Exam 2 Flashcards
(122 cards)
1
Q
ecosystem
A
all the organisms and their non living environment within a defined area
2
Q
Basic Laws of ecosystem functioning
A
- Energy moves through ecological communities in a continuous one-way flow
- Nutrients cycle and recycle within and among ecosystems
3
Q
Energy moves through ecological communities in a continuous one-way flow
A
- 1st and 2nd law of thermodynamics
- Application: Primary productivity and trophic pyramids
4
Q
Energy is…
A
reflected or absorbed
5
Q
Nutrients cycle and recycle within and among ecosystems
A
- Law of conservation of mass
- Energy Flow (ONE DIRECTIONAL, LOST through heat)
- Nutrient Flow (NOT LOST BUT CONVERTED) CYCLE
6
Q
primary productions
A
amount of solar energy converted to chemical energy in an ecosystem during a given period of time
- Kg of carbon/per square meter/per year
7
Q
What influences primary productions
A
-amount of solar radiation hitting ecosystem
-about 50% lost by clouds
-presence of plants -> many surfaces (rock)
-wavelength absorption
-nutrient availability (N and P)
- only 1% of visible light is converted to chemical energy
8
Q
Productivity lowest
A
Desert and semidesert scrub
9
Q
Productivity highest
A
wetlands
10
Q
Wavelength absorption
A
plant absorbing light, dark color near ground, lighter near sky
11
Q
Gross primary production TOTAL CARBON FIXED
A
amount of energy from light converted into chemical energy of organic molecules per time
- total amount of energy produced or fixed from photsynthesis
12
Q
Net primary production BIOMASS ACCUMULATED IN PRODUCERS
A
amount of energy stored (added) in producers
-available to consumers in a given time period
GROSS-ENERGY USED= NET
13
Q
net ecosystem production (NEP)
A
total biomass accumulated
14
Q
Where do you measure respiration
A
GPP in plant, burn it in oven and see leftover mass is carbon
- NPP measuring how much energy plant uses
-NEP measuring how much energy is being used
15
Q
R
A
respiration, energy used
16
Q
Trophic levels
A
Primary production
primary producers
secondary consumer
tertiary consumer
10% rule
17
Q
autochthonous
A
more energy made by primary producers than used
-too much energy, excess goest too different ecosystem
NOT 10%
18
Q
allochthonous
A
primary consumers consume more energy than produced
-not enough energy, energy comes from other ecosystem
NOT 10%
19
Q
Ecosystems and nutrient cycling
A
biochemical cycling (ecosystem, geology, chemical (N and P))
-each nutrient cycles have different aspects
20
Q
What influences carbon and water cycle
A
-increased CO2 emissions
-industrialization
-deforestation
21
Q
Consequences of carbon and water cycle
A
-global climate change
-increased average global temperature and CO2 levels
-changes local climates
22
Q
evaportranspiration
A
liquid water becoming water vapor/air
23
Q
precipitation
A
air/vapor to liquid
24
Q
percolation
A
water moving through ground
25
anthropergenic of water cycle
impact from people
- storm drains, manmade lakes, making dam's, wells
- Southeast MN has limestone, which absorbs ground water faster
-Ogallala aquifer: takes ling time for water to go down, water is pumped, but aquifer continues to get deeper
26
CO2 cycle
CO2 in atmosphere -> goes through photosynthesis -> organic carbon *glucose made -> respiration or carbon sequestration leads back to CO2 in atmosphere
27
Carbon sequestation
carbon removed from atmosphere, ex. old wetlands, fossils, coal, oil
28
Burning Fossil fuels
carbon sequestration leads to CO2 atmosphere (inorganic)
29
what happens in phosphorus and nitrogen cycle
chemical fertilizers to supplement intensive agriculture (too much)
30
Consequences of N and P cycle
-high nutrient runoff
-agal blooms and dead zones
-anoxic conditions and toxins
31
Where can we find the negative consequences in N and P cycle
-often in east, by Mississippi, Louisiana to Texas
-creates dead zone from lack of oxygen, no fish or animals
32
Phosphorus cycle
weathered and eroded rocks, phosphorus in water leads to uptake, phosphorus goes to living things, recomposition or sediment (sediment when things die)
33
N and P fertilization
haber process, a process that fixes nitrogen with hydrogen to produce ammonia. EXCESS NUTRIENTS CAN OCCUR
34
Sedimentation
through pressure, sediment turns to rock, and they move up when continents move
35
how long does uptake take in phosphorus cycle
few seconds, ex. algae takes in and eaten by fish
36
Nitrogen cycle
nitrogen (N2) through fixation goes to organic nitrogen, decomposition to uptake or denitrification.
37
N2 bond
takes a lot of power to break apart
38
fertilization haber process in nitrogen cycle
occurs when fixation of organic nitrogen
39
Bacteria
do fixation and denitrificationr
40
restoration ecology
integrated field that focuses on the causes of degradation and methods and outcomes of restoration
41
assumptions of restoration ecology
-degradation is reversible
-ecosystem needs assistance in recovery (human aid)
-restoration is valuable to animals in area; clean air, nutrients
-RESTORATION IS IS CHEAPER
42
bioremediation
use of biological organisms to reduce toxic pollutions
43
organisms used in bioremediation
bacteria, fungi, plants,
ex. bacteria found in water breaks down nylon
44
Bioaugmentation
use of biological organisms to:
-increase limited resources
-stabilize habitats
45
examples of organisms used in bioaugmentation
Legumes that produce N2 in soil, bison used to restore prairies
46
conservation biology
a normative integrated discipline that studies biodiversity. biologists, microbiologists, politicians
47
how humans alter conservation biology
natural disturbances, trophic structural, energy flow, chemical cycling
48
three levels of conservation biology
genetics (population)
species (community)
ecosystem
49
why is genetic diversity important
population survival, adaption
50
consequences of low genetic diversity
health conditions, increases genetic conditions, risk of extinction
51
endangered species
near extinction throughout most or all of range
52
threatened species
likely to become endangered
ex. polar bears, western black rhinoceros, mountain gorilla's
53
minimum viable population
size necessary for population to remain
54
habitat heterogeneity
different habitats in ecosystem
ex. landscape with bush, plants, flowers
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habitat homogeneity
no diversity
ex. lawns, no other plants
56
Biodiversity provides
-ecosystem services
-resources
-toursim
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ecosystem services
water quality, flood control etc.
- $33 trillion worth, the value of ecosystem
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resources
wood, food, medicine
59
tourism
tourism, job, existential
60
Threat to biodiversity - four main categories
-habitat loss
-invasive species
-over harvesting
-global change (water levels, temp)
61
Threat to biodiversity - habitat loss and degradation
conservation or decreased quality of habitat
- deforestation: 98% of tropical dry forests of C. America and Mexico
-conservation of prairie to farms: south wisco. 800,000 acres to 800 acres
-CONSERVATION EFFORTS: edge v. natural edges (coral reef damage, building a dam)
-wildlife corridors
-protected areas
62
examples of invasive species
cats endanger birds
brown rats infesting
63
wildlife corridors
-bridge for trees allowing for species to travel where they need to and keeping interactions (river bridges/reserves)
64
protected areas
national parks: Yosemite, glacier
to protect large areas of land
65
protecting biodiverse hotspots
targeting high diverse species area
66
threat to biodiversity - invasive
species living outside their native range that cause ecological damage (non-indigenous species)
67
invasive species characteristics
-movement intentional or unintentional
-can demonstrate exponential, unregulated growth
-contribute to 40% of extinctions
-cost billions annually
68
conservation efforts for invasive species
control spread of invasive
-regulations on moment of species: manage what you can and can't have
-remediation is costly and ineffective
EX. cleaning off boats when leaving bodies of water to reduce spread of organisms
69
threat to biodiversity - over harvest
use (harvesting) of individuals at rates greater than populations can sustain (decrease in population
- poaching (intentionally shooting endangered species, elephants for ivory, keratin in rhino's
-overfishing
-overhunting
70
conservation efforts for over harvest
setting harvest limits: what fish you can keep, size, season
ecological forensics: investigate illegal animals & trade (meat, feathers)
-DNA analysis
- efforts to stop illegal trade
71
global change
changes in climate, atmosphere chemistry, and broad ecological systems that reduce capacity of earth to sustain life
72
affects of global change
-migration patterns: spring/fall geese migration
-polar ice caps & sea levels: glaciers, ice caps, polar bears
-reproduction etc. plants rely on certain temperatures (beehive matures earlier due to temps, pollinate earlier)
73
nutrient enrichment
Altering of natural nitrogen & phosphorus changes
- changes in biogeochemical cycling leads to eutrophication (agal blooms)
74
Environmental toxin
bioaccumulations and biomagnification
75
bioaccumulations
nature to us
76
biomagnifications
higher and higher concentrations
- PCBs, DDT, Mercury, Heavy Metals
77
biomagnification of mercury
now found in water and fish
78
Rachel carson
helped regulations, lead, DDT, did work for health concerns.
-congress and industry despised her but her work led to many regulations
-leaded gas to unleaded gas
79
DDT (insecticide)
used in the 60s
-killed larvae, mosquitos, but other animals ate contaminated large, huge health concern
80
environmental toxin - plastic pollution
-plastic waste is difficult to break down
-causes developmental effects on every organism study
-rate of accumulation increasing
plastics found in bodies of water, micoplastic contamination
81
ozone layer
reduces UV radiation
82
depleted ozone
CFCs reduce O3 to O2 BREAK DOWN OZONE
- CFCs used in refrigeration and manufacturing
- CFCs regulated and/or not produced by many countries
- by reducing, ozone got better
83
sustainable development
economic development that meets needs of today's people without compromising needs of tomorrow's people
- BALANCE BETWEEN USING AND PROTECTING NATURE
84
is growth sustainable?
growth is not sustainable, will stop eventually
85
micro evolution
adaptation ex. antibiotic resistance
86
macro evolution
speciation - becoming a different species
morphological divergence - looking different
87
pattern of descent with modification
Interdisciplinary:
- biology, geology, physics, chemistry
88
examples of patterns of descent with modifications
fossil record
homologous structure:
structure that comes from origin, but develop different uses
89
researchers who developed concept of evolution
Darwin, Wallace
90
Middle Ages idea
species became more numerous
91
1700s
understood species to be "fixed" , in line with aristotle
92
1750-1850
most naturalists understood that species change, but no concrete explanation
93
1795 James Hutton
proposes "gradualism"
-earth's geologic features develop slowly overtime
94
gradualism
mechanism evidence, the deeper the older
95
1830 Charles lyell
incorporates Huttons ideas
-same processes of past occurring today
96
1809 Jean Baptiste de Lamarck
proposes mechanisms for how evolution works
-incorrect but proposal had testable patterns
-contemporaties recognized pattern
97
Jean Baptiste de Lamarck
Use and disuse: more used = more better (the more an organism used a characteristic, the stronger it will pass on
Inheritance of acquired characteristics: changes passed down from parent to offspring, if you don't use it you loose it
98
Darwins voyage 1831-1836
astronomy
99
Darwin's Finches
if these finches came to the island w/ no role, perhaps they could change to fill a role
100
origin of species
by Darwin in 1840s, but got scooped
101
Darwin and Wallace 1858
present papers on evolution by natural selection
1859 published on the origin of species by means of natural selection
102
Main Ideas from "Origin"
-descent with modification
-natural selection
-artificial selection
103
descent with modification
-genetics change between generation
-the trains you are born with may give you fitness advantage (reproduction)
104
favorable trait
increases frequency between generations (fitness, # of kids)
105
artificial selection
humans select trait for offspring, not the environment
106
natural selection
increase in favorable traits within a population over many generations due to fitness advantage
-cultivar: plant
-breed: animal
107
wild mustard example
same species but selective for specific traits
108
observations of natural selection
-variation in inherited traits exist
-species produce more offspring than the environment can hold
-individuals who don't have that extra energy don't reproduce
109
inference of natural selection
-individuals with inherited traits that increase survival reproduce more
-unrequal reproductive output increases frequencies of favorable traits, populations not individuals
110
similar concept : plasticity
an individual's ability to change body characteristics overtime due to environmental factors
NOT EVOLUTION
DOES NOT CHANGE DNA OR PASS TRAITS
111
example of plasticity
frogs change their sex from male to female, produce eggs
112
what are adaptations
inherited characteristics of an organism that enhances its survival and reproduction in a specific environment TAKES ANY ADAPTATIONS OVERTIME - EVOLUTION
113
natural selection
-individuals cannot evolve
-population evolve
-frequency of favorable traits increases overtime
-selective pressures can change overtime and space USUALLY MIDDLE CHARACTERISTICS
114
direct observation
-population responses to introduced species
-population responses to altered species
ex. birds beaks changing due to environment change
ex. MRSA bacterial infection that affects humans, hard to get rid of
115
homology
same structure
-comparative anatomy
-genetic similarities
-phylogenetics
116
phylogenetics
develop different looks
-have to be derived from same ancestral part
-have to be descent from same ancestor
117
convergent evolution
analogous structures
-developed separately
-developed from a different structure, no similar structure in ancestor
-ENVIRONMENTAL PRESSURES NOT GENES
bats, birds, lizards, insects
118
Fossil Record
observable changes in form over geological time, fossilization occasionally happens
119
extant
alive
120
extinct
dead
121
biogeography
continental drift:
related fossils or extant species, present on formerly joined continent
122
Pangea
tectonic plates, climate, and time line up for evidence on how fossils and organisms moved and distributed
