Ecology Exam

Question 1

Hierarchy of Ecological Research

Answer 1

1. Global Ecology
2. Landscape Ecology
3. Ecosystem Ecology
4. Community Ecology
5. Population Ecology
6. Organismal Ecology

Question 2

Climate

Answer 2

The long-term, prevailing weather conditions in a given area.

Question 3

Four Factors of Climate

Answer 3

Temperature, precipitation, sunlight, and wind.

Question 4

Abiotic

Answer 4

Nonliving.

Question 5

Biotic

Answer 5

Living factors that impact an environment.

Question 6

Macroclimate

Answer 6

Climate at the global, regional, and landscape levels.

Question 7

Seasonality

Answer 7

Instigated by the Earth’s tilted axis of rotation and its annual passage around the sun.

Question 8

Bodies of Water

Answer 8

Oceans influence climate by heating or cooling air masses that pass over land.

Question 9

Mountains

Answer 9

Influence air flow over land by causing rain shadows.

Question 10

Biomes

Answer 10

Major life zones characterized by vegetation type (terrestrial biomes) or by physical environment.

Question 11

Climograph

Answer 11

A plot of the annual mean temperature and precipitation in a particular region.

Question 12

Disturbance

Answer 12

An even such as a storm, fire, or human activity that changes a community. This kills organisms or changes resource availability.

Question 13

Ecotone

Answer 13

An area of intergradation of biomes.

Question 14

Canopy

Answer 14

The low tree layer in a forest.

Question 15

Terrestrial Biomes

Answer 15

Tropical Forest
Savanna
Desert
Chaparral
Temperate Grassland
Northern Coniferous Forest
Temperature Broadleaf Forest
Tundra

Question 16

Tropical Forest

Answer 16

Equatorial and sub equatorial regions.
Rainfall is constant. (200 - 400 cm of rain)
Tropical dry forests (150 - 200 cm)
Vertically layered, and plants compete for sunlight.
Millions of animal species.

Question 17

Savanna

Answer 17

Equatorial and sub-equatorial regions.
30 - 50 cm of rainfall a year in savannas, and it is seasonal. 
Dry season up to nine months.
Scattered and thorny.
Large mammals.

Question 18

Desert

Answer 18

Northern and southern latitudes.
Low precipitation, less than 30cm of rain per year.
Low, scattered vegetation.
C4 and CAM plants are common.

Question 19

Chaparral

Answer 19

Low rain. (30 - 50 cm)
High seasonal.
Dominated by shrubs and small trees adapted to frequent fires.

Question 20

Temperate Grassland

Answer 20

In the interior of continents.
Temperate grasslands receive 30 to 100cm of rain a year.
Highly seasonal.
Dry winters, wet summers.
Grasses and forbs, grazing by large mammals.

Question 21

Northern Coniferous Forest

Answer 21

Largest terrestrial biome.
30 to 70 cm of water.
Cold winters.
Fire to regenerate.

Question 22

Temperate Broadleaf Forest

Answer 22

Midlatitudes in the Northern Hemisphere.
70 to 200 cm annually.
Dominated by deciduous trees.

Question 23

Tundra

Answer 23

Covers the arctic, 20% of the Earth.
20 to 60 cm annually.
Permafrost. 
Mostly herbaceous. 
Oxen grange.
Wolves, snowy owls, bears, etc.

Question 24

Tundra

Answer 24

Covers the arctic, 20% of the Earth.
20 to 60 cm annually.
Permafrost. 
Mostly herbaceous. 
Oxen grange.
Wolves, snowy owls, bears, etc.

Question 25

Aquatic Biomes

Answer 25

Wetlands and Estuaries
Lakes
Streams and Rivers
Intertidal Zones
Coral Reefs
Oceanic Pelagic Zone
Marine Benthic Zone

Question 26

Wetlands and Estuaries

Answer 26

Inundated by water and support plants.
Estuaries: The transition zone between a river and the sea.
Seawater flows up and down the channel with the tidal changes.

Question 27

Lakes

Answer 27

Oligotrophic lakes: nutrient-poor and oxygen rich
Eutrophic lakes: nutrient rich and often depleted of oxygen in the summer and in the winter (if covered in ice.)
Oligotrophic lakes have less surface area relative to depth than eutrophic lakes.

Question 28

Lakes

Answer 28

Oligotrophic lakes: nutrient-poor and oxygen rich
Eutrophic lakes: nutrient rich and often depleted of oxygen in the summer and in the winter (if covered in ice.)
Oligotrophic lakes have less surface area relative to depth than eutrophic lakes.
Plants live in the littoral zone.
Limnetic zone supports phytoplankton etc. Fishes too.

Question 29

Streams and Rivers

Answer 29

Headwater stream channels are narrow, rocky, and have shallow pools.
Rivers are wide and meandering. (often silty)
Fishes, phytoplankton, etc.

Question 30

Intertidal Zones

Answer 30

Intertidal zone: periodically submerged and exposed by tides, twice daily.
Specific organisms selected by the harsh environment.
Rocky and sandy.
Plentiful algae on the rocks.
Starfish.

Question 31

Coral Reefs

Answer 31

Formed from calcium carbonate skeletons of corals.
Near islands and the edges of continents.
Substrate required for attachment.
Fish and invertebrates are rampant.

Question 32

Oceanic Pelagic Zone

Answer 32

Oceanic Pelagic Zone: vast realm of open blue water.
High oxygen content.
Lower nutrient levels.
70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by it.
Dominated by bacteria and phytoplankton.
Squids, fishes, sea turtles, and marine animals.

Question 33

Marine Benthic Zone

Answer 33

Marine benthic zone: the seafloor.
Organisms adapted to consistent cold.
Seaweeds and algae live in the shallow areas that do have sufficient light.
Deep-sea hydrothermal vents support organisms such as chemoautotrophic prokaryotes.

Question 34

Marine Benthic Zone

Answer 34

Marine benthic zone: the seafloor.
Organisms adapted to consistent cold.
Seaweeds and algae live in the shallow areas that do have sufficient light.
Deep-sea hydrothermal vents support organisms such as chemoautotrophic prokaryotes.

Question 35

Marine Benthic Zone

Answer 35

Marine benthic zone: the seafloor.
Organisms adapted to consistent cold.
Seaweeds and algae live in the shallow areas that do have sufficient light.
Deep-sea hydrothermal vents support organisms such as chemoautotrophic prokaryotes.

Question 36

Community

Answer 36

A group of populations of different species living close enough to interact.