Chapter 52: An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere Flashcards
(125 cards)
1
Q
ecology
A
scientific study of the interactions between organisms and the environment
2
Q
global ecology
A
examines influence of exchange of energy/materials on organisms across the biosphere
3
Q
biosphere
A
all ecosystems and landscapes of the planet
4
Q
landscape ecology
A
factors controlling exchange of energy, material, and organisms across multiple ecosystems
5
Q
landscape
A
multiple connected ecosystems
6
Q
ecosystem ecology
A
energy flow and chemical cycling between organisms and environment
7
Q
ecosystem
A
community of organisms in an area and physical factors with which they interact
8
Q
community ecology
A
how community structure and organization are affected by interactions between species
9
Q
community
A
group of populations of different species in an area
10
Q
population ecology
A
analyzes factors affecting population size over time
11
Q
population
A
group of individuals of same species in an area
12
Q
organismal ecology
A
how organism’s structure, physiology, and behavior meet environmental challenges
13
Q
organismal ecology includes
A
physiological, evolutionary, and behavioral ecology
14
Q
climate
A
long-term weather conditions in a given area
15
Q
climate is most significant influence on
A
distribution of organisms
16
Q
components of climate
A
temperature, precipitation, sunlight, wind
17
Q
macroclimate
A
climate patterns on global, regional, and landscape scale
18
Q
microclimate
A
fine, localized climate patterns
19
Q
global climate patterns determined by
A
input of solar energy and Earth’s movement in space
20
Q
tropics
A
regions between 23.5 degrees north and south
21
Q
high temperatures and evaporation in tropics cause
A
lots of precipitation
22
Q
air flows towards from tropics towards poles so 30 degrees north and south have
A
dry, arid climate
air picks up moisture across the land
23
Q
around 60 degrees north and south
A
water content is dumped
24
Q
from 60 degrees north and south, air continues to flow towards poles causing
A
cold and rainless climate
25
which wind patterns are favored due to the rotation of the Earth?
easterly and westerly
26
easterly winds
cool winds blowing east to west in tropics
27
westerly winds
blow west to east in temperate zones
28
seasonality
Earth's rotation and tilted axis cause strong seasonal cycles in middle/high altitudes
29
in june earth is tilted
towards sun
30
in december earth is tilted
away from sun
31
Earth has constant tilt of
23.5 degrees
32
September and March equinoxes
no tilt towards/away from sun - exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness
33
bodies of water impact climate by
heating/cooling of air masses by ocean currents
34
impact on climate by water during the day
land hotter than water, cool wind from water across land
35
impact on climate by water during the night
water hotter than land, cool wind from land to water
36
mediterranean climate
hot, arid climate inland due to cool ocean breeze absorbing moisture
around Mediterranean Sea, southern CA, southwestern Australia
37
mountains impact climate cause
warm, moist air approaches mountain, rises, and dumps water content creating a rain shadow
38
impact of rain shadow on leeward side of mountain
dry, desert conditions as air picks up moisture
39
every 1000m increase in elevation causes a
6 degrees Celsius drop in temperature
40
regional and local climate impacted by
seasonality, bodies of water, mountains
41
microclimate influence by
shade, evaporation from soil, wind patterns
42
abiotic factors
nonliving (chemical and physical) factors
43
biotic factors
living factors
44
abiotic and biotic factors factors make up
environment
45
global climate change
large-scale change in climate affects biosphere and thus distribution of organisms
46
last seen example of global climate change
end of most recent Ice Age
47
biomes
major life zones characterized by vegetation type (terrestrial) and physical environment (aquatic)
48
climograph
plot of annual mean temperature and precipitation in a region
49
biomes characterized by
major physical/climate features, predominant vegetation, microorganisms, fungi, animals
50
ecotone
area of intergradation between different biomes
51
vertical layering
upper canopy, low-tree layer, shrub understory, ground layer, forest floor (litter layer), and root layer
52
vertical layering allows for
variation of habitat
53
disturbance
event that changes a community removing organisms from it and altering resource availability
54
disturbance causes biomes to exhibit
several different communities
55
tropical forest
equatorial and subequatorial regions
| much precipitation, high temperatures
56
tropical forests have highest
animal diversity of all biomes
57
how have humans impacted tropical forests
deforestation
58
desert
30 degrees north or south; interior areas of land
| little precipitation, great variation in temperature
59
how have humans impacted deserts
irrigated agriculture has reduced biodiversity
60
savanna
equatorial and subequatorial regions
| some rainfall, hot weather but still exhibits seasons
61
how have humans impacted savannas
cattle ranching and overhunting
62
chaparral
midlatitude and coastal regions
| rainy winters, dry summers; seasonal temperature range
63
how have humans impacted chaparrals
agriculture, urbanization, fires
64
locations of temperate grasslands
veldts of South Africa, puszta of Hungary, pampas of Argentina and Uruguay, steppes of Russia, and central North America
65
conditions of temperate grasslands
dry winters, wet summers
some rainfall, occasional drought
seasonal temperature range
66
how have humans impacted temperate grasslands
agriculture and overgrazing - some turned to deserts
67
taiga
northern North America and Eurasia
| medium precipitation, periodic drought; seasonal temperature range
68
taiga is largest
terrestrial biome
69
how have humans impacted taigas
logged at rate quicker than can be regrown
70
temperate broadleaf forests
midlatitude
| decent amount of precipitation; seasonal temperature range
71
how have humans impacted temperate broadleaf forests
heavily settled by humans, used for agriculture
72
tundra
20% of earth's land in the Arctic
| some precipitation, cold temperatures
73
alpine tundra
very high altitude, high wind, low temperature, high precipitation
74
how have humans impacted tundras
used for mineral and oil extraction
75
aquatic biomes characterized by
physical environment
76
marine biome salt concentration
3%
77
freshwater biome salt concentration
0.1%
78
freshwater biomes effected by
soil and biotic components of surrounding terrestrial biomes
79
photic zone
where light is sufficient enough for photosynthesis
80
aphotic zone
where little light penetrates
81
photic and aphotic zones make up
pelagic zone
82
abyssal zone
ocean that is 2000-6000m belos surface
83
benthic zone
bottom of all aquatic biomes made up of sands, sediments
84
benthos
communities of organisms that inhabit the benthic zone
85
detritus
dead organic matter that is food for many benthic species
86
thermocline
layer of abrupt temperature change due to sunlight penetration
87
turnover
oxygenated water from surface of lake moves to bottom in the spring and autumn, sending nutrient water to the surface
88
littoral zone (lakes)
closer to land
89
limnetic zone (lakes)
farther from land
90
intertidal, neritic, and oceanic zones
distance from shore and water depth
91
stratification in lakes
light decreases with depth
92
temperate lakes have _____ thermocline
seasonal
93
tropical lakes have _____ thermocline
all year round
94
oligotrophic lakes
nutrient poor, oxygen rich
95
eutrophic lakes
nutrient rich, oxygen poor in summer and winter
96
oligotrophic lake may become eutrophic due to
runoff adding nutrients and sediments
97
runoff from fertilized land causes nutrient enrichment which can lead too
algal blooms, oxygen depletion, fish death
98
wetlands
habitat flooded some of the time
99
how have humans impacted wetlands
draining and filling has destroyed 90% of wetlands
100
temperature of streams vs. rivers
streams tend to be colder, rivers tend to be warmer
101
how do salt and nutrient content vary in rivers
increase from headwaters to mouth
102
how have humans impacted rivers
pollution, damming and flood control
103
estuary
transition between river and sea, salinity varies with tides
104
how have humans impacted estuaries
filling, dredging, pollution
105
intertidal zones
areas periodically submerged and exposed by tides (twice daily on marine shores)
106
how have humans impacted estuaries
oil pollution and construction of jetties
107
ocean pelagic zone
open water constantly mixed by wind and currents
| high oxygen levels, low nutrient levels
108
how have humans impacted ocean pelagic zone
overfishing and pollution
109
coral reefs formed from
calcium carbonate skeleton of corals
| high oxygen levels, high inputs of freshwater and nutrients
110
progression of coral reefs
fringing reef to barrier reef to coral atoll
111
how have humans impacted coral reefs
collecting of coral skeletons, overfishing, pollution
112
marine benthic zone
seafloor below surface waters
| receives no sunlight, low temperature, high pressure
113
deep-sea hydrothermal vents support life of
chemoautotrophic prokaryotes
114
how have humans impacted marine benthic zone
overfishing and dumping
115
ecological time
minute-to-minute time frame of interactions between organisms and environment
116
evolutionary time
time frame of many generations
117
dispersal
movement of individuals or gametes away from origin or centers of high population density
118
long distance dispersal can lead to
adaptive radiation (rapid evolution)
119
transplants
relocation of species to see if organism survives and reproduces
120
why do ecologists observe transplants
to determine if dispersal limits distribution
121
distribution may be limited by
habitat selection behavior
122
predators may limit distribution of
prey (which may limit distribution of plants)
123
examples of biotic limitations
pollinators, food resources, parasites, pathogens, competing organisms
124
abiotic limitations
temperature, water availability, oxygen content, sunlight, salt concentration (aquatic biomes)
125
abiotic limitations of plants (indirectly impacts animals)
pH, mieral composition, structure of rocks/soil
