Unit I: Intro to Ecology

Question 1

Terrestrial biomes

Answer 1

ecological community of plants, animals, and other organisms that is adapted to a characteristic set of environmental condition

Question 2

Tropical wet forests

Answer 2

• Temperature: warm/hot and stable
• Precipitation: high
• Dominant vegetation: broad-leafed, evergreen plants
• High diversity
• Lack of seasonality

Question 3

Savanna (tropical grassland)

Answer 3

• Temperature: warm/hot and stable
• Precipitation: low, extensive dry season
• Dominant vegetation: grasses
• Tropical regions with low rainfall

Question 4

Subtropical deserts

Answer 4

• Temperature: warm/hot
  – Often with some variation over year, and large difference between day and night
• Precipitation: very low
• Dominant vegetation: plants adapted to low water availability
  – E.g., drought tolerant, deep roots, seeds can stay dormant for long periods
• Typically between 15-30o N/S of equator

Question 5

Rain shadow deserts

Answer 5

West: moisture-laden are blows onshore from Pacific Ocean

Air rises over mountains and cools; rain falls

East: dry air creates desert condition

Question 6

Chaparral

Answer 6

• Temperature: warm
• Precipitation: low, mostly winter
• Dominant vegetation: shrubs adapted to periodic fires
  – Some species produce seeds that germinate only after fire
  – Ash from fire supplies nutrients
• Coastal southern California and Mediterranean

Question 7

Temperate grasslands

Answer 7

• Temperature: seasonal, warm/cool
• Precipitation: low, seasonal
• Dominant vegetation: grasses
• Mid-lattitudes
• Soils often “deep” and rich in organic matter, but cold winter temps and frozen water creates defined growing season

Question 8

Temperate forests

Answer 8

• Temperature: seasonal, warm/cool
• Precipitation: low/moderate
• Dominant vegetation: deciduous trees
• Mid latitudes
• Soils often rich in organic matter due to leaf litter, but cold winter temps and frozen water creates defined growing season

Question 9

Where does seasonality occur?

Answer 9

mid-high latitudes

Question 10

Boreal forests (tiaga)

Answer 10

• Temperature: seasonal, cool-cold
• Precipitation: low
• Dominant vegetation: cold-tolerant conifers
• Soils have lower nutrient availability than temperate biomes because needles drop less frequently and decompose slower
• Little water evaporation due to cold temps

Question 11

Arctic tundra

Answer 11

• Temperature: seasonal, cold
• Precipitation: low
• Dominant vegetation: low to ground plants, lichens, mosses
• Since temps are low throughout year:
  – Soils may remain frozen year-round (permafrost)
  – Slow decay of dead organic matter

Question 12

Permafrost

Answer 12

Ground frozen for extended time periods
– Usually > 2 years
– High latitudes (tundra and parts of boreal forest) and altitudes
– Prevents tree root growth

Question 13

What habitat are determined by salinity?

Answer 13

1. Salt water
   - coral reed
   - kelp forests
2. Fresh water
   - lakes and ponds
   - rivers and streams
   - wetlands
3. Both
   - estuaries

Question 14

Stenohaline

Answer 14

tolerate narrow range of salinity

Question 15

Euryhaline

Answer 15

tolerate large changes in salinity

Question 16

What type of blood is saltwater fish?

Answer 16

Blood is hypotonic: lower amount of salts compared to surrounding water
- expected to lose water by osmosis
- concentration urine

Question 17

What type of freshwater fish?

Answer 17

Blood is hypertonic: greater amount of salts compared to surrounding water
- expected to gain water by osmosis
- dilute urine

Question 18

Coral reef

Answer 18

Ocean ridges formed by marine invertebrates living in warm, shallow waters within the photic zone
- marine invertebrate cryptofauna
- host colorful zooxanthellae algae
- coral bleaching

Question 19

Kelp

Answer 19

• Marine, multicellular brown algae
• Temperate and high latitudes
• Buoyant, but anchored with holdfasts
• High productivity, diverse communities

Question 20

Wetlands: Rivers and Streams

Answer 20

Fast flowing streams:
– Greater potential for erosion
– Maintains cooler temperatures longer
– Poses challenges for organisms to not be swept away
– more oxygen (better aerated)

Question 21

Wetlands: Marshes and Swamps

Answer 21

Higher water flow:
– More oxygen and nutrients
– Greater productivity

Question 22

Wetlands: Bogs

Answer 22

Little or no water flow
– Oxygen and nutrient poor
– Together with low temps, low decomposition

Question 23

aquatic biome

Answer 23

a biome that occurs in water; includes both ocean and freshwater biomes

Question 24

pelagic realm

Answer 24

open ocean waters that are not close to the bottom or near the shore

Question 25

benthic realm

Answer 25

part of the ocean that extends along the ocean bottom from the shoreline to the deepest parts of the ocean floor
hint: B for “benthic”, B for “bottom”

Question 26

photic zone

Answer 26

portion of the ocean that light can penetrate
hint: “photo” means light

Question 27

aphotic zone

Answer 27

part of the ocean where NO light penetrates

Question 28

intertidal zone

Answer 28

part of the ocean that is closest to land; parts extend above the water at low tide

Question 29

neritic zone

Answer 29

part of the ocean that extends from low tide to the edge of the continental shelf

Question 30

abyssal zone

Answer 30

deepest part of the ocean at depths of 4000 m or greater