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Biology 101 > Exam 3 > Flashcards

Exam 3 Flashcards

(100 cards)

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1
Q

Define ecology

A

The study of the interactions organisms have with each other and with their environment

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2
Q

What are the different scales/levels at which we study ecology?

A
  • organism
  • population
  • community
  • ecosystem
  • evolutionary
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3
Q

What is organismal ecology?

A
  • physiological ecology
    The study of how an individual organism functions

Ex: how do organisms acclimate to a new habitat?

How do environmental conditions influence individual growth?

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4
Q

What is population ecology?

A

Focuses primarily on factors that influence population density, growth, and dispersion

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5
Q

What is community ecology?

A

Interactions among populations that affect the distribution and abundance of species within the community

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6
Q

What is ecosystem ecology?

A

Focus on the flow of energy and matter through organisms and their environment. Includes its biotic community and its abiotic environment

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7
Q

What is the focus of evolutionary ecology?

A

combines population ecology and population genetics to look at the effect of ecological interactions on the evolution of a population

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8
Q

What are some ways we apply ecology to human interests?

A

Conservation biology, Restoration ecology, and landscape ecology

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9
Q

What is conservation biology?

A

Attempts to maintain biological diversity

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10
Q

What is restoration ecology?

A

restoration and management of disturbed ecosystems

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11
Q

What is landscape ecology?

A

Study of spatial patterns in the landscape and how they may be impacted by human activities

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12
Q

What is a biome?

A

Any of Earth’s major land ecosystems, characterized by climate and main vegetation and found in several regions.

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13
Q

How do we divide ecosystems into biomes?

A

Based on the types of vegetation that live there

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14
Q

What are some factors that determine climate?

A
  • unequal heating of Earth’s surface
  • Seasonality
  • proximity to the ocean and west/east cost differences
  • orographic effect
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15
Q

What is the effect of latitude on climate?

A

Higher latitudes (farther from the equator) get more indirect/lower intensity solar radiation. Leads to more heat accumulation in tropical latitudes

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16
Q

What causes seasonality?

A

The angle of Earth’s axis leads to seasonal changes in temperature

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17
Q

How do ocean currents affect climate?

A

Ocean circulation leads to wetter climates on the east side of continents and dryer on the west coast

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18
Q

What is the orographic effect?

A

How presence of mountains affects the environment around them.
Windward side of mountain gets more rain. Leeward side is usually a desert called a rain shadow

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19
Q

Why is it warm and wet near the equator?

A

direct sunlight leads to higher temperatures and increased evaporation, resulting in a humid climate. Additionally, the constant heating causes air to rise, cool, and condense, leading to frequent rainfall in these areas.

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20
Q

Describe tropical rainforests

A

Climate: Little temperature variation between months

Plant community: Trees add vertical third dimension. Have epiphytes (plants growing on other plants)

Animal community: dominated by arboreal species and insects

Soil: Rainfall leaches soil nutrients. Symbiotic relationship with Mycorrhizae which helps gather nutrients

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21
Q

Describe tropical dry forests

A

Climate: more seasonal than tropical rainforests

Plant community: diverse plant community adapted to withstand seasonal droughts, characterized by deciduous trees, shrubs, and a variety of drought-resistant understorey plants

animal community: shares many species with tropical rainforests. Heavily settled by humans

Soil: generally richer in nutrients, but vulnerable to erosion

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22
Q

Describe Tropical Savannas

A

Climate: alternates between wet/dry seasons. Drought-associated dry seasons leads to lightning-caused wildfires

Plant community: Grassland with some vegetation and shrubs

Animal community: Livestock and large migratory grazers

Soil: Low water permeability. Saturated soils keeps trees out

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23
Q

Describe deserts

A

Climate: Temperate zone. Major bands at 30 degrees N and S latitudes. Water loss usually exceeds precipitation

Plant community: cover ranges from sparse to absent. Adapted to survive droughts

Animal community: abundance low, but biodiversity may be high. Endothermic animals: night. Ectothermic animals: day. Strong behavioral and physiological adaptations

Soil: usually extremely low in organic matter

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24
Q

Describe Chaparrals

A

Climate: Mediterranean climates. Cool and moist in fall, winter, and spring but can be hot and dry in summer

Plant community: Trees and shrubs typically evergreen. Fire-resisteant plants due to fire regime. Lipid rich plants-> “waterproofs” soil

Animal community: Diverse with resilience to dry hot summers, and wet mild winters

soil: fragile, with moderate fertility. Prone to erosion

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25
Describe temperate Grasslands
Climate: Annual rainfall 300-1000mm. Experience periodic droughts plant community: dominated by herbaceous vegetation animal community: large migratory animals soil: extremely nutrient rich and deep
26
Describe Temperate forest (old growth)
Climate: majority on 40-50 degree latitude. Rainfall average 650-3000 mm Plant community: Long growing seasons (Deciduous). Short growing season (Conifers) Animal Community: Diverse. High biomass production Soil: Fertile
27
Describe Boreal forest (Taiga)
Climate: confined to northern hemisphere plant community: evergreen conifers animal community: high large animal density soil: thin, acidic, low in fertility
28
Describe Tundras
Climate: typically cool and dry with short summers. 200-600 mm precipitation plant community: low growing vegetation adapted to short growing seasons animal community: large animals soil: low decomposition rates
29
What is a population?
interacting group of individuals of the same species that use common resources and live in the same area
30
How do we characterize populations?
- density - dispersion - size - growth rates - age structure - life history
31
What is dispersion?
the way individuals are spaced in their geographic area
32
What three patterns of dispersion do we see in nature?
- clumped distribution - uniform distribution - random distribution
33
What are some ways to determine population size?
- direct count (census): only possible for small populations - statistical estimation: e.g. Mark recapture estimate
34
What are the assumptions of the mark recapture method?
- has no effect on mortality - no effect on likelihood to being captured - no immigration/emigration between sampling times
35
What factors contribute to changes in population sizes?
- immigration - emigration - births - deaths
36
What is a population growth model?
method of summarizing information and processes in an informative manner
37
What are two common types of growth models used in ecology?
- exponential growth (j-curve) - logistic growth (S-curve)
38
How is the exponential growth model different from the logistic model?
logistic growth model is modified version of exponential growth that allows pop'n growth to be slowed by limiting factors
39
Why are long periods of exponential growth unrealistic?
because of environmental factors and other limiting factors
40
What is a carrying capacity?
K = carrying capacity (number of individuals that can be supported by env.)
41
What happens as a population size gets closer to its carrying capacity?
The population growth begins to plateau or drop
42
What are some density-dependent factors that contribute to the carrying capacity?
- lack of food - predation - competition - competition - waste products - nesting sites
43
What are some examples of density-independent factors?
- climate - catastrophe
44
How might you be able to tell if a population is declining due to DD or DI factors?
DDF is a gradual decline of population. DIF is more acute and drastic
45
Give an example of a boom-and-bust cycle
The snowshoe hare and one of its predators, the lynx. (predation)
46
What is a population's life history?
Life history traits are those that affect a population's schedule of reproduction and death
47
What is the purpose of a life table?
allow ecologists to compare life history traits among populations and species
48
What is a community?
consists of all the populations of organisms living together and potentially interacting in a particular area
49
What factors do ecologists use to assess a community?
- diversity - dominant organisms - stability - trophic structure
50
How do we measure the diversity of a community?
Richness and evenness
51
What can the dominant organisms tell us in a community?
give insight into the processes taking place within the community or ecosystem e.g. size of predominant zooplankton can suggest the type of fish found in a lake
52
What is community stability?
ability to resist change and return to the original species composition and structure following a disturbance
53
What is succession, and how does it relate to community stability?
Change in the composition of a community; can follow a disturbance and return a community to its former state
54
Describe the difference between primary and secondary succession
primary: formation of a community in a new environment where a community has never been secondary: replacement of communities that were destroyed or displaced
55
What is climax community?
stable array of species that persists relatively unchanged over time
56
What are keystone species and why are they important to communities?
A species that can dictate community structure; removal can cause drastic changes in a community. can increase or decrease diversity
57
What are the names of the different trophic levels?
- quarternary consumers - tertiary consumers - secondary consumers - primary consumers - producers
58
Why do communities/ecosystems usually have five or fewer trophic levels?
Energy lost to heat
59
What kinds of interactions happen between different species in a community?
- interspecific competition - predation - symbiosis
60
How does interspecific competition affect involved species?
inhibits growth of both populations and can result in the competitive exclusion of one species
61
How does predation affect involved species?
Including herbivory, can affect evolution of species, causing them to develop adaptations to escape predation
62
How does symbiosis affect species involved?
relationship when two or more species live in, on, or with each other
63
What is an ecological niche?
sum of a species' use of abiotic and biotic resources in its environment. Species' ecological role
64
What are possible outcomes when two species have overlapping niches?
- extinction of one species - evolution of one species to use a different set of resources
65
How can predator/prey interactions lead to coevolution?
Occurs when predator and prey evolve reciprocal adaptations to counter changes in the other
66
Give examples of the types of adaptations to predation commonly found in prey species
- increased size or speed - behavioral defenses - hide - mimicry - defensive structures - defensive chemicals
67
Müllerian vs batesian mimicry
Müllerian: two or more species mimicked appearance if not pleasant to eat Batesian: Species that copy appearance of dangerous species even though they're harmless
68
What are three types of symbioses?
- paratisim (+/-) e.g. tapeworms - commensalism (+/0) e.g. eyelash mites - mutualism (+/+) e.g. ants and acacia
69
Why are endoparasites more host-specific than ectoparasites?
because endoparasites have to fight the hosts immune system
70
What is an ecosystem and how is it different from a community?
community + abiotic parts of environment
71
What are the two options for organisms to get the energy they need for life?
- autotrophs (producers) - heterotrophs (consumers, decomposers, detritivores)
72
What happens to energy as it passes from one trophic level to the next?
Some energy is lost at each step. Limits the number of trophic levels in an ecosystem
73
Gross vs net primary productivity
gross: ecosystem's total rate of photosynthesis net: rate at which producers store energy in tissues in excess of their aerobic respiration
74
What kind of factors influence the overall productivity of an ecosystem?
- seasonal variation - habitat variation - harsh=slow growth, lower primary productivity
75
On a square meter level, what are the most productive ecosystems on earth?
Algal beds/reefs, tropical rainforests, swamp and marsh, tropical seasonal forests
76
What is a biogeochemical cycle?
flow of a nutrient from the environment to living organisms and back to the environment
77
What are the categories of biogeochemical cycles?
Hydrologic cycle - water Atmospheric cycle - nitrogen and carbon Sedimentary cycles - phosphorus
78
What is the main abiotic reservoir for carbon, how is it captured by living organisms, and how is it returned to the abiotic reservoir?
- Atmosphere main reservoir - removed by photosynthesis - added to atmosphere through aerobic respiration
79
What is the main abiotic reservoir for nitrogen, how is it captured by living organisms, and how is it returned to the abiotic reservoir?
- main reservoir: atmosphere - nitrogen-fixing bacteria (or lightning) convert gas into ammonia
80
What is the main abiotic reservoir for phosphorus, how is it captured by living organisms, and how is it returned to the abiotic reservoir?
- main reservoir: earth's crust; no gaseous phase - withering of rocksmove phosphate into soil - increased decomposition of organisms
81
What is the goal of conservation biology?
- counter the loss of biodiversity - identifying methods of maintaining and using biodiversity in ways that can benefit the human population
82
What does biodiversity mean from a conservation perspective?
- diversity of ecosystems - variety of species that make up the biological community of an ecosystem - genetic variation within each species
83
What is the biodiversity crisis?
- the effect of human activity on communities and ecosystems - in form of mass extinction - happening rapidly and is directly related to human activities
84
How does the size of human populations compare to extinction rates?
Direct relationship
85
What are the main causes of the biodiversity crisis?
1. Human alteration of habitat 2. Human introduction of exotic species 3. overexploitation of wildlife and natural resources
86
How does habitat fragmentation affect biodiversity?
- decrease in the overall size of populations - reduction in gene flow among subpopulations - subpopulations that are separated into habitat patches that vary in quality
87
What is one way to mitigate the effects of fragmentation?
creation of movement corridors
88
What are some resources humans have overexploited and what impact has that had on biogeochemical cycles?
Increased use of fossil fuels: steadily raising level of CO2 in the atmosphere - leading to global warming Sewage treatment facilities and fertilizers: add large amounts of Nitrogen or Phosphorus to aquatic systems, causing heavy growth of algae - can lead to eutrophication; low O2 levels, low animal diversity Destruction of tropical rainforest: will change the amount of water vapor in the air - may alter local and global weather patterns
89
How can low concentrations of toxins become concentrated in some species?
Biological magnification - acquired by organisms from the environment along with nutrients and water. May metabolize but can accumulate in specific tissues. Become more concentrated in successive trophic levels of a food web
90
What are some of the ways healthy ecosystems contribute to human economies?
Food, clothing, shelter, oxygen, soil fertility, medicinal substances
91
Why are some regions a higher priority for conservation than others?
high diversity of endemic species
92
What population growth model best describes human population growth? Can this continue long term? Why
Logistical growth model. No because of limited carrying capacity, resources and environmental degradation
93
how much of the sunlight energy that hits an ecosystem is captured and stored by plants
1-3 percent
94
About how much of the energy that was stored at one trophic level will be stored at the next higher trophic level?
10%
95
Ultimately, what happens to all energy that enters an ecosystem?
converted into heat loss
96
how do we measure the total amount of energy captured by an ecosystem
gross primary productivity and net primary productivity
97
What is the greenhouse effect?
natural process where certain gases in Earth's atmosphere trap heat from the sun, warming the planet's surface and making life possible
98
Besides carbon dioxide, what other gasses contribute to the greenhouse effect?
Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxide (N2O), Fluorinated gasses
99
What are things you could do to reduce your negative impact on biodiversity?
- Promote sustainable land use (reduce beef consumption) - Reduce pollution and carbon emissions - promote conservation efforts
100
How do we measure population density?

Biology 101 (4 decks)

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