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exam 4 Flashcards

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1
Q

thermodynamics

A

the study of heat

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2
Q

thermodynamic: what is the source of energy?

A

sunlight

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3
Q

thermodynamic: 1st law of thermodynamic

A

what is a law? a well-tested theory

  1. energy is neither created/destroyed (only transferred)
  2. exothermic: heat is released/exited (burning paper)
    endothermic: heat is consumed/ entered (photosynthesis-end products contain more energy)
  3. energy flux: energy is randomly and evenly distributed (high sample size-atoms)
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4
Q

thermodynamic: 2nd law of thermodynamics

A
  1. no process is possible whose sole result is the transfer of heat from a colder to a warmer body
    -cold putty and warm putty–> have close contact to same temp
  2. during energy transfer, some heat is lost (transfers are not 100% efficient)
  3. entropy: randomness- what happens by chance (order of cells)
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5
Q

primary production

A

energy move from nonliving–> living

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6
Q

primary production: fixation of sunlight thru photosynthesis

A

6CO2+12H20—-sunlight—-> C6H12O6+ 6H20 +6O2
(low energy state: inorganic)——> (high energy state: organic)

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7
Q

primary production: Gross vs Net Primary Equation

A

Gross Primary Production - Cost = Net Prim. Production
-> Energy/carbon captured - C.R= Plant Biomass (amount of mass/matter)

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8
Q

primary production: Examples of Net Primary Productivity

A
  1. Tropical Rain Forest (warm/wet) > 2000g/m2/yr (dry matter)- great for growth
  2. Eastern Deciduous Forest >1750g/m3/yr
  3. Coniferous Forest, Savannah > 500-1000g/m2/yr
  4. Desert, Scrub, Tundra (dryest) < 250g/ m2/ yr (worse for growth)
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9
Q

Secondary Production

A

living to living (eating)

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10
Q

secondary production: 2nd transfer of carbon and energy

A

heterotrophs (organisms that cannot produce their own food) eating plants

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11
Q

secondary production: production of herbivores

A

plants making their own food

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12
Q

secondary production: Net Secondary Production

A

Gross Sec Prod - Cost= Net Sec Prod
-> Total Plant Biomass Consumed ( premade) - CR = Herbivore Biomass

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13
Q

secondary production: energy balance of eastern cottontail rabbit in NJ

A

1 . Input-plant tissue consumed (get energy from food+ grass)

  1. output:
    *20%: not digested or assimilated - 2nd law: not effective
    –> eat own poop-run thru their food twice
    *25%: waste products
    *45%: heat production
    –> endothermic (homeostasis)
    *10%: rabbit tissue (biomass)
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14
Q

Trophic levels: 1st level

A

a. primary producers
b. autotrophic (plants): fix energy & carbon
>energy–> chemical
c. photosynthetic plants & cyanobacteria
>fern: produce spores (r-selected)
>kelp

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15
Q

trophic levels: 2nd level

A

a. secondary production (moving from plants to things that consume them)
b. primary consumers: herbivores
c. heterotrophic: organic molecules (carbon + energy) that is premade
>buffalo (American bizar)
>song sparrow (eat seeds)
>black butterfly (eat nectar)

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16
Q

trophic levels: 3rd level

A

a. tertiary producers
b. secondary consumer: heterotrophs
c. primary carnivores
>fox (eat rabbits, voles)
> American Castrol ( eat grasshoppers)
> bull frog (dragonfly)

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17
Q

trophic levels: 4th level

A

a. quaternary producer
b. tertiary consumer: heterotrophic
c. secondary carnivores

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18
Q

species that operate on multiple levels: omnivores

A

eat both plants and animals
>raccoon

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19
Q

species that operate on multiple levels: scavengers

A

eat carrion (intact parts of dead animals)
> spotted hyenas
>voltures
>storens

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20
Q

species that operate on multiple levels: detrivores

A

eat detritus (organic matter that is processed by another animal or composed matter
>earthworms

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21
Q

species that operate on multiple levels: decomposers

A

reduce organic materials in simple inorganic compounds
-nitrogen (proteins) –> amino acids
-make nutrients available to plants (completely nutrient cycle
***90% is lost as heat in the atmosphere
>bacteria & fungi

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22
Q

digestion vs decomposition

A

digestion: occurs in the gut
decomposition: organic>inorganic

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23
Q

trophic pyramid: pyramid numbers

A

> paragon falcon + bluejay

1 paragon falcon 1
1 bluejay/day 365/yr
15 caterpillars/day 1998,375/yr
30 blades/day 21,882,206,250/yr

pyramid numbers grow EXPONENTIALLY

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24
Q

trophic pyramid: pyramid of energy

A

10% of energy is lost

-energy from the sun bounces in each transfer->energy is lost->less available

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25
trophic pyramid: pyramid of standing biomass
shows the biomass of organisms at each level almost always upright why is less biomass of plants at the bottom? they already been eaten =nutrients are recycled
26
element cycle: carbon cycle
a. 4 macromolecules: carbs, lipids, proteins, nucleic aids b. reservoir 80%: ocean (dissolved CO2+ carbonates) 15% atmosphere 9% carbon in fossil fuel (coal, petroleum, natural gas) 4.5% biomass
27
element cycle: nitrogen cycle
a. proteins + nucleic acids b. reservoir: atmospheric N2 c. fixation (atmospheric -> smth that can be used) >10% lighting >90% nitrogen-fixing bacteria: N2->amonia *who? clover, lotus tree (live in free soil, symbiotic w/ plants) *where? legumes d. nitrification: amnomia-> nitrites nitrites-> nitrate what abt animals? has to be in its diet: soluble e. denitrification: even more bacteria->recycle back into N2
28
element cycle: oxygen cycle
a. which organic molecule? nucleic acid b.reservior: atmospheric O2, also dissolved O2 in H2O c. primary cycle: photosynthesis, respiration (involved in all other nutrient cycles)
29
element cycle: phosphorous cycle
a. phospholipids, nucleic acids (sides of DNA, RNA-alternating sugar), ATP b. reservoir: phosphate rocks (comes from soil) c.cycle: taken up by plants, cycled thru food web, returns to soil
30
what are biomes?
more than a habitat -based on vegetation structure-> larger region why region? to match temperature gradient, moisture gradient
31
biome: grasslands
a. once covered ~40% of global land surface what grows there now? corn, wheat, barley, oat, rice=all grasses
32
grasslands: local names
Eurasia, ukraine, china: steppe southern africa: veld s. america: pampas n. america: pairie
33
grasslands: abiotic (non-living) characteristics
1. 10-30 in/yr of rain (<10in is hard for plants, >100in in fire disclimax) 2. periodic severe drought (grass is good at being dormant) 3. wind, temp (day: high, night: low), fluctuation, low humidity, high evaporation rate) 4. period fire
34
grasslands: biotic (living) components
1. grasses a. sod farmers: patches of rolled grass b. rhizome: top of soil (ex. Kentucky bluegrass) c. bunch grasses -grow in bunches -above ground "runners"/ "fillers" ex. little blue stem 2. legumes (ex.clover) 3. animals: -grazers (buffalo, giraffe) - granivorous: eat seeds (squirrels) -burrowers
35
grasslands: structure
1. roots a. highest investment in roots = high root/shoot ratio usually >1 (>50%) *high biomass below ground **___ to harsh conditions b. root structure most biomass near the surface tap roots (up to 16ft in snakeroot) rhizomes 2. herbaceous layer -not woody, soft plant body -cannot warry much weight a. conspicuous grasses b. forbs -many are ephemeral (short-lived) annual (every yr) vs. perennial (lives underground- has root system-lives thru the yrs) ex. basil, potato
36
types of N. America Grasslands: tall grass prairie
a. location: west of eastern deciduous forest b. rain up to 100 in/yr c. fire: remove stem, recycle nutrient d. dominant: Big Blue Stem
37
types of N. America Grasslands: Mixed Grass Pairie
a. location: west of TGP b. mid grasses in music area c. short grasses in xeric area (dry)
38
types of N. America grasslands: short grasses prairie
a.location: west of MGP -near desert: 10-15in/yr c. high wind, low humidity, high evaporation rate, temp (day: high, night: low) d. dormant: scrongly grasses e. problem: tend to be overgrazed
39
types of N. America grassland: entheogenic grassland
man-made a. tamed grassed: pastures (cattle, sheep) hayfields (have fences)-cut grass, save for winter crops (corns, beans) b. successional grassland
40
biomes: shrublands
a. what is a schrub? woody, short -small (<25ft), woody plant w/ no central trunk -deep extensive root sys -root/shoot ratio between grasses and trees * not a taxonomic group; a growth form
41
shrublands: abiotic characteristics
1. semi-arid hot dry summer/ cool moist winter why is this a problem? *leaching: water-soluble nutrients are plush down-> loss underground=bad for plants (leave soil crust on the surface, makes it hard for the soil to absorb water) minimum: 1 drought each yr 2. periodic fire: recycling nutrients
42
shrublands: biotic components
1. dominants: xeric, broadleaf, evergreen (have leaves thru-out) shrub -waxy cuticle (to retain h20; prevent water loss) -thorns (protection) -allelopathy (produce toxins that make other plants stay away) -shadscale, mesquite, custosat (?), sagebrush 2. herbaceous plants-mostly animals 3. succulents: cacti, aloe, yucca 4. granivorous animals (birds, rodents) & predators that eat them (snakes)
43
shrublands: structure
one below ground, two above ground layers (strata) 1. roots -extensive root sys (leaching: nutrients are loss; rain is during winter rather than growing season) 2. above ground: herbaceous-poorly developed 3.low, woody, open canopy (crown of all but has space)
44
shrublands: types-chaparral
aka the Mediterranean -location: Cali, Arizona, NM, S. Nevada, TX= southern tier
45
shrublands: types-sage brush
aka Cold Desert -location: Great Basin, Ut (Great Salt Lake), Nevada -colder than chaparral -dominants: sagebrush, sagscale
46
shrublands: types-successional shrublands
location: extensive in eastern US -5-20 yrs after clearcut/ fallow -much more mesic (moist) than western shrublands -soil is richer in nutrients
47
Biome: Desert-location
east of postal range, sierra nevada, rockies -prevalent wind(w->e:lee ward)= dryer due to adiabatic process (rain shadow)
48
Dessert: Abiotic
dry: xeric conditions ~<10 in of ppt/yr 1 to 6 sustainable rain per yr (infrequent) hot: day cool: night high wind, low humidity, high evaporation
49
desert: biotic
1. dominants: shrub, brittlebush, woody shrubs (cacti are succulent) 2, forbs: ephemeral (short-lived where they produce seeds then die) barrel cactus prickly pears
50
Desert: root/shoot table
form water availability R/S ----------------------------------------------------------------------- trees moist 100% shrubs dry medium grasses very dry high cacti dryest low (no point in chasing h2o)
51
desert: animals
granivorous+ predators that eat them (less grazing)
52
Tundra: location
1. Arctic -circumpolar in N. hemisphere -not found in S. hemisphere (why? mostly water) 2. Alpine -high elevation -lower latitude (closer to equator) , higher altitude (where the alone rest) -ecological island (on top of mountains-surrounded by a diff. habitat)
53
Tundra: Abiotic
one word: cold 1. climate: high wind, low humidity, high evaporation 2. permafrost : layer under that never thaws out (stays frozen)-> liquid h20 cant penetrate
54
tundra: abitoic-cryoplanation
a. frost polygon b. frost hummocks c. boils: wet puddles expand thru the ground (crack thru) d. downslope movement: -creep (out &down) -soil fluctuation: soil sliding down
55
tundra: biotic
1. vegetative structure: grassland (adapted to cold temp+ permafrost) 2. arctic fonna (animals) a. low density (not a lot of species) b. ranges often circumpolar c. ecotypes: ecological equivalent species (occupy the same niche but cover different area) -cariboo, reindeer d. ecoline -allen rule: appendages (mammals from colder climates have shorter appendages -bergmann rule: size ( mammals at higher altitudes are large in size to conserve heat) -gloger rule: color (mammals live in cool/ arid climate have light color) -jordans rule: clutches sizes are higher in cold climates (r-selected)
56
Biome: forest
the dominant plants are trees (most biomass are trees) a. general characteristics 1. highest above-ground biomass, low R/S ratio-> a lot of h2o availability 2. most stratified ground, herbaceous, shrub, subcanopy, canopy, super canopy 3. microclimate @ ground level -light: 5% in dense forest (most are being absorbed by leaves) -temp is buffered so little sunlight is heating the ground -wind is 0 near ground level -highest humidity of all biomes
57
forest: types: Northern coniferous forest
boreal forest: taiga a. location: circumpolar & alpine b. abiotic: cool temp, cold winter, moderate ppt (25-50ppt/yr) c. biotic: dominants: needle-like evergreen (pine, spruces, fern) -poorly developed understory (why? leaves are acidic+ lack of light)
58
forest: types: southern coniferous forest
a. location: S.E USA (Florida) b. abiotic: hot, humid, heavy ppt (> 50in/yr) c. biotic: dominant: southern pine (long leaf, lobby, slash)= fire disclimax dominants: southern pine
59
forest: types: moist coniferous forest
a.location: pacific coast b. abiotic: moderate temp, high humidity & high fog, 50- 150 ppt/yr c.biotic: world's largest tallest trees (highest biomass) -southern region (CA, OR): redwood sequoia *biggest tree: Hyperion 380ft 9.7in -mid-region (Washington, British Columbia): Ground Fur, Western hemlock -northern region: AK (more open canopy) Sithea Spruce
60
forest: types: temperate deciduous forest
aka eastern deciduous forest a. location: here north: boreal, west: tall grass grassland south: southern pine east: prairie b. abiotic: 30-60 in ppt/yr distinct seasonality c. biotic: strata (4) herbaceous, shrub, subcanopy, canopy dominant: decid. trees (in association-old hickory)
61
forest: types: tropical rainforest
a. location: equatorial belt -Amazon: s. America (brazil, mexico, central america)- half of the world's remaining TRF -Congo Basin: Africa, India, Malaysia, SE Asia b. abiotic: >100 ppt/yr temp: high & stable high humidity c. biotic: -flora (plants): dominants: large broadleaf evergreen (150-250' tall) **highest richness (>75 species/ ha)- thousand/mi2 most stratified epiphytes (plants grow on top of each other):vines -fonna: invertebrates:>20,000 insects/ 6 mi2 "herps" amphibians: most of the world's species mammals: 20 endemic families (can only be found here only)
62
biome: everglades ecosystem
a. location: florida b. abiotic: subtropic climate (not as hot, steady,warm, humid, lost of rain/summer:wet
63
everglades: biotic
7 main habitats marl prairie cypress: trees are short (about human size) hardwood hammock pine lands freshwater slough "slew" coastal prairie mangrove estuary: acts as a shield for smaller fishes
64
what are the 3 most important issues facing the health of everglades sys?
amount of water quality of water timing of water 2. eutrophication: the excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen - limiting nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus) is added to the water sys-> a dense growth of surface vegetation-> shades out the water below why important? water is filler with small photosynthetic plants-> w/ sunlight, they photosynthesize->give o2 (primary source) oxygen used by vegetation is not replaced-> things below, suffocate=anoxic condition

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