EXAM 2 Flashcards
(28 cards)
What are the key abiotic factors of equatorial rainforest
- Abundant Rainfall
- High insolation
- Warm/Hot but not extreme temperature
What are the key biotic factors of equatorial rainforest?
- Abundant Plant Growth
- Structurally Complex 3D Biological Communities
- Rapid Decomposition
What are the environmental challenge in equatorial rainforest?
- High Rainfall
- Competition for Light
- Limited Mineral Nutrient in Soil
- High 3D Structurally Complexity
Role of Biocrust
- Stabilize Soil
- Boosting Fertility
- Retaining Moisture
Why do equatorial rainforest have high biodiversity?
- Complex 3D structural complexity
- Competition - character displacement
- Biodiversity begets biodiversity
- Biodiversity confers ecological resiliency
Why do some plants adapt to have thorns?
Thorns fend off herbivore. It takes resources, such as water, to regenerate, thus making thorn useful in the desert where water is scarce
Why is CAM photosynthesis useful to plants in the desert?
Allows plant to close the stomata during the day, minimizing water loss, and open in the night, taking in CO2
What is evolutionary moonlighting
One trait serves multiple ecological/physiological functions
What are some ecological tolerator in the desert?
- Xerophyte
- Sclerophyllous leaves
- Thorn Plants
What are some ecological avoider in the desert?
Annual Plants
What is the difference between changes in gene expression and changes in gene function?
Gene expression deals with when, where, and in what circumstances a gene is expressed. This involves regulation of transcription of a gene.
Gene function deals with what a gene does.This involves physical changes in the coding sequence of a gene.
Primary Metabolites vs Secondary Metabolites
Primary metabolites are metabolites that every organisms produces. Secondary Metabolites are metabolites produced by organisms under conditions to help them survive
How does fire play a role in balancing the savannah
It prevents excess growth of grass and trees, preventing the savannah from becoming a forest or grassland
Why does area with precipitation alternate between north and south of equator?
In the summer solstice, the tropic of cancer receives the most energy from the sun, thus more energy, means more convection current and more rain. Then, in the winter solstice, the tropic of capricorn receive the most energy, making south of equator more rainy.
What are some adaptation to the savannah?
- Baobao Trunks
- Geoxyles
- Thorn Tree
- Hard Leaves (sclerophyllous)
Why is there a longer daylight length session in the summer?
Higher sun angle means more energy is heating that hemisphere, resulting in longer days and less in the winter
What are the three major planetary-scale geophysical or atmospheric factors that give rise to the tundra biome?
- Dominated by polar vortex all year
- Extreme seasonal changes in day-length
- Strong effect of angle-of-axis seasonality
How does climate change drive competition in the artic?
Red fox that lives in the south must move north, thus competing for Arctic fox
How does perma defrost affect the climate?
- Increased release of greenhouse gases because the permafrost acts as a carbon sink, releasing the carbon when melted
Ecotypic Differentiation vs Phenotypic Plasticity
Ecotypic diff. is when organism are genetically adapted to local environmental condition.
Phenotypic Plasticity is when an organism with the same genome has its phenotype expressed differently based on the condition it is at
How does caribou demonstrate photoperioidc?
Caribou have a mechanism to optimize the measurement of daylength for their breeding cycle. By measuring the length of day length, they are able to breed after the growth of plants but before the emergence peak of mosquito
How is climate a change a threat to the Artic in terms of fire?
Although warmer temperature can cause more vegetation growth, more growth means higher fire risk when lightning strikes.
Burning can create a scar, contributing to the decrease in albedo because of its dark coloring, turning the artic into an carbon dioxide source
What is the difference between acclimation and adaptation?
Acclimation refers to a short term physiological, morphological, or biochemical change to an organism to increase fitness
Adaptation refers to a long term EVOLUTIONARY change that increase fitness of an organism in a new or changing environment
How does polyp increase its calcium carbonate?
When polyp eat, it rises out of its skeleton. It deposit calcium carbonate into this space, thus adding the structure to the reef
