CH 52

Question 1

What is ecology?

Answer 1

Study of how organisms and their environment
- how and why structure is related to function

Question 2

Levels of ecological organization

Answer 2

Population-> community -> ecosystem -> biome -> biosphere

Question 3

Main factor affecting distribution of organisms

Answer 3

Climate

Question 4

How climate shapes ecosystems?

Answer 4

• water, sunlight, wind, & temperature affects distribution of organisms

Question 5

Macroclimate

Answer 5

Global, regional, and landscape patterns

Question 6

Microclimate

Answer 6

Very small scale, local patterns

Question 7

What controls currents (ocean and wind) and water cycle?

Answer 7

Solar energy and movement of Earth

Question 8

Latitudinal variation in sunlight intensity

Answer 8

More heat and light hit tropics

Question 9

Seasonality

Answer 9

• earth rotates on tilted axis
• changes in day length, light intensity and temperature
• most pronounced in mid to high latitudes

Question 10

Global air circulation

Answer 10

• warm, wet air flows from tropics to poles

Question 11

Global air circulation: at equator and 60 degrees

Answer 11

Warm air rises, cools, and loses moisture
-ex: rainforests

Question 12

Global air circulation: at 30 degrees and poles

Answer 12

Cool dry air sinks, sucks up water

Question 13

Global wind patterns

Answer 13

• cooling eastern trade winds
• warm westerlies

Question 14

Global ocean currents

Answer 14

Nutrient rich upwellings of cold water

Question 15

Regional and local climate patterns

Answer 15

• seasonal changes
• proximity to water
• topography

Question 16

Bodies of water

Answer 16

-Coastal areas usually moister
- large bodies of water buffer temperature on land nearby
- does not guarantee cold coast

Question 17

Mountains

Answer 17

• warms, water laden air cools as rises over mountains

Question 18

Windward side

Answer 18

Condenses as rain or snow at peak

Question 19

Leeward side

Answer 19

Cool dry air heads down and warms up, little rain

Question 20

T or F: changes in latitude similar to changes in altitude

Answer 20

True

Question 21

Ravines and valleys

Answer 21

• at night, cold air descends downhill into valleys:
• wind tunnels and fog
• air warms and flows uphill

Question 22

Long term climate change

Answer 22

• temperature and H2O top factors affect biogeography
• some organisms have will shift their range
• some organisms will not be able disperse as fast

Question 23

What are the four things required for life?

Answer 23

• nutrients to build tissue
• energy to power all functions
• water for metabolism
• suitable temperature for metabolism

Question 24

Terrestrial biomes

Answer 24

-Defined mainly by temperature and rainfall
- mainly plant communities
- often stratified and patchy

Question 25

8 major terrestrial biomes

Answer 25

- tropical forest - desert (hot or cold) - savanna - chaparral - temperate grassland - northern coniferous forest - temperate deciduous forest - tundra

Question 26

Aquatic biomes

Answer 26

- freshwater or marine - brackish, hypersaline - aquatic life limited by amount of energy and nutrients - communities distributed according to: - water depth - light penetration - distance from shore - physically and chemically stratified

Question 27

8 major aquatic biomes

Answer 27

- lakes - wetlands - streams and rivers - estuaries - intertidal zones - ocean pelagic zone - coral reefs - marine benthic zone