Chapter 44 - Intro to Ecology & Biosphere Flashcards
1
Q
Define Ecology
A
the study of interactions between living organisms and their environment
2
Q
What are the 4 levels of Ecology?
A
- Organismal - individual
- Population - many individuals of the same species
- Community - different populations living in the same space
- Ecosystems - a community + the abiotic environment
3
Q
What are the 4 levels of Ecological Study?
A
- Organismal Ecology
- Population Ecology
- Community Ecology
- Ecosystem Ecology
4
Q
What is Organismal Ecology?
A
the focus is on the adaptations of organisms to their environment, including morphological, behavioral, and physiological adaptations
5
Q
What is Population Ecology?
A
Focuses on the number of individuals (same species) in a population & how and why population size changes over time
6
Q
What is Community Ecology?
A
Focuses on the interactions between conspecifics (competition, reproduction, etc.) and heterospecifics (predation, parasitism, herbivory, pollination, etc.)
7
Q
What is Ecosystem Ecology?
A
Focuses on how nutrients and energy are stored and how they move through organisms and through atmosphere, soil, and water
8
Q
Define Biomes
A
large areas of land or water with similar climate, flora, and fauna
9
Q
What is the Biosphere?
A
all the biomes on Earth
10
Q
Define Biogeography
A
the study of the distribution of organisms and the abiotic factors that determine those distributions
11
Q
What is Species Distribution?
A
which species live in which areas and why
12
Q
What determines Species Distribution?
A
biotic and abiotic factors
13
Q
What are Endemic Species?
A
species that are found only in a specific geographic range
14
Q
What are Generalist Species?
A
species that are found in many geographic ranges
15
Q
List Abiotic factors
A
- Inorganic nutrients and Soil
- Oxygen
- Wind
- Fire
- Temperature and Moisture
- Net primary productivity (carbon)
- Biomass(?)
16
Q
Which two elements determine the geographic range of many species?
A
Nitrogen & Phosphorous
17
Q
Plants require what two elements and what does it do?
A
(abundance or scarcity of) Nitrogen & Phosphorous in the soil limit plant growth
18
Q
Higher elevations have _______ oxygen levels than lower elevations
A
Lower
19
Q
What can wind contribute to an environment?
A
- Affects transpiration, evaporation, etc.
- Can physically move soil, water, plants, animals
20
Q
Fire is an agent of _______
A
Disturbance
21
Q
True or False: Fire is mandatory for some organisms to live and reproduce
A
True
22
Q
What are the primary producers and base of most food webs?
A
Plants
23
Q
What is net primary productivity?
A
an estimation of all organic matter available as food
24
Q
How do you calculate net primary productivity?
A
carbon fixed per year - what is oxidized during cell respiration
(generally estimated by above-ground biomass per unit area)
25
How does annual biomass related to abiotic factors?
Net primary productivity is optimized in environments with the greatest biomass
High net productivity → greater animal diversity
26
What are the two determining factors for Terrestrial Biomes?
* Temperature - variation on a daily basis and seasonal basis
* Precipitation - total annual precipitation (fluctuations in precipitation)
27
True or False: same biomes cannot occur in different places
False: same biomes do occur in different places on Earth
28
What are the 8 Terrestrial Biomes?
* Tropical Wet Forest
* Savannah
* Subtropical Desert
* Chaparral
* Temperate Grasslands
* Temperate Forest
* Boreal Forest
* Arctic Tundra
29
Tropical Wet Forest/Rainforest are located in _______ regions
Equatorial (around the equator)
30
What is Temperature and Sunlight like in Tropical Rainforests?
Stable year-round
* temp: 20°C ~ 34°C
* sun: 11 ~ 12 hours per day
31
What are the Plants like in Tropical Wet Forests?
* year-round growth (no seasonality)
* green leaves all year (no dormancy)
32
What is the Rainfall like in Tropical Wet Forests?
Variable
* 125cm - 600cm annually
* Wet & Dry months
33
Which terrestrial biome has the highest animal and plant diversity?
Tropical Wet Forests
34
Describe the Savannah terrestrial biome
Grasslands with scattered trees
35
Where are Savannah biomes located?
Africa, South America, and Australia
36
What is the Temperature like in Savannah biomes?
Hot & Tropical
* Average temp: 24°C ~ 29°C
37
What is the Rainfall like in Savannah biomes?
Minimal rainfall
* 10 - 40cm
* Extensive dry season
38
What are the plants like in Savannah biomes?
Mostly grasses and shrubs, few trees
39
What is an important abiotic factor in Savannahs?
Fire; plants recover quickly after fire event
40
What type of animals can Savannah biomes support?
Vast herds of grazing animals
41
Where are Subtropical Desert biomes located?
In a narrow range between 15° and 30° North and South
42
Describe what the Temperature is like in Subtropical Desert biomes.
Intense temperature swings
(Average Daytime | Nighttime)
* Hot Deserts: 60°C | 0°C
* Cold Deserts: 25°C | -30°C
43
Describe what rainfall is like in Subtropical Desert biomes
Unpredictable & negligible
* As low as 2cm annually
* Extremely dry
44
Describe the plantlife in Subtropical Desert biomes
* Mostly annuals that row and flower quickly then die
* Some perennials that have adaptations to conserve water, minimize leaf growth, deep roots, etc.
45
What type of animals are in Subtropical Desert biomes?
Typically burrowers
46
What is a Chaparral biome?
Scrub forest
47
Where are Chaparral biomes located?
California, Mediterranean Sea, and South Australia
48
Describe the Temperature in Chaparral biomes
Intense temperature swings
* Average day temp: 60°C
* Average night temp: as low as 0°C
49
Describe the Rainfall in Chaparral biomes
Winter rainfall
* 65 - 75cm annually
* Dry summers
50
Describe the plant life in Chaparral biomes
Mostly scrubs
* Dormant in winter
* Adapted to periodic fires (the ashes from fire enrich soil with nitrogen)
51
What are Temperate Grassland biomes?
Prairies and Steppes
52
Where are Temperate Grassland biomes located?
Central North America and Eurasia
53
Describe the Temperature in Temperate Grassland biomes
Annual temperature fluctuation
* Warm summers & cold winters
54
Describe the Rainfall in Temperate Grassland biomes
Annual, periodic rainfall
* 25 - 75cm annually
* Wet spring, summer & fall
* Dry winter
55
Describe the plant life in Temperate Grassland biomes
Mostly dense grasses
* Have growing seasons
56
What types of animals live in Temperate Grassland biomes?
Grazers
57
What is an important abiotic regulator for Temperate Grassland biomes?
Fire
* suppressed fire causes conversion to scrub/forest
* fire maintains the biome
58
What are Temperate Forest biomes like?
Deciduous forests
59
Where are Temperate Forest biomes located?
mid-latitude regions
60
Describe the Temperature in Temperate Forest biomes
Annual temperature fluctuation
* warm summers
* cold winters
61
Describe the Rainfall in Temperate Forest biomes
Predictable annual rainfall
* 75 - 150cm annually
* Constant rainfall (no rainy season)
62
Describe the plant life in Temperate Forest biomes
Deciduous trees are dominant
* Active in Spring & Summer
* Dormant in Fall & Winter
* Less diversity than Rainforest
63
What is rich in Temperate Forest biomes?
they're rich in organic & inorganic material
64
What are Boreal Forest biomes?
Coniferous forests & Taiga forests
65
Where are Boreal Forest biomes located?
South of the Arctic Circle
66
Describe the temperature in Boreal Forest biomes
Low annual temperatures
* Cool, wet summers
* Cold, dry winters
67
Describe the rainfall in Boreal Forest biomes
Predictable annual precipitation
* 40 - 100cm annually
* Mostly snow, not rain
68
Describe the plantlife in Boreal Forest biomes
Conifer trees are dominant
* Photosynthesize from early Spring to late Fall
69
Boreal Forest soil is low in what, and how does it affect the conifer trees?
Low in nitrogen; it's why conifers retain their leaves
70
Describe the animal life in Boreal Forest biomes
Lower species diversity than temperate forest
* Animals have adaptations for cold weather
71
Where are Arctic Tundra biomes located?
Throughout Arctic regions in the North
72
Describe the temperature in Arctic Tundra biomes
Very low annual temperature
* Summer: 3 ~ 12°C
* Winter: -34°C
73
Describe the sunlight in Arctic Tundra biomes
Extreme sunlight conditions
* 24 hours in Summer
* 0 hours in Winter
74
Describe the rainfall in Arctic Tundra biomes
Extremely low annual precipitation
* 40 - 100cm annually
* Mostly snow (not rain)
75
Describe the plantlife in Arctic Tundra biomes
Shrubs dominant
* Extremely short growing season during summer
76
What type of soil do Arctic Tundra biomes have?
Permafrost soil
* Always frozen
* Roots cannot penetrate deep
77
Describe the animal life/diversity of Arctic Tundra biomes
Low species diversity
* Animals have adaptations for cold weather
78
Describe Aquatic biomes
* Water is the medium in which organisms live (different physical and chemical properties than air)
* Water absorbs light (deeper the water, less light)
* Stratified by temperature (warmer on surface, cooler in the depths)
79
What are the 2 types of Aquatic biomes?
* Marine (ocean, coral reefs, estuaries)
* Freshwater (lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, wetlands)
80
What is the largest Marine biome?
Ocean (saltwater)
81
How is the Ocean categorized into zones?
based on light penetration
82
Name and describe the Ocean zones
* Intertidal Zone - closest to land
* Neritic Zone - photosynthesis occurs
* Pelagic Zone - open ocean
* Benthic Zone - nutrient rich because of detritus
* Abyssal Zone - the deepest part of the ocean
83
Describe the marine biome Coral Reefs
* Geological structure in the Ocean biome
* Located in photic zone (only found in warm waters)
* Supports great diversity of invertebrates and vertebrates
84
Coral reefs have a _______ relationship between coral polyps (cnidarians) and algea
Symbiotic
85
What do Coral organisms secrete that forms the reefs?
Calcium carbonate
86
What threatens Coral Reefs?
Acidification of the water by carbon dioxide & climate change
87
What are Estuaries?
where ocean (saltwater) and freshwater meet
88
What type of water do Estuaries have?
Brackish
* diluted saltwater
* mix of freshwater and saltwater
89
Estuaries are ______ for many species of fish and invertebrates
Nurseries
90
What varies considerably in Estuaries?
Salinity
* Based on currents, tide, and flow of the freshwater
* Estuarian organisms have adaptations to handle salinity fluctuations
91
Estuaries are _______ rich
Nutrient
92
In Estuaries, _______ is high but _______ is low
Biomass; Biodiversity
93
What size(s) do Lakes and Ponds come in?
Great variety
94
What type of water do Lakes and Ponds have?
Lentic (not flowing)
95
Describe the temperature in Lakes and Ponds
Most important abiotic factor
* Thermal stratification in summer
* water water at top & cooler at bottom
* reverses in winter
96
What determines photosynthetic organisms in Lakes & Ponds?
Light penetrance
* based on food chain
* deeper light penetrance → more photosynthetic organisms
97
What are the 2 limiting factors of Lakes & Ponds?
Nitrogen & Phosphorous
* determining factor for phytoplankton
98
What leads to the eutrophication of lakes/ponds?
Run-off from farms, yards, etc.
* increased algae growth, which blocks light penetrance
* consumes majority of dissolved oxygen
* causes the lake/pond to be polluted
99
What size(s) do Rivers and Streams come in?
great variety
100
What kind of water do Rivers & Streams have?
Lotic (flowing)
101
Rivers & Streams carry water from _______ to _______
headwaters; lake or ocean
102
What is an important abiotic factor for Rivers & Streams?
Rate of flow
* Faster near the source
* Faster flow tends to be clear of debris, colder, few plankton, and plants and animals adapted to fast-moving water
* Slower flow is warmer, has more debris, and more opportunity for plankton
103
Describe the soil of Wetland biomes
permanently or periodically saturated with water (NOT lakes or ponds)
104
Describe the vegetation in Wetland biomes
vegetation is rooted in the soil but extends above surface of water across entire surface area
105
Wetlands have ________ vegetation and ________ soil
hydrophytic; hydric
106
What are considered wetlands?
marshes, swamps, bogs, mudflats, and salt marshes
