14 - Ecology and Earth Science Flashcards
This deck explores the dynamic interplay between Earth's living and non-living systems. It investigates fundamental ecological concepts, including ecosystem function, energy flow, and evolutionary processes. It also delves into Earth's geological history, examining plate tectonics, the rock cycle, and the forces shaping our planet's surface, such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis.
Define:
An ecosystem
It is the collection of biotic and abiotic factors in an area.
Biotic factors include living things like plants, animalsand bacteria. Abiotic factors include non-living things like soil, water and sunlight.
List:
The three main categories of factors in an ecosystem.
- Autotrophs
- Heterotrophs
- Non-living matter
Autotrophs make their own food, heterotrophs consume other organisms for food and non-living matter includes all abiotic factors.
List:
The two main types of ecosystems.
- Terrestrial
- Aquatic
Terrestrial ecosystems exist on land, while aquatic ecosystems occur in water.
Define:
biomes
Large collections of ecosystems defined by their distinctive precipitation, temperature, vegetation and wildlife.
Describe:
taiga
The largest terrestrial biome, characterized by coniferous forests and has long, cold winters.
Describe:
tundra
A type of biome characterized by small grasses, shrubs and small mammals.
It does not support trees due to harsh and cold weather.
Describe:
deciduous forest
Ecosystem featuring forests of broad-leaved trees and diverse animal species. They experience four seasons and sustain a rich variety of life.
Also called temperate deciduous forest or broadleaf forest.
Define:
temperate grassland
Ecosystem with grass as dominant vegetation, grazing animals, four seasons and rich soil.
Savannas, distinct from temperate grasslands, are warm grasslands in Africa with two main seasons: wet and dry.
List:
The three main types of aquatic ecosystems.
- Freshwater
- Marine
- Brackish
Freshwater ecosystems have low salt concentrations, marine ecosystems are located in the ocean, and brackish ecosystems occur where saltwater and freshwater meet.
Identify:
An example of a freshwater ecosystem.
Pond
Freshwater ecosystems include ponds, lakes, rivers and streams.
Identify:
An example of a marine ecosystem.
Coral reef
Also called the tropical rainforests of the ocean.
Marine ecosystems are present in the ocean.
Identify:
An example of brackish water ecosystem.
Mangrove
Brackish water ecosystems occur where saltwater and freshwater meet.
Identify:
An example of a closed ecosystem.
Terrarium
Closed ecosystems do not exchange matter and energy with other environments.
Explain:
What does a food chain represent?
Feeding interactions in an ecosystem, showing who eats whom.
Identify:
Who forms the base of the food chain?
Producers or autotrophs.
Define:
A trophic level
The category of feeding that the organism occupies with relation to the food being produced.
List:
The five trophic levels.
- Producers
- Primary Consumers
- Secondary Consumers
- Tertiary Consumers
- Quaternary Consumers
Define:
autotrophs
Organisms that create or produce their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.
Define:
primary consumers
Organisms that feed on producers, typically herbivores.
Define:
secondary consumers
Organisms that feed on primary consumers and can be either carnivores or omnivores.
This trophic level is where predators start to appear.
Define:
tertiary consumer
Organisms that feed on secondary consumers.
They are typically predators.
Define:
quaternary consumers
Apex predators that feed on tertiary consumers and below.
They are at the top of the food chain with few predators.
Define:
herbivores
Organisms that feed exclusively on plant matter.
Define:
carnivores
Organisms that feed exclusively on meat or other animals.
Define:
omnivores
Organisms that feed on both plants and meat.
Explain:
What do food webs represent?
All of the food chains within an ecosystem and their interconnected relationships.
Define:
symbiosis
Any kind of relationship or interaction between two different species where at least one organism benefits.
Define:
endosymbiosis
Symbiotic relationship where a smaller organism lives within the cells, tissues or structures inside a host organism’s body.
‘Endo-‘ in endosymbiosis refers to ‘within’, ‘inner’ or ‘containing’.
Define:
ectosymbiosis
A symbiotic relationship where one organism lives on the surface of another.
‘Ecto-‘ in ectosymbiosis refers to ‘outer’, ‘outside’ or ‘external’.
List:
The three types of symbiotic relationships
- Mutualism
- Commensalism
- Parasitism
Describe:
mutualism
A symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit by providing needed resources to the other.
Example: pistol shrimp and goby.
Describe:
commensalism
A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.
Example: cattle egret and cow.
Describe:
parasitism
A symbiotic relationship where one organism (the parasite) benefits and the other (the host) is harmed.
Example: Braconid wasps and the tomato hornworm.
Explain:
The difference between a predator and prey.
- A predator captures and eats another organism.
- A prey is the organism being captured and eaten.
Define:
coevolution
When the fitness of two different species is tightly linked, and these species evolve in response to evolutionary changes in each other.
Identify:
Which adaptation allows a polar bear to blend in with its snowy environment?
camouflage
Describe:
warning coloration
A specialized body coloration used to warn predators or signal danger.
Describe:
Fluctuation in population dynamics
A situation where stability is lost, leading to rapid growth or decline.
Fluctuation can have cascading effects on related species, such as predators and prey.
Define:
Immigration in the context of population dynamics
When an individual or group comes to a new area.
This term is often confused with emigration.
Define:
Emigration in the context of population dynamics
When an individual or group leaves an area.
Understanding both terms is crucial for studying wildlife populations.
Fill in the blank:
A stable population allows for effective __________ in resource management.
planning
Stability in populations aids those managing ecological resources.
Explain:
The relationship between human population growth and food production
Human population growth is accelerating due to increased food production capabilities.
Concerns arise about the sustainability of this growth.
Explain:
The role ecologists play in studying populations
They survey ecosystems and assess the organisms within them.
This helps in accurately representing ecological data.
List:
The three types of rocks
- Igneous rocks
- Metamorphic rocks
- Sedimentary rocks
These rock types continually form through geological processes.
Define:
magma
Liquid rock from which igneous rocks are formed.
Magma crystallizes to form igneous rocks.
How can igneous rocks transform?
- They can form metamorphic rocks through heat and pressure
- Weathered and eroded into sediment
- Transformed back into magma
Igneous rocks have multiple transformation paths.
Explain:
What causes weathering?
Processes of the atmosphere, water or ice, biological organisms or chemical processes.
Weathering is the first step in forming sedimentary rocks.
Define:
erosion
The process that moves broken pieces of rock away, usually caused by water or wind.
Erosion is crucial for sediment transport.
Identify:
An example of a chemical sedimentary rock.
Stalactites and stalagmites.
These are chemical sedimentary structures precipitated into rocks, generally found in caves.
Explain:
What happens to metamorphic rock under intense heat and pressure?
It recrystallizes and may form larger crystals or new minerals.
This does not involve melting into magma.
List:
The geological processes that can lead to the formation of sedimentary rocks
- Weathering
- Erosion
- Compaction
- Cementation
These processes are part of the sedimentary rock cycle.
Explain:
The role of energy in the rock cycle
Energy from Earth’s inner heat and solar energy drives rock-making and destruction processes.
Tectonic activities and weathering are influenced by these energy sources.
Define:
Tectonic plates
Large sections of the Earth’s crust that move independently.
Tectonic plates are solid and drift on currents of the underlying mantle.
List:
The two main types of tectonic plates
- Continental
- Oceanic
Oceanic plates are denser than continental plates.
Identify:
The name of the area where two tectonic plates meet
A fault.
The movement of plates creates these boundaries.
List:
The three main types of tectonic plate movement.
- Convergent boundaries
- Divergent boundaries
- Transform boundaries
Each type of boundary has distinct geological features and processes.
Describe:
What occurs at convergent boundaries?
Two tectonic plates move towards each other.
Depending on the plates involved, one may subduct under the other. The Nazca Plate is an example.
Describe:
What happens at divergent boundaries?
Two tectonic plates move apart.
- This can create volcanoes, mountain ranges and rift valleys.
- The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is an example of a divergent boundary.
Describe:
What occurs at transform boundaries?
Two plates slide past each other.
- This movement can create earthquakes due to the friction between plates.
- The San Andreas Fault is a famous example.
List:
The seven main tectonic plates.
- North American Plate
- Eurasian Plate
- African Plate
- Antarctic Plate
- Indo-Australian Plate
- Pacific Plate
- South American Plate
The Indo-Australian Plate may be separated into Australian and Indian Plates.
List:
Some geological features formed by divergent boundaries.
- Volcanoes
- Mountain ranges
- Rift valleys
The East African Rift Valley is an example of a rift valley formed at a divergent boundary.
Define:
volcano
A vent in the top layer of a planet or moon where molten rock or steam has escaped.
Volcanology is the study of volcanoes.
Identify:
The two locations of molten rock in relation to the Earth’s crust.
Magma (under the crust) and lava (on top of the crust).
Magma becomes lava when it escapes through a vent.
List:
The four main types of volcanoes.
- Cinder cones
- Composite volcanoes
- Shield volcanoes
- Lava domes
Each type has distinct shapes and eruption styles.
Describe:
A cinder cone volcano
Simplest form of volcano, formed by lava ejected from a single vent.
Its violent eruptions create a circular or oval-shaped cone of falling cinders, often with a crater at the top.
Describe:
A composite volcano
Steep-sided and symmetrical volcano, made of layered lava and cinders, with a summit crater and one or more clustered vents.
Define:
A shield volcano
Broad and rounded volcano, formed by slow, fluid lava flows.
Lava can erupt from a central vent or nearby fissures and may include some of the largest volcanoes.
Describe:
Lava dome
It forms when thick lava piles up near the vent, expanding outward as it cools and hardens.
Describe:
Volcanic activity
When a substance escapes through the surface of the Earth, including hot gas, lava or rocks.
Can occur continuously or sporadically.
Define:
An eruption
Sudden discharge of volcanic material, often violent and unexpected.
Define:
extinct volcano
A volcano that scientists predict will never erupt again.
Rejuvenation can occur, making an extinct volcano active once more.
Define:
earthquake
Sudden and violent shaking of the ground caused by movement within the earth’s crust.
This movement is typically due to the release of energy along faults.
Identify:
The instruments used to measure seismic waves.
Seismographs
Seismographs record the motion of the seismic waves when they arrive at their location.
Where do most earthquakes occur?
Along faults within the earth, particularly at tectonic plate boundaries.
Earthquakes can also occur on intraplate faults.
Define:
tsunami
A series of very large water waves caused by underwater earthquakes.
Tsunamis can reach heights of up to 100 feet and cause significant destruction.
Define:
seismic waves
Propagation of mechanical energy through the Earth’s layers.
List:
The four types of seismic waves.
- P-waves
- S-waves
- Rayleigh waves
- Love waves
Define:
A fault in a geological context
Line along which two sections of rock can move against each other.
Identify:
The three types of faults.
- Thrust or Reverse: One block shifts upward compared to the other.
- Normal: One block shifts downward relative to the other.
- Strike-slip: Blocks slide past each other.
Explain:
The difference between the epicenter and the focus (hypocenter).
- The epicenter is the point on the Earth’s surface directly above the hypocenter.
- The focus (or hypocenter) is the point inside the Earth where an earthquake originates.
The focus is the location of the earthquake at depth.
Explain:
The role of aftershocks.
They release remaining built-up elastic strain after the main earthquake.
Aftershocks can occur unpredictably for years after the main event.
Fill in the blank:
The water cycle is also known as the _______.
hydrologic cycle
The water cycle describes how water moves on, above and below the Earth’s surface.
List:
The states of matter that water changes through in the water cycle.
- Solid ice
- Liquid water
- Gaseous water vapor
These states are part of the hydrosphere, which is all the water at or near Earth’s surface.
List:
The three main parts of the water cycle.
- Evaporation
- Condensation
- Precipitation
These processes describe how water moves through the cycle.
Define:
Evaporation in the water cycle
The process by which liquid water is heated and changes to gaseous water vapor.
Evaporation is the most common way for water to re-enter the atmosphere.
Define:
condensation
The process through which gaseous water vapor becomes liquid water.
Commonly misunderstood as rain, which is actually a result of condensation.
List:
The two ways condensation can occur.
- Saturation
- Cooling to the dew point
Saturation occurs when air cannot hold more water vapor, while cooling occurs when vapor loses heat energy.
Define:
precipitation
The process by which water returns to Earth’s surface from the atmosphere.
Precipitation can be in liquid (rain) or solid (snow, hail) form.
List:
The additional processes in the water cycle besides evaporation, condensation and precipitation.
- Sublimation
- Transpiration
- Runoff
- Infiltration
These processes help describe the full cycle of water movement.
Define:
sublimation
The instantaneous change from frozen water to water vapor.
Often occurs with snow, which can turn directly into vapor without melting.
Define:
transpiration
The evaporation of liquid water from within plants through their leaves.
Water is lost to the atmosphere in the form of water vapor through stomata (tiny openings or pores found on plants).
Define:
runoff
The flow of liquid water over the ground due to gravity.
Common during and after rain events.
Define:
infiltration
The process of liquid water percolating down through the soil into the ground.
Infiltration replenishes aquifers and is a slow process.
Why is the water cycle important?
It recycles water essential for life and is tied to climate and weather patterns.
Only about 3% of Earth’s water is freshwater, crucial for all life.
List:
The seven stages of the water cycle in order.
- Evaporation
- Condensation
- Precipitation
- Sublimation
- Transpiration
- Runoff
- Infiltration
This sequence helps visualize the continuous movement of water.
Identify:
The name of the process that breaks down rocks and minerals.
Weathering
It can occur through mechanical or chemical means.
List:
The two main types of weathering.
- Mechanical weathering
- Chemical weathering
Explain:
The results of mechanical weathering.
It causes physical changes to rocks, breaking them apart.
The Grand Canyon was primarily formed by mechanical weathering and erosion from the Colorado River.
Identify:
The natural factor that can cause rocks to crumble through temperature changes.
Repeated expansion and contraction due to temperature fluctuations.
Identify:
An example of a plant that contributes to weathering.
Tree roots
Define:
chemical weathering
A process that changes the chemical makeup of rocks.
Define:
carbonic acid
A compound formed when carbon dioxide and water combine.
It is an example of chemical weathering.
List:
Formations created by the chemical weathering of limestone.
- Caves
- Sinkholes
- Karst formations
Define:
acid rain
Rain that contains chemicals from fossil fuel combustion.
Fill in the blank:
Mechanical weathering changes the shape of rocks due to _______ ______.
physical forces
Describe:
The geologic time scale
It is a timeline that shows the Earth’s history divided into time units based on significant events.
It covers 4.6 billion years since the Earth formed.
Define:
relative age dating
It is the process of determining the age of rock layers based on their position and the fossils they contain.
The oldest rock layers lie at the bottom.
Define:
absolute age dating
Calculating the actual age of rocks using radiometric dating.
This method was developed in the early 1900s. Radiometric dating is based on the known decay rate of radioactive isotopes.
Define:
The law of superposition
The principle that in undisturbed rock layers, the oldest layers are at the bottom.
This concept was recognized by Steno in the mid-1600s.
The rock layers of the Grand Canyon are the oldest at the bottom and get younger moving up. This is an example of the law of superposition.
Explain:
The significance of extinction events in the geologic time scale.
They often mark the end of one time unit and the start of another.
Fill in the blank:
The ________ Era is known for the age of mammals.
Cenozoic
Identify:
The primary characteristic of the Paleogene Period.
It is characterized by the Paleocene, Eocene and Oligocene Epochs.
Explain:
What causes tides?
The daily rise and fall of seawater is caused by the force of gravity from mainly the moon and a little bit from the sun.
The moon is Earth’s closest celestial body that has the most influence on tides.
List:
The two types of tides experienced daily.
- High tide
- Low tide
High tide occurs when water moves inshore to reach its highest point, while low tide occurs when seawater retreats to its lowest point.
Explain:
The impact tides can have on coastlines.
They can cause both damaging and beneficial effects on coastlines.
Damaging effects include storm surges, as seen in Hurricane Katrina, while beneficial effects include bringing nutrients into estuaries.
Define:
estuaries
Ecosystems where freshwater mixes with the ocean, providing unique habitats for various animal and plant life.
Juvenile organisms often seek shelter in estuaries, which are partially protected from ocean tides.
