Chapter 5 Flashcards
Ecology
1
Q
Warmer climate =
A
fewer CO2 bubbles in the ice
2
Q
Why are ice cores analyzed?
A
to find the number of bubbles + analyze the gas trapped inside the bubbles
3
Q
What can we read from the graphs?
A
- Significant temperature changes
- Rapid changes -> the climate may be quite sensitive
- Lens variable temperature the last 100 000years
- The graphs indicate a strong correlation between CO2 content in the air and temperature
4
Q
Correlation
A
vary at the same time
5
Q
Causation
A
one thing is the reason why something else is happening
6
Q
Early increases in CO2 levels were due to…
A
volcanic eruptions and weathering of chalk and limestone rocks
7
Q
What is the biggest reason to the increased CO2 level
A
human activity
8
Q
Greenhouse gases
A
gases in the atmosphere that absorb IR-radiation
9
Q
Gases that have naturally occurins
A
H20, CO2, CH4
10
Q
Gases that is due to human contribution only
A
N0, CFC
11
Q
GWP
A
global warming potential
- tries to provide a simple measure of the relative radiators effects of the different greenhouse gases
12
Q
The precautionary principle
A
If the effects of a human-induced change would be very large, perhaps catastrophic, those responsible for change must prove that it will not do harm before proceeding
13
Q
Consequences of the precautionary principle
A
- melt-down of ice
- warning of seawater
- permanent flooding
- failure of algal photosynthesis
- destruction of forests
- interruption of ocean current system
14
Q
Actions of the precautionary principle
A
- conserve fossil fuels stocks
- nuclear power sources
- renewable sources
- bioful sources
- reduce transport
- design well-insulated houses
- terminate the destruction of forests
15
Q
Outline the counsequences of a global temperature rise on arctic ecosystems
A
Doubling of atmosphere CO2 –> increase in the active layer of permafrost and a disappearance of most of the ice-rich discontinuous permafrost.
Disapperance of discontinuous permafrost –> -erosion, -change of hydrologic processes, -release of CO2 + CH4 to the atmosphere.
16
Q
Population
A
group of organisms of the same species who live in the same area at the same time.
17
Q
natalaty
A
offspring are produced and added to a population
18
Q
mortality
A
individuals die
19
Q
immigration
A
individuals move into the area
20
Q
emigration
A
individuals move out of the area
21
Q
overall population change
A
(natalaty+immigration) - (mortality+emigration)
22
Q
lag phase
A
little or no cell multiplication (natalaty), a period of adaption to conditions
23
Q
Exponential growth
A
population increases exponentially, a period of no constraints on growth. Adequate nutrients are available and little accumulation of waste products has occurred. High natalaty rate, and little or no death of cells (mortality).
24
Q
Carrying capacity
A
the maximum population size that can be supported by the environment over time
25
list 3 factors that set limits to population increase
- shortage
- more predators
- more diseases or parasites
all of these become more intense as population size increases = density - dependent factors
26
Define evolution
Evolution is the cumulative change in the heritable characteristics of a population
27
Fossil records
- fossilization is an extremely rare, chance event
- most fossils remain burried
- exposed fossils are mostly overlooked and destroyed
- fossils may be dated using C14 or K40 radiocarbon dating
28
Fossil forms
- petrification-organic matter is replaced by mineral ions
- mould-organic matter decays, and the space left works as a mould and is filled by mineral matter
- trace-impression of a form is preserved in layers that harden. ex. footprint
- preservation- of intact whole organisms, ex. in amber
29
selective breeding
- used to ''create'' all the plants and animals used by humans from wild ancestor organisms
- the most useful varieties of organisms in one generation is used to parent the next generation
- result = deliberate genetic change in the population by repeating the human controlled selection process for generations
30
homologous structures
- groups of related organisms often show similar underlying organisation of f.ex. limb skeleton, although they have adapted to different habitats or lifestyles
- similar organisation = homologous structures
- most likely explanation is a common ancestor
31
In a stable population...
only one breeding pair may result from each breeding event - all other offspring are casualties of the ''struggle'' to survive
32
Population size is naturally limited by environmental factors
- space
- light
- availability of food
- diseases
33
Never-ending competition for resources results in
the majority of organisms failing to survive and reproduce
34
gamete formation
random assortment of maternal and paternal chromosomes in meiosis
35
crossing over segments of individual maternal and paternal homologous chromosomes
results in new combinations of genes on chromosomes
36
Random fusion of male and female
gametes in sexual reproduction
37
Natural selection operates to
determine the survivors and the genes that are passed on to the next generation
38
this may eventually lead to
the formation of new varieties and ultimately new species
39
Explain 2 examples of evolution in response environmental change; one must be antibiotic resistance in bacteria
- Charles Darwin travelled to the isolated Galapagos Islands on the ship Beagle
- On the islands he found finches with different beaks adapted to eating different kinds of food
- he reasoned that these birds most likely shared a common ancestor
- Geographical separation and different food choices had turned one ancestor into several species with different beak shapes over generations = evolution
40
Outline the binomial system of nomenclature
- Important to have an international system- so observers know that they are talking about the same organism
- Binomial system = ''a two part name''
- All binomial names consists of two latin words
- Rattus norwegicus
Rattus (genus name) norwegicus (species name)
41
Homo erectus
''The upright man'' 2-1 million years ago
42
Homo habilis
''the handy man'' 2.2-1.6 million years ago
43
Homo sapiens
us
44
18th century:
organisms belonges into either Animelia or plantae
45
```
King
Philip
Came
Over
For
Green
Soup
```
- Kingdom
- Phylum
- Class
- Order
- Family
- Genus
- Species
46
Kingdom
Plantae (plants) / Animalia (animals)
47
Phylum
Tracheophyta (vascular plants) / Chordata (chorda tes)
48
Class
Angiospermae (flowering plants)/ aves (birds)
49
Order
Rosales (roses and their allies)/ passeriformes (songbirds)
50
Family
Rosacea / parulidae (wood warblers)
51
Genus
Rosa / dendroica
52
Species
Rosa gallica / dendroica fusca
53
Taxonomy
the science of classification
54
Biological classification
invention of biologists based on the best available science at the time
55
Aim of classification
to use as many characteristics as possible in placing similar organisms together and dissimilar ones apart
56
Define species
a group of organisms that can interbreed and reproduce fertile offspring
57
Define habitat
the place/environment where an organism normally lives or the location of a living organism
58
Define population
all the members of a species in a certain area at the same time
59
Define community
all of the populations living and interacting in an area
60
Define Ecosystem
a community and its abiotic (non-living) environment
or a community and its physical environment and the interactions between them.
61
Biotic component
all living organisms
62
Abiotic component
non-living variables, -CO2, temperature, wind, light
63
2 important features in ecosystems
1. Largely self-contained --> nutrients are recycled
2. An interactive system: types of organisms in an ecosystem (decided by the physical environment, physical environment is changed by the organisms living there)
64
Ecology
The study of living organisms in their environment
65
Autotroph
- an organism that synthesizes its organic molecules from simple inorganic substances
Ex. a plant
Plants do photosynthesis: 6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy -> C6H12O6 + 6O2
```
(6CO2+6H2O) = simple inorganic compounds
(C6H12O6) = organic molecule (lot of carbon)
```
66
Heterotroph
- an organism that obtains organic molecules from other organisms
* Animals and any other organism incapable of making C6H12O6 from inorganic substances
- -> need to obtain sugurs by eating and digesting other organisms.
- Cell respiration
- all depend on plants directly or indirectly
- all consumers
67
Consumer
- an organism that ingests other organic matter that is living or recently killed
- always heterotrophs
68
Detritivores
an organism that ingest non-living organic matter
- heterotrophs that feed and decompose dead organic matter (kaffedyr)
69
Saprotroph
an organism that lives on or in non-living organic matter, secreting digestive enzymes into it and absorbing the products of digestion
- fungi, mould
70
Example of food chain
grass - sheep - wolf
sea weed - shrimps - fish - shark
71
Food web
- built of food chains which contain members belonging to more than one food chain.
- consists of interconnecting food chains
72
Define trophic level
feeding level/ position an organism occupies in a food chain
73
Deduce trophic lever of organisms in a food chain and a food web
1. Producer
2. Primary consumer
3. Secondary consumer
4. Tertiary consumer
5. Quaternary consumer
6. Quintinary consumer
74
Explain the energy flow in a food chain
- Energy is transferred between each trophic level
- Green plants transfer light energy into chemical energy in sugars through photosynthesis
- Energy is transferred every time a plant is eaten by a herbivore
- When a plant dies, the remaining energy passes on to detritivores and saprotrophs
75
State that energy transformation are never 100% efficient
The only energy transferred from one step to the next is metabolites (Carbohydrates, proteins, fats) used in growth and development of the plant/animal -> 10% of the energy is transferred
76
Ecological pyramids =
- 3 kinds used to analyze ecosystems
1. Pyramids of numbers
2. Pyramids of energy
3. Pyramids of biomass
77
Energy is lost when
- Some organisms die before they are eaten by an organism on the next trophic level
- Some parts of organisms are not eaten
- Some parts of organisms are indigestible
- Much of the energy absorbed by an organism is released in cell respiration
78
Energy is only available for the next trophic level if
it remains as chemical energy in the growth of the organism absorbing it.
79
Explain that energy enters and leaves ecosystems, but nutrients must be recycled
Nutrients must be recycled because many are available in limited amounts.
Decomposers release nutrients from dead organisms.
Nutrients released can then be reabsorbed by plants. (Biogeochemical cycle)
80
State that saprotrophic bacteria and fungi (decomposers) recycle nutrients
Energy is constantly arriving from the sun, passing through living organisms, and ultimately leaving as heat. Matter cycle between living and non-living system between living enters and none leaves.
