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Eco+Cons Questions Flashcards

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1
Q

what are the 3 measures of ecology

A

place, abundance, dynamic

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2
Q

what are examples of population dynamics

A

climatic variations, resources (bottom-up), predation (top-down), birth rates

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3
Q

What compenents affect global, regional and local climate?

A

temperature, precipitation, sunlight and wind

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4
Q

what are the major drivers for life

A

latitudinal variation in sunlight intensity, global air circulation + precipitation patterns, oceanic currents, mountain, seasonality and vegetation

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5
Q

what are global climate patterns determined by

A

input of solar energy and earth’s movement in space

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6
Q

what are the main biomes

A

tropical rainforest, savannah, desert, temperate grassland, temperate broadleaf forest, northern corniferous forest, chapparal, tundra

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7
Q

how are aquatic biomes characterised

A

physical and chemical environment

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8
Q

what are the 3 types of population dispersion

A

clumped, uniform and random

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9
Q

what the factors that cause species dispersal

A

abiotic barriers, geographic (allopatric), species interactions

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10
Q

What are the major aquatic biomes

A

lakes, wetlands, streams + rivers, estuaries, intertidal zones, coral reefs, ocean pelagic zones, marine benthic zones

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11
Q

what are abiotic limits on a species’ distribution

A

climate, substrate, water/ mineral chemistry, water depth, light intensity, turbidity (high=clear), temperature, salinity

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12
Q

what are biotic limits on a species’ distribution

A

predation, parasitism, competition, mutualism/facilitation (symbiosis)

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13
Q

How are species distributed

A

dispersal, biotic interactions, abiotic factors (climate, chemistry) (+evolutionary history)

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14
Q

what are the causes for population changes

A

births + deaths and immigration + emigration

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15
Q

why does the logistic model not always match the real populations

A

some assumptions don’t apply to all populations (that pops adjust instantly to growth and smoothly approach carrying capacity)

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16
Q

what are the factors that prevent species from going over the carrying capacity (negative feedback)

A

disease, resource competition, predation, territoriality (chemical markers), intrinsic factors (hormonal changes+interspecies interactions) +(toxic wastes)

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17
Q

why is it important to understand population fluctuations

A

for conservation, fishery management, pest management

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18
Q

causes for more chaotic population dynamics

A

unstable abiotic factors, scramble competition, predator-prey interactions, disease dynamics (herd immunity), dispersal limitations (metapopulation)

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19
Q

what shapes spatial patterns in biodiversity

A

location and habitat size/ area

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20
Q

what the the climatic limitiations for species richness

A

water availability and energy (light) availability

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21
Q

what are the 2 determinents of the island equilibrium model

A

isolation and size of area

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22
Q

what are the uses for the island equilibrium model

A

usful for design of protected areas

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23
Q

what is wrong with the island equilibrium model

A

it is oversimplified, also have to consider pop sizwhae + connectivity between habitats

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24
Q

what are the 4 community groups

A

canopy, grazer, producer, decomposer

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25
5 main Interspecific interactions
competition, predation, herbivory, paratism, mutilism
26
why does the idea that strong comp leads to competitive exclusion not work in reality
there's lots of specific niches (resource partitioning) with different tolerances, habitats and resource requirements
27
what are the types of defensive adaptations
mechanical (spines), chemical (skunks), aposematic colouring (warning), cryptic coloration (camouflage), batesian mimicry (harmless mimics harmful), müllerian mimicry (2 harmful mimic each other)
28
explain under and over compensation in plants
undercompensation: grazed plant has lower fitness Overconpensation: grazed plant has higher fitness due to herbivory migration routes (pollination) and plants stay dormant )but less flowers and respiration when herbivores aren't present)
29
what are plant defense adaptations
constitutive defenses (there before eg. spines + stings) and induced defences (there during attack eg. abscission)
30
what factors drive community ecology
competition + predation, herbivory + symbiosis+facilitation
31
what are the components of species diversity
species richness (no. different sp) + relative abundance (% of each species)
32
why are food chains limited to 5-7 species
energetic hypothesis: inefficient energy tansfers (~10% transfered) and dynamic stability hypothesis: long chains are less stable
33
what are the advantages of having high biodiversity
stability (better withstand disterbances), high productivity (more niches occupied)
34
what are the limiting factors of food chain length
inefficient energy transfers, size of prey + feeding mechanisms, large carnivores can't survive upon small prey (upper size limit), high energetic cost of catching prey
35
what are direct and indirect examples of disturbances
direct: fires+storms, indirect: urbanisation
36
what are the advantages to having disturbances
create opportunities for other species who haven't been able to establish, enhance habaitat patchiness (maintin diversity), prevents slow colonisers from establishing (increases diversity)
37
what processes is colonisation related to
tolerance (no effect), facilitation (help arrival) + inhibitionn (inhibit arrival)
38
why do dominant species have the largest biomass
they could be better ar disease/preator avoidance and more competitve at obtaining resources
39
how do we research species removal effects
natural experiments (in field), humans (land-clearing), mathmatical modelling (most uncertain), microcosm experiments
40
how is an organism's abumdance controlled
bottom-up and top-down control, agricultrual landscapes, national parks, fisheries
41
what is the 1st law of thermodynamics
energy can't be destroyed or created, only transferred
42
what is the 2nd law of thermodynamics
entropy of closed systems always increases OR remains constant
43
How is NPP calculated
GPP - respiration
44
where are iron,nitrogen and phosphate limiteding
iron: in open oceans (only in central gyres), nitrogen: marine coastal waters, phosphate: freshwater
45
What marine ecosystem has the highest NPP
coral reefs
46
What marine ecosystem has the lowest NPP
open oceans
47
why is trophic energy transfers inefficient
not all of the organism is eaten/digested, energy is used (respiration, movement) and the rest goes to decomposers (detrivores + coprovores)
48
why are some biomass pyramids everted
aqauatic food webs as aquatic primaeym producers (eg. phytoplankton) are tiny
49
in what form are global elements found
in gaseous (C,O,S,N)
50
In what form are local elements found
solid/liquid (P,K,Ca)
51
what are the 2 main human major impacts to chemical cycles
nutrient enrichment, and Greenhous Gases + Global warming
52
what are the 3 levels of biodiversity
within species (genetics), within communities (sp. diversity) and within the landscape (community + ecosystem dioversity)
53
what types of species cause significant hurdles in conservation and why
unknown unknows, scientists arent aware of them and thereofre are not conserved (could be vital to ecosystem + occupy very unique niche)
54
3 types of diversity that make up landscape diversity
alpha (no. sp in habitats), beta(difference between habitats) and gamma (sp. diversity at landscape level)
55
why preserve biodiversity- 3 reasons
biophilia, utilitarian/ usefullness, ecosystem functioning
56
what are some ways to protect biodiversity
restore/improve habitat, combat climate change, end overharvesting, protect hotspots, esalish regional protected areas
57
what are the 4 major elements for change
nutrient enrichement, depletion of atmospheric ozone, toxins in the environment, GGs + climate change
58
what are the impacts of nutrient enrichment
eutrophication and biodiversity loss in terrestrial ecosystems
59
what are the impacts of toxins in the environment
biological magnification (bioaccumulation), plastic waste strangulation + chemical leaching, fish feminisation (pharamaceuticals)
60
what are the impacts of GGS and climate change (Global Change)
ocean acidification, glacial melt, coral bleachings, global warming
61
what are the impacts of delepting atmospheric ozone
DNA damage/ cancer (mroe UV exposure), reduced phytoplankton growth
62
what are the economic models for sustainable development
cowboy (each ofr their own) and spaceship (equally though out to last)
63
what are the 2 solutions to reducing the human ecological footprints
reduce the population (not tolerable)or reduced the GHa per person (or capture resources in new ways)
64
what are the 2 global strategies for sustainable development
UN sustainable development and the GCRF
65
what is biodiversity inextricably linked to
economic development
66

Ecology+Conservation (2 decks)

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