Chapter 49 (exam 4)

Question 1

ecology

Answer 1

study of organisms interact with each other and their environment

Question 2

what are the three parts of the definition of ecology

Answer 2

1. study of distribution and abundance of organisms (biotic)
2. factors that affect the distribution and abundance
3. interactions between organisms and the transformation and flux of energy and matter

Question 3

what are the 5 main levels ecologists work at

Answer 3

1. organisms
2. populations
3. communities
4. ecosystems
5. biosphere

Question 4

organismal ecology

Answer 4

how do individuals interact with each other and their physical environment
- morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptions that increase fitness

Question 5

population ecology

Answer 5

• how and why does population size change over space and time
• focus on number and distribution in a pop. change over time

Question 6

population

Answer 6

group of indv. of the same species that lives in the same area at same time

Question 7

community ecology

Answer 7

• how do species interact and what are the consequences
• nature of interactions between species and the consequences of the interactions

Question 8

biological community consists of what

Answer 8

populations of different species that interact with each other in a particular area

Question 9

ecosystem ecology

Answer 9

• how does energy flow
• how does nutrients cycle thru the local environment

Question 10

ecosystem

Answer 10

consist of all the organisms in a particular region along with nonliving components

Question 11

abiotic

Answer 11

not living components
- physical and chemical

Question 12

global ecology

Answer 12

• how is biosphere affected by global changes in nutrient cycling and climate
• look at human impacts on biosphere

Question 13

biosphere

Answer 13

thin zine surrounding Earth where all life exists

Question 14

what does conservation biology encompass

Answer 14

• all five levels of ecological study
• effort to sturdy, preserve, and restore genetic diversity

Question 15

what is a niche a product of

Answer 15

abiotic and biotic factors

Question 16

what is a particularly important factor in determining where organisms can live

Answer 16

temperature bc has a big impact on physiology

Question 17

why are niche models used

Answer 17

useful for quantifying and simplifying complex ecological relationships

Question 18

what are the different types of biotic and abiotic factors

Answer 18

present and past

Question 19

what is a non native species called

Answer 19

exotic species

Question 20

what is an invasive species

Answer 20

exotic species that, when introduced to a new area, spreads rapidly and competes with the native species

Question 21

what is the difference between weather and climate

Answer 21

weather is short term atmospheric conditions while climate is long term weather conditions

Question 22

what is the relationship between sunlight and energy when it comes to the earth

Answer 22

the more sunlight that hits an area of Earth, the more energy it will have

Question 23

what is pattern of temperature and latitude

Answer 23

decreasing average temperature with increasing latitude

Question 24

what are Hadley cells

Answer 24

major cycle in global air circulation

Question 25

what happens when air heated by sunlight along equator expands

Answer 25

pressure is lowered and causes air to rise

Question 26

why does warm air hold so much moisture

Answer 26

warm water molecules tend to stay in vapor form

Question 27

as air rises above the equator, what happens to its temperature

Answer 27

it cools (produces rain)

Question 28

what happens to the air as it is heated along the equator

Answer 28

- cooler air is pushed poleward - air mass has cooled, density increases and begins to sink

Question 29

when air sinks, what does it absorb

Answer 29

more and more solar radiation and begins to warm

Question 30

how many cells of moving air are encircling the globe

Answer 30

six

Question 31

Coriolis effect

Answer 31

tendency for moving air or water to be deflected from a straight path

Question 32

what is the Coriolis pattern in the northern and southern hemisphere

Answer 32

Northern: clockwise Southern: counterclockwise

Question 33

why do seasons occur

Answer 33

bc Earth is tilted on its north to south axis by 23.5 degrees (incline)

Question 34

why is elevation important

Answer 34

bc temperature decreases as a function of altitude and impacts precipitation patterns

Question 35

what is an important factor of water that has an influence on temperature

Answer 35

has a high specific heat (large capacity for storing heat energy)

Question 36

where are warm and cold water delivered to

Answer 36

- warm water to colder latitudes - cold water to warmer latitudes

Question 37

what are some biotic factors from organisms that affect climate

Answer 37

- transpiration and evaporation - producing and absorbing greenhouse gases - burning of fossil fuels

Question 38

what are the distinctive abiotic conditions of terrestrial biomes

Answer 38

- temperature - moisture - sunlight - wind

Question 39

temperature as factor of terrestrial biomes

Answer 39

critical bc enzymes make life possible and can only work at narrow range of temperatures

Question 40

moisture as factor of terrestrial biomes

Answer 40

required for life and organisms lose water to environment so need to replace it

Question 41

sunlight as factor of terrestrial biomes

Answer 41

required for photosynthesis

Question 42

wind as factor of terrestrial biomes

Answer 42

exacerbates the effects of temp and moisture and pushes around organisms

Question 43

the type of terrestrial biome that develops in a particular region is governed by...

Answer 43

1. average annual temp and precipitation 2. annual variation in temp and precipitation

Question 44

net primary productivity (NPP)

Answer 44

total amount of biomass generated by fixation of carbon per year minus amount that is oxidized during cellular respiration

Question 45

biomass

Answer 45

total mass of organisms

Question 46

what are the strategies that scientists use to study effect of climate change on biomes

Answer 46

1. simulation studies 2. observational studies 3. historical studies 4. experiments

Question 47

salinity

Answer 47

- determined by proportion of solutes dissolved in water - major determinant of distribution of organisms in aquatic biomes

Question 48

how does water have an impact on light availability

Answer 48

- water absorbs and scatters light so has an affect on wavelengths available to organisms

Question 49

littoral zone (lakes)

Answer 49

waters along the shore that are shallow enough for plants to root

Question 50

limnetic zone

Answer 50

offshore and has enough light to support photosynthesis but plants can't take root

Question 51

turbidity

Answer 51

cloudiness of water

Question 52

why is water flow important

Answer 52

influences availability of oxygen, light, and nutrients

Question 53

coastal runoff

Answer 53

- estuaries - water flows downhill and streams grow wider slower - nutrients sink to bottom

Question 54

ocean upwelling

Answer 54

- nutrients brought up to surface by currents - nutrients recycled

Question 55

lake turnover

Answer 55

complete mixing up upper and lower layers of water at different temperatures