Ecology Flashcards
Species, communities and ecosystems, Energy flow, Carbon cycling, Climate change (105 cards)
1
Q
Describe limitations of the biological species concept
A
2
Q
Define “population”
A
2
Q
Define species according to the biological species concept
A
3
Q
Outline how reproductive isolation can lead to speciation
A
4
Q
Define “autotroph” and “heterotroph”
A
Autotroph:
Heterotroph:
5
Q
Describe the feeding behaviors of consumers
A
6
Q
List three example consumer organisms.
A
7
Q
Describe the feeding behaviors of detritivores
A
8
Q
List two example detritivore organisms
A
9
Q
Give an example of a community of organisms
A
9
Q
Describe the feeding behaviors of saprotrophs
A
10
Q
List two example saprotroph organisms
A
11
Q
Define “species”, “population” and “community”
A
12
Q
List the common nutrients needed by organisms
A
12
Q
Define “abiotic” and “ecosystem”
A
Abiotic:
Ecosystem:
13
Q
Define “nutrient”
A
14
Q
Outline how nutrients enter living systems
A
14
Q
State that chemical elements can be recycled but energy can not
A
15
Q
Outline the generalized flow of nutrients between the abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem
A
16
Q
Give an example of an unsustainable practice
A
16
Q
Define “sustainability”
A
17
Q
Outline three requirements of a sustainable ecosystem
A
18
Q
Use a dichotomous key to identify the mode of nutrition of an organism
A
19
Q
Outline why sampling must be random
A
19
Explain methods of random sampling, including the use of a quadrat
20
State the null and alternative hypothesis of the chi-square test of association
21
Use a contingency table to complete a chi-square test of association
22
Calculate a chi-square statistic based on observed and expected values
23
State the null and alternative hypothesis of statistical tests
24
Determine if the null hypothesis is supported or rejected given a critical value and a calculated statistic
25
State the minimum acceptable significance level (p value) in published research
26
Explain the meaning of a “statistically significant” result, including the probability of chance having a role in the result
27
Define "mesocosm"
28
List three example mesocosms
29
Outline requirements of setting up a mesocosm
30
State the trend found in the nutritional patterns of plants and algae
31
Describe the discrepancy in the nutritional pattern of parasitic plants and algae
32
State how energy in carbon compounds enters most biological communities
33
List three groups of autotrophs
34
Outline how light energy is converted to chemical energy
35
Define "food chain" and "food web"
36
List three reasons why living organisms need energy for cell activities
36
Outline the reason why respiration releases heat
36
State the meaning of the arrow in a food web or chain
36
State the function of ATP
36
Draw a food chain, labeling the producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer and tertiary consumer
37
Outline how ATP is formed, referencing exothermic and endothermic reactions
38
Draw a flow chart to illustrate the energy conversions performed by living organisms
39
State the reason why heat created by living organisms is eventually lost from the ecosystem
39
Define "biomass"
40
Define "trophic level"
41
State the unit used for communicating the energy in each trophic level of a food chain
42
Outline three reasons why the amount of energy decreases at higher trophic levels
43
State the average amount of energy passed through each trophic level of a food chain
44
State the role of photosynthesis in the carbon cycle
44
Draw a pyramid of energy given data for an ecosystem
45
Describe the shape and units of a pyramid of energy
46
Explain why there is a limited number of organisms in a food chain
47
State that in diffusion, molecules move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration
47
Outline the process that converts CO2 to hydrogen carbonate ion in water, leading to a reduction of the pH in the water
48
State that carbon dioxide is a waste product of aerobic cellular respiration
49
State that carbon dioxide diffuses out of cells into the atmosphere or water
49
Outline the role of methanogenic archaea in the transformation of organic material into methane
50
State that methane is oxidized to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
51
Define "peat"
52
Outline formation of peat
53
Outline formation of coal
54
Outline formation of oil and natural gas
55
Define "combustion"
56
State the products of a combustion reaction
57
State sources of fuel for a combustion reaction
58
State that hard shells, such as in mollusk and coral, are made of calcium carbonate
59
List seven flux processes in the carbon cycle
59
State the unit of measure for carbon flux values
60
Sketch a graph of the annual fluctuation in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration
61
Explain the annual fluctuation in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration in the northern hemisphere
62
Draw a diagram of the aquatic carbon cycle
63
Draw a diagram of the terrestrial carbon cycle
64
Explain why accurate measurements of CO2 and methane in the atmosphere are important
65
Define "pool" and "flux"
66
Outline how data on concentration of atmospheric CO2 and methane are collected
67
State the sources of CO2 and water vapor in the atmosphere
68
State how long water, methane and CO2 remain in the atmosphere, on average
68
State the sources of methane and NO gases in the atmosphere
68
Outline the mechanism by which greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere
69
State two factors that determine the warming impact of a greenhouse gas
70
State two variables that determine the concentration of a gas in the atmosphere
71
Compare the impact of atmospheric methane to CO2
72
State how long water, methane and CO2 remain in the atmosphere, on average
73
State that the Earth absorbs short-wave energy from the sun and re-emits longer wavelengths
74
Compare wavelengths of UV, visible and infrared radiation
75
Explain the greenhouse effect, with reference to short wave radiation from the sun, long wave radiation from the Earth and the effects of ozone and greenhouse gases
76
Explain why water vapor, CO2, methane and NO are greenhouse gases
77
Explain why atmospheric CO2 concentration would logically impact global temperatures
78
Outline the effect of global temperature on climate, specifically location and frequency of of rain and frequency of severe storms
79
Outline the impact of the industrial revolution on atmospheric CO2 concentration
79
State the atmospheric CO2 concentration prior to the industrial revolution
79
Explain why industrial revolution would increase atmospheric CO2 concentrations
79
Describe the correlation between atmospheric CO2 concentrations since the industrial revolution and global temperatures
80
Explain how historical temperature data has been collected
81
Using ice core data, outline the correlation between atmospheric CO2 concentration and global temperatures
82
Outline three reasons why there is vigorous debate around the claim that human activities are causing climate change
82
Outline the effect of atmospheric CO2 concentration on ocean pH
83
Describe the impact of lower ocean pH on animals that make skeletons from calcium carbonate
84
Outline ways by which claims can be evaluated for truth
