Ecosystem Structure, Change & People Flashcards
(160 cards)
1
Q
Why are some species rare?
A
Apex predators
1
Q
Energy flowing TO and FROM the Earth is a ___ system.
A
open
2
Q
Energy flowing WITHIN the Earth is a ___ system.
A
closed
3
Q
Free exchange of energy, always more energy arriving at Earth
A
Open energy exchange
4
Q
Energy quantities are conserved, limited amounts can change or be reused
A
Closed energy exchange
5
Q
Energy for most life on earth comes from…
A
the sun
6
Q
What is the First Law of Thermodynamics?
A
energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only change form
7
Q
What is photosynthesis?
A
heat and light energy converted to chemical energy (glucose)
8
Q
How much sunlight is absorbed by plants?
A
~1%
9
Q
_____ are the foundation of any trophic system
A
Producers
10
Q
Producers are organisms that…
A
capture sunlight energy
11
Q
How do heterotrophs get their energy?
A
consuming other organisms
12
Q
Heterotrophs include… (5)
A
herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, detritivores, and decomposers
13
Q
Organisms that DECOMPOSE nutrients on a molecular level are…
A
Decomposers
14
Q
Organisms that CONSUME material to break it down are called…
A
Detritivores
15
Q
Tertiary consumers are usually
A
carnivorous apex predators (can also be omnivores)
16
Q
Secondary consumers are ____ but can be ____ at the 3rd level
A
carnivores, omnivores
17
Q
Primary consumers eat ___ and are the ___ level
A
plants, second
18
Q
Organisms in the 1st trophic level get energy from…
A
the sun and sequester C
19
Q
Organisms in the 2nd trophic level get energy from
A
plants
20
Q
Organisms in the 3rd trophic level are carnivores/omnivores that eat
A
herbivores
21
Q
Organisms in the 4th trophic level usually eat other
A
carnivores, but can be omnivore
22
Q
A food chain shows
A
who consumes who and the species occupying each trophic level
23
Q
What is “productivity”?
A
the rate at which energy is added to the bodies of a group of organisms as biomass
24
Is productivity efficient?
No
25
What is GPP (Gross Primary Productivity)?
overall rate of energy (~1% actually absorbed)
26
Does cellular respiration require energy?
yes
27
Where is most of the 1% light energy absorbed by plants used?
respiration
28
What is NPP (Net Primary Productivity)?
the remainder of the ~1% light energy absorbed that wasn't used in respiration
29
What does the energy measured by NPP usually get used for?
metabolism and maintenance
30
NPP is always ___ (greater/less) than GPP.
less
31
Approximately what % of energy absorbed goes to the next trophic level?
~10%
32
Energy that is transferred from one trophic level to the next of called...
Ecological efficiency
33
Energy transfer among trophic levels is ____
Inefficient
34
"Ecosystem" describes the...
flow of energy and matter
35
"Biosphere" describes the...
sum of all ecosystems
36
"Community" describes the...
interactions among species
37
"Population" describes the...
population dynamics - unit of evolution
38
A species may have many different ___ around the world in different areas
populations
39
T/F: A population only consist of members of one species, but it doesn't have to consist of ALL member of that species.
True
40
Populations together in one place are called
community
41
The approach that identifies species niches and determines how individuals interact and utilize their niche is called...
the individual approach
42
The population approach studies...
distribution and density of populations
43
The community approach studies...
presence of species, diversity of populations
44
The community approach evaluates how different species ____ and ____ for resources
engage, compete
45
The approach the considers organisms, their environment, food webs, trophic levels, and energy flow is the _____ approach.
Ecosystem
46
Physical characteristics of a community describe
the environment (wetland/desert)
47
Biological characteristics of a community describe
dominant species (animal/plant)
48
What does community structure describe?
the types and numbers of species (or subsets) present
49
What does community change describe?
dynamic fluctuations of communities over times
50
What is taxonomic affinity?
groups or organisms with a resemblance
51
What is a guild?
a group of species that use the same resources
52
A functional group is species with a _____ but do NOT use the same ____.
function, resources
53
A foundation species causes _____ in the environment that affects other species.
physical or chemical changes
54
Keystone species control _____.
distribution/abundance of other species
55
Dominant species are the _____ in either number or biomass.
most abundant
56
The number of different species in a community is called...
species richness
57
The relative abundance of a species compared with another is called...
species evenness
58
Species richness and species evenness combines is known as..
species diversity
59
What does a Species Richness Curve estimate?
when enough species have been observed
60
Significant changes due to climate patterns include:
survival rates, shift distributions, destabilize food webs
61
What influences community structure?
climate, geography, heterogeneity, disturbances, and interactions
62
What is succession?
the changes in species over time
63
What does the "super organism" hypothesis state?
groups of species working together towards some deterministic end
64
What does the "individualist" hypothesis state?
fluctuating environmental conditions acting on individual species
65
Why is succession not an easy path?
species replace each other
66
primary succession occurs when...
bare land is settled for the first time by living organisms
67
secondary succession occurs where...
life existed earlier but many species were destroyed
68
development of biotic community in primary succession is... (slow/fast)
slow
69
development of biotic community is secondary succession is... (slow/fast)
fast
69
what species replaced saplings and herbaceous plants?
larger, woody species
70
If an area is left undisturbed, it will support a
climax community
71
What is a climax community?
"final" stage of succession - stable
72
does a climax community change?
yes, in small ways but mostly remains the same
73
how do you describe climax communities in practice?
patchy, unpredictable, dynamic
74
late successional ecosystems are _____ of developmental stages
mosaics
75
Pioneer species are..
the first to colonize early in succession
76
pioneer species have _____ seeds
many, small
77
pioneer species have a ___ life cycle, ____ growth rate, and are ___ in size
short, fast, smaller
78
how are pioneer species pollinated?
by wind
79
pioneer species reproduce
asexually
80
T/F: pioneer species can adapt to harsh environments
true
81
pioneer species require ___ light levels
high
82
pioneer species are eventually ___ by other species
replaced
83
late successional species colonize...
after pioneer species
84
late successional species have ___ seeds
fewer, larger
85
late successional species have ____ life cycles, ____ growth rate, and are ____ in size
longer, slow, larger
86
how are late successional species pollinated?
by animals
87
late successional species have a ___ life cycle
sexual
88
T/F: late successional species require high levels of light
False
89
facilitating a colonization is to
make the habitat more suitable
90
inhibiting a colonization is to
make the habitat less suitable
91
to tolerate a colonization is to
have no impact on their establishment
92
nitrogen fixing species ___ colonization of other species
facilitate
93
what is "stress" for a community?
a factor that reduces growth or reproduction
94
what is "disturbance" for a community?
a large event that injures or kills individuals
95
T/F: Stressors and disturbances can be biotic or abiotic
True
96
What are examples of abiotic disturbances?
hurricanes, eruptions, fires
97
What are examples of biotic disturbances?
insect infestations, grazing
98
What does the intermediate disturbance hypothesis state?
species richness and diversity at the local scale peaks at intermediate
99
when people increase the frequency and magnitude of disturbances areas become dominated by ____ species
early successional
100
When people increase the frequency and magnitude of disturbances areas become depleted of
biomass, soil organics, nutrients pool
101
When people decrease the frequency and magnitude of disturbances areas become dominated by ___ species.
late successional
102
When people decrease the frequency and magnitude of disturbances areas become more susceptible to...
catastrophic disturbance
103
the quaternary time scale includes
last 2.8 millions years
104
the deep-time scale includes
pre-quaternary
105
what is the purpose of paleoenvironmental reconstruction
attempts to characterize past environments
106
Paleoecology studies
relationships between plants/animals and their environments using fossils
107
Paleobotany studies
evolutionary history of terrestrial/aquatic fossilized plants
108
Paleolimnology studies
past environments of ancient lakes from sediments
109
paleoclimatology studies
past climates using isotopes
110
"Modern" ecology is described as a
"snapshot" of modern time
111
Paleoecology is described as
history of change
112
layers that accumulate overtime are considered
closed systems
113
Modern ecology design is spread over ____.
space
114
Paleoecology design is spread over ___.
time
115
what is a paleoecological proxy?
material preserved within the geologic record
116
A proxy is also known as a ____ of the past
imprint
117
Pollen, spores, macrofossils, charcoal, and coral are all examples of what kind of proxy?
terrestrial/aquatic
118
tree rings are an example of a proxy that can be ___ to create climate records
combined
119
T/F: Deeper sediments = older sediments
True
120
the basis behind the qualitative approach suggests a
space for time substitution
121
Atoms are the
basic fundemental unit of all matter
122
isotopes are atoms of the same element that have a different number of
neurons
123
the isotope carbon-12 is
stable
124
the isotope carbon-12 will continue to exist as carbon even
after death of an organsism
125
the isotope carbon-14 is
unstable
126
the isotope carbon-14 will at some point
decay after death of an organism
127
carbon-14 exists naturally in the atmosphere at a _____ to carbon-12
nearly constant ratio
128
Measuring carbon decay measures
time elapsed since it was alive and in equilibrium with the atmosphere
129
Evergreen species pollen prefer a ____ climate
cooler, dry
130
Deciduous species pollen prefer a ____ climate
warmer, wetter
131
There are _ naturally occuring isotopes
3
132
What carbon isotopes are used in CO2
Carbon-14 and carbon 12
133
organisms ____ all carbon at time of death
stop accumulating
134
older remains have less ____ than younger remains
carbon 14
135
What epoch are we officially in?
Holocene
136
the term Anthropocene was introduced in
2000
137
T/F: In the Holocene epoch, scientists agree on the impact of humans
True
138
T/F: In the Holocene epoch, scientists agree on when Anthropocene started.
False
139
Divisions in geological time usually represent
global events
140
Temperature fluctuates _____ throughout geological time
regularly
141
Boundaries between stratigraphic units are called
golden spikes
142
Golden spikes are usually defined by changes in
fossil record, rock, atoms gases, temp
143
The first large global event that took place was
european colonization
144
Scientists agree that temperature is changing ____ than in past events
fasterha
145
changes to the water cycle and rainfall patterns include
more intense rainfall, flooding, intense drought,
146
changes to coastal areas include
sea level rise, coastal flooding, coastal erosions
147
changes to arctic regions include
warming, thawing, loss of snow cover, melting of glaciers
148
changes to the ocean include
warming, marines heatwaves, acidification, reduced O2
149
changes to cities include
urban heat island effect, flooding, sea level rise in coastal cites
150
we could see the same transition from the last ice age within the next ____ years
100
151
T/F: some species adapt to warming changes faster than others
True
152
Conservation consists of ______ of the natural environment and wildlife
preservation, protections, and restorations
153
What are some examples of marine conservation?
manage industrial fishing, improve agricultural practices and waste disposal
154
What are ways of environmental conservation?
protect habitats, increase sustainability and biodiversity
155
what are ways of animal conservation?
survival in sanctuaries, improve agricultural practice, protect pollinators
156
Ecological restoration aims to
recreate, initiate, or accelerate the recovery of an ecosystem
157
the typical trajectory of restoration is
Evaluate -> research -> restore
158
the adaptive restoration approach is based on
learning while restoring
