Chapter 52 Lecture Flashcards
(33 cards)
Which of the following levels of ecological organization is arranged in the correct sequence from most to least inclusive?
ECOSYSTEM>COMMUNITY>POPULATION>INDIVIDUAL
“How do seed-eating animals affect the distribution and abundance of the trees?” This question…
- would require an elaborate experimental design to answer
- would require a large area
- would be a long-term experiment
- is one that a present-day ecologist would ask
Which of the following examples of an ecological effect leading to an evolutionary effect is most correct?
A few individuals with denser fur survive the coldest days of an ice age, and the reproducing survivors of the ice age all have long fur.
Which of the following might be an investigation of microclimate?
the effect of sunlight intensity on species composition in a decaying rat carcass
Which of the following choices includes all of the others in creating global terrestrial climates?
differential heating of Earth’s surfaces
Why is the climate drier on the LEEWARD side of mountain ranges that are subjected to prevailing winds?
pushed by the prevailing winds on the WINDWARD side, air is forced to rise, cool, condense, and drop its precipitation, leaving only dry air to descend down the LEEWARD side.
What would be the effect on climate in temperature latitudes if Earth were to slow its rate of rotation from 24-hour to 48-hours?
The climate would stay the same, there would be longer days & longer nights.
Palm trees and subtropical plants are commonplace in Land’s End, England, whose latitude is the equivalent of Labrador in coastal Canada where the local flora is subarctic. Which statement best explains why this apparent anomaly exists between N America and England?
Warm ocean currents interact with England, whereas cold ocean currents interact with Labrador.
Which statement describes how climate might change if Earth was 75% land and 25% water?
Earth’s daytime temperatures would be higher and nighttime temperatures would be lower.
Which of the following abiotic factors has the greatest influence on the metabolic rates of plants and animals?
TEMPERATURE
In mountainous areas of western North America, north-facing slopes would be expected to:
support biological communities similar to those found at higher elevations on similar south-facing slopes
Deserts typically occur in a band at 20 degrees north and south latitude because…
descending air masses tend to be cool and dry.
think of the Hadley cells
How many HADLEY CELLS are there thought to be?
THREE from the equator to the poles
-the first one is responsible for the desserts at 20 degrees N&S latitude
Which of the following events might you predict to occur if the tilt of Earth’s axis, relative to its plane of orbit, was increased to 33 1/2 degrees?
Summers and winters in the US would likely become warmer & colder, respectively.
Imagine some cosmic catastrophe jolts Earth so that its axis is perpendicular to the orbital plane. The most obvious effect would be…
the elimination of SEASONAL VARIATION
The main reason polar regions are cooler than the equator is that…
sunlight strikes the poles at a lower angle
Which of the following environmental features might influence microclimates?
- forest canopy
- freshly plowed field
- log on the forest floor
- large boulder
The success with which plants extend their range northward following glacial retreat is best determined by:
their seed dispersal rate
As climate changes because of global warming, species’ ranges in the northern hemisphere may move northward, using effective reproductive adaptations to disperse their seeds. The trees that are most likely to avoid extinction in such an environment are those that…
have seeds that are easily dispersed by wind or animals.
Generalized global air circulation and precipitation patterns are caused by:
rising, warm, moist air masses that cool and release precipitation as they rise and then, at high altitude, cool and sink back to the surface as dry air masses after moving north or south of the tropics
Air masses formed over the Pacific Ocean are moved by prevailing WESTERLIES where they encounter extensive north-south mountain ranges, such as the SIERRA NEVADA and the CASCADES. Which statement best describes the outcome of this encounter between a landform and an air mass?
The warm, moist PACIFIC air rises and cools, releasing precipitation as it moves up the WINDWARD side of the range, and this cool, now dry air mass heats up as it desends down the LEEWARD side of the mountain range.
If global warming continues at its present rate, which biomes will likely take the place of the CONIFEROUS FOREST (TAIGA)?
TEMPERATE BROADLEAF FOREST & GRASSLANDS
Which of the following are important biotic factors that can affect the structure and organization of biological communities?
PREDATION
&
COMPETITION
CORAL REEFS can be found on the southern east coast of the US but not at similar latitudes on the southern west coast. Differences in which of the following most likely account for this?
OCEAN CURRENTS
