Biogeography & Terrestrial Biomes Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Biogeography & Terrestrial Biomes Deck (53)
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1
Q

ecology

A

study of how organisms interact w/ each other & w/ their surrounding environment
- goal: understand distribution & abundance of orgs

2
Q

population

A

group of INDIVIDUALS of SAME SPECIES living in same geographic area @ same time

3
Q

community

A

all SPECIES that interact w/ each other in a certain area

4
Q

ecosystem

A

all ORGANISMS living in a geographic area, together w/ abiotic components that affect or exchange materials w/ organisms
- community + physical environment

5
Q

abiotic

A

not alive
- temp. important in determining range

(ie) water, air & some soil components
(ie) temp, rainfall, presence of mountain or ocean, continental drift

6
Q

biosphere

A

thin zone surrounding world where all life exists

- sum of all terrestrial & acquatic ecosystems

7
Q

conservation biology

A

effort to study, preserve & restore threatened genetic diversity, populations, communities & ecosystems

8
Q

biogeography

A

study of how species & populations are distributed geographically

9
Q

range

A

geographic distribution of species

  • each org has specific range of tolerance of abiotic conditions
  • determined by abiotic & biotic factors
  • dynamic
10
Q

biotic

A

living or produced by a living organism

(ie) interactions w/ otro orgs, competition & resource availability

11
Q

dispersal

A

movement of individuals from their place of origin (birth, hatching) to a new location

12
Q

Wallace line

A

(Indonesian region) line that demarcates areas

  • each characterized by a distinct set of animal species
  • DISPERSAL BARRIER
13
Q

exotic species

A

nonnative species that is introduced into new area

(ie) often competitors, pathogens, or predators of native species

14
Q

invasive species

A

exotic species that, upon introduction to new area, spreads rapidly & competes successfully w/ native species

15
Q

climate

A

prevailing, long-term weather conditions in a particular region
- components: temp, moisture, sunlight & wind

16
Q

weather

A

specific, short-term atmospheric conditions of temperature, moisture, sunlight & wind in certain area

17
Q

Hadley cell

A

atmospheric cycle of large-scale

  • circulation cells occur @ 0˚ to 30˚ N/S (wet) & 30˚ N/S to 60˚ N/S (dry)
  • major cycle in global air circulation
18
Q

rain shadow

A

dry region on side of a mountain range away from prevailing wind

19
Q

specific heat (Cs)

A

measure (of capacity of) a substance to absorb energy

- amount of E required to raise the temp of 1 g of a substance by 1 degree C

20
Q

biomes

A

large terrestrial or marine region characterized by distinct abiotic characteristics & dominant types of vegetation

21
Q

net primary productivity (NPP)

A

(ecosystem) total amount of carbon fixed by photosynthesis over a given time period minus amount oxidized during cellular respiration

22
Q

biomass

A

total mass of all organisms in a given population or geographical area
- usually expressed as total dry weight

23
Q

aboveground biomass

A

total mass of living plants in an area, excluding roots

24
Q

permafrost

A

permanently frozen layer of icy soil found in most tundra & some taiga

25
Q

ecology primary goal

A

understand:

  • distribution (why certain species live where they do)
  • abundance (how many live there)
26
Q

population ecology

A

study how # and distribution of individuals in a population changes over time
- longitudinal study

27
Q

community ecology

A

question the nature of SPECI INTERACTION & consequences of interactions

28
Q

5 levels of ecology

A

(1) organismal ecology
(2) population ecology
(3) community ecology
(4) ecosystem ecology
(5) global ecology

29
Q

ecosystem ecology

A

study how nutrients & energy move among organisms and through the surround atmosphere, soil & water

  • look at FOOD WEB
  • abiotic
  • extension of organismal, population & community ecology
30
Q

organismal ecology

A

give an idea of how morphological, physiological & behavioral adaptations affect where an individual lives
- individual adaptations + population distribution

31
Q

global ecology

A

quanitify effects of human impacts on biosphere

- young field, but growing rapidly

32
Q

air characteristics

A

(1) dry warm air holds more moisture = no rain

(2) air rise = decrease ability to hold H20

33
Q

why cold poles

A

(1) small sunlight per unit area
(2) cool air pushed toward poles
(3) no direct angle of sunlight hits surface

34
Q

why warm tropics

A

(1) large sunlight per unit area
(2) more energy in heat
(3) direct angle of sunlight

35
Q

season

A

regular, annual fluctuations in temp, precipitation or both

- due to Earth axis tilt @ 23.5˚

36
Q

how mountain affect regional climate

A

mountain ranges = extreme precipitation

  • winds ocean side of mountain = moisture-laden air from ocean
  • moist air rise over mountain, cool air fall as rain shadow
  • dry air = desert conditions
36
Q

how oceans affect regional climate

A

oceans moderate temp. (of costal areas & islands)

  • summer: high specific heat -> absorb more heat
  • winter: ocean releases heat to atm -> H2O temp warmer than air temp (warmer near ocean)
37
Q

rain shadow

A

side of mountain where cool air falls after passing over side w/ ocean

37
Q

most important climate components for diversity

A

(1) temperature

(2) moisture

38
Q

four components of climate

A

(1) temp
(2) moisture
(3) sunlight
(4) wind

39
Q

how temp affects climate

A

affects moisture

  • low T = H2O freeze
  • high T = H2O evaporates
40
Q

how moisture affects climate

A

H2O loss = constant (via evaporation & transpiration)

- to stay alive, reduce H2O loss & replace lost H2O

41
Q

how sunlight affects climate

A

direct v. non-direct sunlight on atm

- affects seasons

42
Q

how wind affects climate

A

(1) intensifies T & moisture
(2) increase heat loss via evaporation & convection
(3) increase H2O loss via evaporation & transpiration
(4) direct impact w/ flying orgs & plants

43
Q

major biomes

A

(1) tropical wet forest
(2) subtropical desert
(3) temperate grasslands (prairies)
(4) temperate forests
(5) boreal forests (taiga)
(6) artic tundra

44
Q

tropical wet forest

A

1 of 6 major biomes

  • vegetation: evergreen & broad leaves
  • plant productivity: year round growing, high productivity, species diversity, aboveground biomass
  • misc: no season variation in temp, high levels of rainfall, equatorial regions
45
Q

subtropical desert

A

1 of 6 major biomes

  • vegetation: cacti, thick waxy coating
  • plant productivity: extremely low avg. productivity
  • misc: found @ 30˚ N/S, adapt to extreme temp & aridity (grow slowly but rapidly during rainfall)
46
Q

temperate grasslands (prairies)

A

1 of 6 major biomes

  • vegetation: grass dominate
  • plant productivity: extremely dense plant life, extensive root systems, highly fertile (spring, summer & fall)
  • misc: N. America & central Europe, too hot/dry to support forest
47
Q

temperate forests

A

1 of 6 major biomes

  • vegetation: needle-leaved evergreens
  • plant productivity: deciduous species, lower productivity than TF, higher productivity than desert or grassland, moderate diversity
  • misc: N. America & Europe, T no support photsythesis year-round, moderate T fluctuations (sometimes below 0)
48
Q

boreal forests (taiga)

A

1 of 6 major biomes

  • vegetation: cold-tolerant conifers (pines, spruce, firs & larch trees)
  • plant productivity: low productivity, high aboveground biomass, low species diversity
  • misc: tree layer & ground layer only, low precipitation, very cold winters, cool/short summers
49
Q

artic tundra

A

1 of 6 major biomes

  • vegetation: treeless
  • plant productivity: low species diversity, productivity & aboveground biomass; insect abundance
  • misc: N. Hemisphere, permafrost, very short growing season, T = below 0, extremely low precipitation
50
Q

distribution

A

where the organisms live

(ie) range

51
Q

abundance

A

number of individuals per unit area

(ie) population density