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Exam 3 Flashcards

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1
Q

Quaternary

A

last 2.6 million years, marked by repeated glaciations, period during which humans evolved

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2
Q

Pleistocene

A

2.6 mya to 11,700 years ago, dominated by ice ages

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3
Q

Holocene

A

current interglacial eppoch, 11,700 years ago until now

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4
Q

continental ice sheets

A

massive, continent-covering glaciers. ex: antarctica, greenland

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5
Q

ice caps (iceland)

A

smaller than ice sheets, ice caps in iceland are continuous and ice caps in greenland could raise sea level 20 ft if melted

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6
Q

alpine/valley glaciers

A

glaciers found in mountainous regions, confined to valleys

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7
Q

glaciers defined

A

persistent bodies of dense ice that move under their own weight

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8
Q

last glacial advance/maximum

A

last advance: peak extent of glaciers around 21,000 years ago. LGM is last glacial maximum

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9
Q

extent of glaciers at LGM

A

glaciers covered large parts of NA, EU, and Asia; sea levels 120 m lower

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10
Q

ice age sea levels

A

lower than now due to water stored in glaciers

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11
Q

ria coast

A

a drowned river valley coastline (ex: chesapeake bay)

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12
Q

fjords

A

deep, glacially carved sea inlets, common in Norway and Alaska. U shaped glacial valleys that were flooded when sea level rose as glacial ice melted at the end of the Pleistocene.

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13
Q

glaciers in CO

A

exist in high mountain ranges; remnants of larger Pleistocene glaciers

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14
Q

biomes

A

large ecological zones defined by climate and vegetation

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15
Q

climate and biomes

A

climate (temp and rainfall) determines biome type

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16
Q

taxonomy

A

science of naming and classifying organisms

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17
Q

Carl Linnaeus

A

1707-1778: developed binomial nomenclature

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18
Q

family/genus/species

A

genus and species make a scientific name. genus is species that share a common ancestor.

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19
Q

biological species concept

A

defines species based on ability to interbreed and produce viable offspring

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20
Q

plant family name

A

-aceae

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21
Q

animal family name

A

-idae

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22
Q

Alexander von Humboldt

A

father of phytogeography; studied plant distributions, advocated for long-term geophysical measurements

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23
Q

phytogeography

A

study of plant distribution

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24
Q

life zones in mountains

A

altitudinal bands of vegetation that mirror latitude-based biomes

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25
TRF forest structure/canopy
multiple layers including emergent, canopy, understory, and forest floor, sunlight
26
species habitat and niche
habitat=physical location; niche=ecological role
27
tropical rainforest biome
hot and wet year round, high biodiversity. plants must be adapted to wet conditions, high temps, high humidity, poor soils, 7% of earth's continents.
28
tropical climates
equatorial regions with minimal seasonality, wet and warm
29
forest canopy
top layer of the forest intercepting sunlight and rainfall
30
flowers and pollinators
The coevolution of plants and animals for pollination. flowering plants evolved 123 mya and most of these rely on insects for pollination and reproduction.
31
plant adaptations to environment
structural traits evolved to survive environment (eg drip tips and shallow roots in tropical rainforest plants)
32
biodiversity
variety of life forms; includes species richness, evenness, genetic, and habitat diversity. high biodiversity = lots of species
33
zoophilous/ anemophilous
animal-pollinated vs wind-pollinated plants.
34
biodiversity and latitude
higher near equator, decreases towards poles
35
epiphytes
plants growing on others (ex: bromeliads and orchids)
36
plant-animal coevolution
mutual evolutionary influence (ex: pollinators and flowers)
37
high biodiversity
a rich variety of life in an ecosystem.
38
species richness
number of different species present in an ecosystem
39
species evenness
relative abundance of different species within an ecosystem
40
why is biodiversity high in the tropics?
abundant resources, warm and moist climate, lots of sunlight
41
symbiosis
a relationship between two organisms
42
mutualism
both benefit. ex: bees and flowers, nitrogen-fixing bacteria and legumes
43
commensalism (epiphytes)
one benefits, other neutral
44
parasitism
one benefits at the expense of another
45
soil and soil-forming processes
influenced by CLORPT
46
translocation
movement of materials like water, minerals, and organic matter through the soil profile
47
soils = function of CLORPT
climate, organisms, relief, parent material, time
48
soil horizons
OAEBCR
49
o horizon
organic matter
50
a horizon
topsoil, zone of leaching
51
b horizon
subsoil; zone of accumulation
52
c horizon
weathered plant material
53
leaching/eluviation
downward movement of nutrients
54
humus
decomposed organic matter, enhances fertility
55
soil fertility
soil's ability to support plant growth. can be expressed as cation exchange capacity.
56
cations/cation exchange capacity
nutrient-holding capacity
57
oxisol
tropical soils; highly weathered, low fertility
58
fertility/plant nutrients
N P K essential
59
role of decomposers
break down dead organisms and organic waste. releases nutrients back into the environment.
60
tree roots/buttresses
support large tropical trees from falling over in the wind due to their shallow roots.
61
nutrient cycling in tropical rainforests
rapid turnover; nutrients quickly taken up at the surface
62
threats to TRF
deforestation, agriculture, mining, infrastructure
63
arid soils
dry soils with slow weathering
64
capillary action
upward water movement
65
calcification or salinization
deposition of salt from capillary action
66
phytogeography/ zoogeography
plant/animal distribution studies
67
abiotic vs biotic factors
non-living/living influences in ecosystems
68
limiting factors
restrict population growth, ex: water, light, food
69
eurytropic
broad ecological tolerance
70
stenotopic
narrow tolerance range
71
plants in ecosystems
producers use sunlight
72
photosynthesis
process converting CO2 and water to sugar, O2. 6CO2+6H2O->C6H12O6+6O2
73
primary producers
base of food chain (autotrophs)
74
autotrophs/ heterotrophs
make vs consume food
75
net primary productivity
plant growth energy minus respiration.
76
where is NPP high or low?
high in TRF, low in deserts/poles due to water/temp limits
77
world net biomass
total biological material
78
herbivore vs carnivore vs omnivore
plant-eater, meat-eater, both
79
food chains/ webs/ pyramids
energy flow models
80
trophic levels
feeding positions in ecosystem
81
Lindemann's Rule of the 1/10th
about 10% energy transfers per level
82
meat eating and sustainability
energy loss makes high meat diets less efficient
83
endemism
species unique to a region
84
arid lands plant challenges
drought, heat, and nutrient-poor soils.
85
low primary productivity in deserts
due to extreme aridity
86
N American deserts
great basin desert: cold desert. mojave, chihuahuan, sonoran deserts: hot deserts.
87
warm vs cool deserts
based on temp, not just dryness
88
plant adaptations
small leaves, deep roots, succulence
89
C3 photosynthesis
common, less water efficient
90
C4 photosynthesis
more efficient in hot, dry conditions
91
CAM photosynthesis
conserves water, opens stomata at night
92
aridisols
desert soils, low organic matter
93
evapotranspiration > precipitation
water loss exceeds input
94
salinization
salt build-up from irrigation
95
primary/secondary forest
old growth vs regrowth after disturbance
96
succession
natural regrowth of ecosystems. results in an increase in stature and complexity of the vegetation over time
97
primary/secondary succession
starts from bare rock vs existing soil
98
pioneer species
first colonizers. low stature, low diversity, climax community
99
weedy species
fast-growing, early successional
100
disturbance ecology
studies how ecosystems respond to disruptions. may be natural or anthropogenic or a combo, and they may proceed at differing rates
101
types of disturbance
fire, storms, logging. geologic processes are natural. weather and climate processes are natural or anthropogenic
102
fire frequency
natural cycle in many ecosystems. natural fire frequency depends on the vegetation community.
103
adaptation in grasslands
thick bark, resprouting. p pine, douglas fire, coast redwoods, giant sequoias.
104
ponderosa/redwoods
thick bark, fire resistant
105
lodgepole pines / fire pines
dependent on fire to regenerate, serotinous cone
106
serotinous cones
open with heat. requires fire for reproduction.
107
even-aged stands
all trees same age post fire
108
"dog hair" stands
dense regrowth after fire
109
crown fires/ground fires
treetop vs surface level fires
110
fire suppression
disruption of natural fire cycles.
111
invasive/exotic species
non-native species that disrupt ecosystems. Introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.
112
what makes aggressive, invasive spp.
high reproduction, fast growth, lack of predators
113
island biogeography
theory explaining species diversity on islands (distance, size)
114
ecological corridors
link habitats to allow wildlife movement
115
Amazon Rainforest destruction
driven by agriculture, logging, roads
116
chlorophyll
green pigment for photosynthesis
117
carbon and oxygen cycles
movement of C and O through atmosphere, biosphere
118
nitrogen cycle
N fixation, nitrification, uptake by plants
119
wildfire and fire ecology
role of fire in maintaining ecosystems. fire ecology is fire adapted species

Landforms (3 decks)

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