Exam 1 real version Flashcards
(116 cards)
1
Q
abiotic
A
physical/nonlivng environment
2
Q
adaptation
A
trait with a genetic basis that enhances survival of its bearers in their environment
3
Q
biosphere
A
highest level of organization on earth, all organisms on earth and the environment in which they live
4
Q
biotic
A
living components of an environment
5
Q
climate change
A
directional change in climate over a period of three decades or more
5
Q
community
A
interacting species that occur together at the same place and time
5
Q
ecology
A
study of interactions between organisms and their environment
5
Q
ecosystem
A
all organisms in a given area and the physical environment in which they live
6
Q
landscape
A
6
Q
consumer
A
organism that obtains it’s energy by eating another organism or it’s remains
6
Q
evolution
A
change in allele frequency’s over time
6
Q
natural selection
A
process by which individuals with certain heritable characteristics tend to survive more successfully than others due to said characteristic
6
Q
net primary production
A
amount of energy per unit of time that producers capture by photosynthesis/chemosynthesis (minus the amount used in cellular respiration)
6
Q
nutrient cycle
A
cyclic movement of nutrients between organisms and their physical environment
6
Q
biodiversity
A
diversity of important ecological entities
7
Q
direct interaction
A
predation, competition or positive interaction between two species
7
Q
population
A
a group of individuals of the same species living within a given area
7
Q
competitive network
A
multiple species that each negatively interacts with every other species
7
Q
community
A
group of interacting species that occur at the small place and time
7
Q
community structure
A
set of characteristics that shape a community (# species/abundance)
8
Q
ecosystem engineer
A
species that influences its community by creating, modifying, or maintaining a physical habitat for itself and other species
9
Q
food web
A
diagram showing connections between organisms and the food they consume
10
Q
foundation species
A
a species that has large effect on its community due to its size or abundance
11
Q
functional group
A
set of species that function in similar ways but do not use the same resources
12
guild
species that use the same resources
13
indirect interactions
relationship between two species is mediated by a third species
13
horizontal interactions
interactions that occur within a trophic level
14
interaction strength
a measure of the effect of one species on the abundance of another
15
interaction web
concept that describes both the trophic and non trophic interactions among the species in a traditional food web
16
keystone species
a species that has an effect on energy flow and community size regardless that it is not abundant
17
rank abundance curve
plots the proportional abundance of each species in a community relative to to the others in rank order
17
alternative stable states
different community development scenarios that are possible at the same location under similar environmental states
18
climax stage
last stage of succession that is thought to be stable until disturbances shift the community back to earlier successional stages
19
disturbance
abiotic event that harms some individuals and allows others to thrive as a result
20
hysteresis
inability of a community that has undergone change to shift back even when original conditions are restored
20
pioneer stage
first stage of primary succession
20
primary succession
succession that involves the colonization of habitats devoid of life
20
secondary succession
involves the reestablishment of a community in which some, but not all, organisms have been destroyed
21
biotic resistance
interactions of the native species of a community with the non native species that slow the growth of non natives
22
community function
set of processes that shape community structure
23
stability
when a community retains or returns to its original structure and function after some disturbance
24
complementarity hypothesis
proposes that as species richness increases there is a linear increase of the positive effects of those species on community
25
dynamic equilibrium model
species diversity is maximized when the level of disturbance and the rate of competitive displacement are roughly equivalent
26
adaptation
trait with an underlying genetic basis that enhances survival of its bearers in their environment
27
acclimatization
an organisms adjustment to lessen the effects of an environmental change and minimize associated stress
28
avoidance
response to stressful environmental conditions that lessen their effect by minimizing their exposure to the stress
29
boundary layer
zone close to the surface where a flow of fluid encounters resistance and becomes turbulent
30
climate envelop
range of climate variables that are associated with a species geographic distribution
31
ecotype
population with adaptations to unique local environment
31
dormancy
a state in which little to no metabolic activity occurs
31
ectotherm
animal that regulates its body temperature primarily through exchange with the external environment
32
endotherm
animal that regulates it body temperature through internal metabolic heat generation
33
hibernation
torpor lasting several weeks in the winter
33
resistance
any force that impedes the movement of compounds such as water or gases such as carbon dioxide along an energy gradient
34
matric potential
energy associated with attractive forces on the surfaces of large molecules inside cells
34
torpor
state of dormancy in which endotherms drop their lower critical temperature and associated metabolic rate
34
stomate
pore in plant tissues surrounded by specialized guard cells that control it's opening and closing
34
stress
abiotic factor that results in a decrease in the rate of an important physiological process
34
pubescence
presence of hair
34
C4 photosynthetic pathway
day time uptake of CO2
35
tolerance
ability to survive in stressful conditions
35
gravitational potential
energy associated with gravity
35
crassulacean acid metabolism
CO2 is fixed and stored at night and released to the Calvin cycle during the day
35
lower critical temperature
environmental temperature at which the heat loss of an endotherm triggers an increase in metabolic heat generation
35
autotroph
organism that converts energy from sunlight into chemical energy
35
C3 photosynthetic pathway
uptake of CO2 and synthesis of sugars
35
Calvin cycle
biochemical pathway used to fix carbon and synthesize sugars
35
chemosynthesis
use of energy to fix CO2 and produce carbs int he Calvin cycle
35
detritus
freshly dead or partly decomposed remains of an organism
35
heterotroph
organism that gets energy by eating energy rich compounds made by another organism
36
What statement about movement of energy through ecosystems is true?
energy can move in one direction only and cannot be recycled
36
Which trait cannot evolve by natural selection?
a trait that is the result of an individuals life experiences and does not have genetic basis
36
Plants with bacterial symbionts that fix _____ are often important players in ____ stages of succession.
nitrogen, early
36
Robert Paine
non native algae species coexist with a competitively dominated species with periodic disturbances
37
David Tilman
increase diversity = increase productivity
38
G. E. Huthcinson
studied freshwater lakes
39
Charles Darwin
evolution/natural selection
40
Henry Gleason
variation in species does not affect community
41
Which statement best summarizes Elton's views on succession?
Organisms and the environment interact to shape the direction that succession will take.
42
Robert MacArthur showed that different species of warblers in New England forests...
coexist because they utilize different parts of the tree
42
Tilman's experiments with the two species of diatoms showed that the species could coexist...
when the ratio of silica to phosphorus was at an intermediate
42
What hypothesis did Legih Van Valen pose in 1965?
niche variation hypothesis
42
When heterotrophs consume food, they convert it to usable chemical energy, primarily in the form of ___, during the process of ____.
ATP, glycolysis
43
The use of specialized bacteria to help break down a toxic organic pesticide spilled during an industrial accident is an example of ___.
bioremediation
43
What is the primary difference between interaction webs and food webs?
interaction webs include non-trophic interactions, food webs do not
43
Which statement about change in communities is true?
disturbances create opportunities for some species to grow or reproduce due to injury or death
43
In the CAM pathway, CO2 uptake occurs ____ and the Calvin cycle occurs ____.
at night, during the day
44
what quality is a biotic feature of the environment?
density of consumers
45
What is one reason that amphibians are especially good indicators of the condition of the environment?
they live in both terrestrial and aquatic environments
46
How did exposure to pesticides affect frogs?
caused deformities
47
Which statement about the studies by Mary Powers and colleagues on California rivers is true?
species, such as the steelhead, that are keystone predators during the normal years are minor players in the food web during drought years
48
ecologists are concerned about the establishment of invasive species in new areas because invasive species...
can have large economical effect on there new communities
49
Which value can be measured the most easily?
species richness
50
What stamens about the difference between a competitive network and a competitive hierarchy are true?
in a competitive hierarchy, one species dominates the interaction; in an interaction network, no one species dominates the interaction
51
An experiment by alsterbesrg and colleagues showed that with ocean acidification and warming, the biomass of benthic micro algae...
(both a and b)... did not change with omnivores, declined with our omnivores
52
What is the primary difference between interaction webs and food webs?
interaction webs include non trophic interactions, food webs do not
53
In the study by Jennifer Higher and colleagues, in which community did it appear that species richness had been adequately sampled?
a plane community from a forest in michigan
54
What statement about keystone predators is true?
they usually influence primary producers indirectly
55
Which statement about zebra mussels in North America is true?
they arrived in North America from ballast water discharged into the great lakes
56
Which statement is an assumption of the resource partitioning theory?
resources are limiting
57
Robert and John MacArthur found that in both tropical and temperate habitats, bird species diversity ___ as plant diversity increased and ____ as foliage height diversity increased.
showed no change, increased significantly
58
The tolerance and inhibition models of primary succession hold different assumptions about the...
nature of the effects that the early colonizers have on late colonizing species
59
Which statement about the change in communities is true?
disturbances create opportunities for some species to grow or reproduce due to death/injury of others
60
Which of the following is an example of something that could be predicted with information on a species climate envelop?
range that the species could potentially inhabitat
61
What do chemosynthesis and phtoosythesis have in common?
they both fix carbon and result of storage of energy in carbon-carbon bonds
62
What takes place during the second step of photosynthesis, referred to as the carbon reactions?
CO2 is fixed, producing carbs
63
IN contrast to C3 plants, C4 plants have...
well differentiated mesophyll cells and bindle sheeth tissue
64
The experiments of Kenword and colleagues with New Caledonian crows showed...
the ability of crows to manufacture tools is at least partially inherited
65
among vertebrates, ____ can survive a long winter in a semi frozen state.
a few species of frogs, salamanders, and turtles
66
What takes place during the first step of photosynthesis, referred to as the light driven reactions?
water is split to provide electrons to synthesize ATP and NADPH
67
Orchid species have lost their ability to photosynthesize, and instead parasitize fungi for their energy needs, are examples of....
holoparasites
68
When you touch something hot and you hand becomes warm this is an example of...
kinetic energy transfer
69
(the mouse question) how much heat must it be generating per minute?
17 milliwatts
70
Aquatic animals that are hypo osmotic to the surrounding water must expand energy to excrete salts against the osmotic gradient.
true
71
In what way was the early atmosphere different from the atmosphere today?
it was richer in CO2 and methane
72
Why do researchers think that 'sponging' behavior in bottlenose dolphins is a learned trait?
behavior appears to be socially transmitted through the maternal line
