs). 4. Break up of woodland (75yrs)
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So from the case study, what is the likely cause of lack of regeneration?
a result of natural vera cycles and ground layer factors.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Name the 3 types of woodland?

Back

Native, Ancient, Recent

Card 3

Front

How much of UK woodlands are native?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What are native tree species defined as? What tree dominated?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

How many species of native trees and shrubs are in the UK?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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