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Question 1

Define ecotone

Answer 1

A transition area between ecosystems

Question 2

Define ecological niche

Answer 2

An organisms role in an ecosystem, consisting of its place in the food web, it’s habitats it’s breeding area, and the time of day it is most active

Question 3

Ecotones usually have more ____________ than the ______________ themselves

Answer 3

Biodiversity

Ecosystem

Question 4

Define biome

Answer 4

A large geographical region with a specific range of temperature and precipitation

Question 5

Define the taiga biome

Answer 5

Also known as the boreal forest, it is dominated by conifers, found in every province in canada, and 80% of Canada’s forest are taiga

Question 6

Define permanent frost

Answer 6

Permanently frozen soil, found under the conditions of a short growing season, cold temperatures, and low precipitation

Question 7

Define muskeg

Answer 7

Soil above the permafrost that is swampy or boggy during the summer

Question 8

Define grassland biomes

Answer 8

Found in central and southern Alberta,

Question 9

Define deciduous forest ecosystem

Answer 9

Central Alberta, more sunlight and warmer, rich fertile soil, diversity of animals

Question 10

Define aquatic ecosystems

Answer 10

Found in ponds, lakes, rivers, and oceans

Question 11

Define littoral zone

Answer 11

The area from the shore of a lake or pond to the point where no more plants grow in the lake bottom, the most productive part of lake.

Question 12

Define limnetic zone

Answer 12

The area of a lake or pond in which there is open water and sufficient light for photosynthesis to occur

Question 13

Define plankton

Answer 13

Autotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms found in the limnetic zone of a lake or pond

Question 14

Define profundal zone

Answer 14

The region of a lake beneath the limnetic zone, in which there is insufficient light for photosynthesis to occur

Question 15

What are Albertas two major biomes?

Answer 15

Taiga and grassland

Question 16

Define litter

Answer 16

The upper layer of soil, composed mainly of partially decomposed leaves or grasses

Question 17

Define topsoil

Answer 17

The soil beneath the litter, composed of small particles of rock mixed with humus

Question 18

Define humus

Answer 18

Decaying plant and animal matter

Question 19

Define subsoil

Answer 19

The soil layer beneath the topsoil, usually containing more rock particles and less organic matter than the topsoil

Question 20

Define bedrock

Answer 20

The layer beneath the soil, composed of rock

Question 21

Define groundwater

Answer 21

Water in the soil or rock below the earths surface

Question 22

Define epilimniom

Answer 22

The upper level of a lake, warms up in summer

Question 23

Define hypelimnion

Answer 23

The lower level of a lake, remains at a cooler temperature year round

Question 24

Define thermocline

Answer 24

The zone between the epilimnion and hypolimnion in which temperature changes rapidly

Question 25

___________ water holds ______ dissolved oxygen than __________ water, the solubility of oxygen in water ___________ as the water temperature ___________.

Answer 25

``` Warmer Less Colder Increases Decreases ```

Question 26

As water cools it becomes ______ dense, however below 4 degrees Celsius it becomes ______ dense

Answer 26

More | Less

Question 27

Define biotic potential

Answer 27

The maximum number of offspring that a species could produce with unlimited resources

Question 28

Define carrying capacity

Answer 28

The maximum number of individuals of a species that can be supported by an ecosystem

Question 29

What is the law of the minimum?

Answer 29

States that the nutrient in the least supply is the one that limits growth, mid 1800’s, Justus von Liebig

Question 30

What is the law of tolerance??

Answer 30

States that an organism can survive within a particular range of an abiotic factor, 1913, Victor Shelford

Question 31

What is the density independent factor

Answer 31

A factor in an ecosystem that affects member of a population regardless of the populations density, such as fires, floods, drought, or change in climate or temperature

Question 32

What is a density dependent factor

Answer 32

A factor in an ecosystem that affects members of a population because of the populations density, such as food supply, water quality, sunlight, disease, and territory

Question 33

Define slash and burn

Answer 33

The complete clearing of a forest by falling and burning the trees

Question 34

Define clear cutting

Answer 34

The removal of all trees in an area

Question 35

Define selective cutting

Answer 35

The harvesting of only certain trees from an area

Question 36

Define prescribed burn

Answer 36

A controlled fire set intentionally in a designated area

Question 37

Define oligotrophic

Answer 37

Having low nutrient levels, lakes are typically cold and deep, very clear water

Question 38

Define eutrophic

Answer 38

Having high nutrient levels, lakes are typically warm and shallow, often murky, many organisms

Question 39

What are the five categories of water pollution??

Answer 39

``` Organic solid waste Disease causing organisms Inorganic solids and dissolved minerals Thermal energy Organic compounds ```

Question 40

Define organic solid waste

Answer 40

Includes sewage and waste from food processing. As this matter is decomposed by bacteria the oxygen in the water is used up

Question 41

Define disease causing organisms

Answer 41

Come from sewage and animal wastes that enter aquatic ecosystems with runoff. These organisms can trigger an outbreak of a waterborne disease such as typhoid

Question 42

Define inorganic solids and dissolved minerals

Answer 42

Includes waste from mining, fertilizers, and salts from road runoff in winter

Question 43

Define thermal energy waste

Answer 43

Comes from electricity generating plants and other industries. Heating the water in aquatic ecosystems decreases the solubility of oxygen in the water

Question 44

Define organic command waste

Answer 44

Includes oil from roads, pesticides, and detergents. Road oil is toxic to fish and waterfowl. Pesticides are toxic to various organisms, and accumulate through the food chain. Phosphates promote algae growth, resulting in lack of oxygen during decomposition

Question 45

What are the three main indicators of water quality?

Answer 45

Bacteria count Concentration of dissolved oxygen Biological oxygen demand

Question 46

Define coliform bacteria

Answer 46

A type of bacteria that occurs naturally in the intestines of humans and other animals, and indicates presence of fecal contamination in water

Question 47

Define biological oxygen demand

Answer 47

The amount of dissolved oxygen needed by decomposes to break down the organic matter in a water. Sample as 20 degrees Celsius over five days

Question 48

Define watershed

Answer 48

The land that drains toward a lake or other body of water