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General Ecology > L4: Adaptations to the Environment > Flashcards

L4: Adaptations to the Environment Flashcards

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1
Q

A measure of the average kinetic energy of the molecules in a mass of a substance

A

Temperature

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2
Q

The kinetic energy in a mass of a substance

A

Heat

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3
Q

The climatic condition of a large scale of area that is usually represented by climate diagrams

A

Macroclimate

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4
Q

A climatic variation on a scale of a few kilometers, meters, or even centimeters

A

Microclimate

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5
Q

What are the 5 factors that affect microclimates?

A

Altitude
Aspect
Vegetation
Ground Color
Boulders & Burrows

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6
Q

A short-term physiological adjustment that is generally reversible with change in environmental conditions

A

Acclimation

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7
Q

Organisms that thrive in temperatures ranging from -20C to 10C

A

Psychrophiles

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8
Q

Organisms that thrive in temperatures 80C and above

A

Thermophiles

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9
Q

Organisms that do not regulate body temperature but instead varies directly with environmental temperature

A

Poikilotherms

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10
Q

Organisms that rely mostly on external sources of energy for temperature regulation

A

Ectotherms

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11
Q

Organisms that heavily depend on internally derived metabolic heat energy

A

Endotherms

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12
Q

Organisms that use metabolic energy to maintain a relatively constant body temperature

A

Homeotherms

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13
Q

How do desert plants avoid heating?

A

Decrease heating by conduction
Increase rates of convective cooling
Reduce rates of radiative heating

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14
Q

What is the difference between arctic and alpine?

A

Arctic is found at high latitudes
Alpine is found at high altitudes

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15
Q

How do plants in temperate regions regulate temperature?

A

Increase rates of radiative heating
Decrease rates of convective cooling

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16
Q

How does Sceloporus undulatus (eastern fence lizard) regulate its body temperature?

A

Ectotherm
Basking in the sun or seeking shade

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17
Q

How does Camnula pellucida (clear-winged grasshopper) regulate its body temperature?

A

Ectotherm
Orient their body perpendicular to the sun’s rays in the early morning

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18
Q

Refers to the range of environmental temperature at which the metabolic rate of a homeothermic animal does not change

A

Thermal Neutral Zone
Thermoneutral Zone

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19
Q

The capacity of water to absorb heat energy without changing temperature as compared to air

A

3000x

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20
Q

Conductive and convective heat losses to water as compared to air

A

20x in still water
100x in moving water

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21
Q

What are the 2 major reasons why aquatic birds and animals can be endothermic

A
  • Air breathers
  • Insulated by thick fat or fur
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22
Q

Refers to vascular structures among endothermic aquatic animals that reduce the rate of heat loss to the surrounding aquatic environment

A

Countercurrent Heat Exchangers

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23
Q

Organisms that can produce their own heat

A

Thermogenic

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24
Q

How does Symplocarpus foetidus (eastern skunk cabbage) regulate its temperature?

A

Thermogenic
Producing its own internal heat and its flowers enclose on itself to retain heat

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25
How do organisms survive in environments with extreme temperatures?
Inactivity
26
A state of low metabolic rate and lowered body temperature
Torpor
27
A state of reduced metabolism lasting several months, mainly during winter
Hibernation
28
A state of reduced metabolism lasting several months, mainly during summer
Estivation
29
Influences the movement of water between an organism and its environment
Concentration Gradient
30
Occurs when the internal environment of the organism and its external environment differ in concentrations of water and salts
Diffusion
31
Occurs when water diffuses across a semipermeable membrane
Osmosis
32
Produced as water moves down its concentration gradient
Osmotic Pressure
33
The capacity of water to do work
Water Potential Ψ (psi)
34
A consequence of water's tendency to adhere to the walls of containers
Matric Forces
35
What are the 2 major environmental challenges organisms faced when moving into the terrestrial environment?
- Massive loss of water through evaporation - Reduced access to replacement water
36
The 3 major sources of water acquisition in land
- Drinking - Eating - From the air
37
The 2 major causes of water loss in land
- Evaporation - Secretions and excretions
38
The 2 major ways plants lose water
- Transpiration - Secretions and reproductive structures
39
How does the *Lepidochora* acquire water?
Digs canals to direct water to itself
40
How does *Onymacris unguicularis* acquire water?
Stands in a bent position to direct moisture to its mouth
41
The water released during cellular respiration
Metabolic Water
42
How do plants acquire water?
Shallow roots Deep roots Stolon
43
How do plants conserve water?
Waxy cuticle Wilting
44
How are camels and cacti similar in terms of regulating body temperature?
They match the environment's temperature
45
How are scorpions and cicadas different in terms of behavior?
Scorpions are nocturnal Cicadas are diurnal
46
What solutes make up shark's blood?
33% inorganic ions 67% urea and TMAO
47
How do sharks excrete excess sodium?
Salt Gland
48
Differentiate marine bony fish and freshwater bony fish
MBF - Hypoosmotic FBF - Hyperosmotic
49
The raw materials an organism must acquire from the environment to live
Nutrients
50
Organisms that use inorganic sources of both carbon and energy
Autotrophs
51
Organisms that use carbon dioxide and light to synthesize organic compounds
Photosynthetic Autotrophs Photoautotrophs
52
Organisms that use carbon dioxide and inorganic chemicals to synthesize organic molecules for energy
Chemosynthetic Autotrophs Chemoautotrophs
53
Organisms that use organic molecules as a source of carbon and energy
Heterotrophs
54
Light that carries insufficient energy for photosynthesis
Infrared Light
55
Light that carries too much energy for photosynthesis
UV Light
56
Light that carries sufficient energy for photosynthesis
Visible Light Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR)
57
The most common photosynthesis pathway
C3
58
What is produced in C3 photosynthesis?
Phosphoglyceric Acid (PGA)
59
Photosynthesis that occurs in mesophyll cells and in bundle sheaths
C4
60
What is produced in C4 photosynthesis?
Oxaloacetate
61
Explain CAM photosynthesis
Carbon fixation at night C3 photosynthesis at day Occurs in mesophyll cells
62
Bacteria that use carbon dioxide and get their energy by oxidizing sulfur, hydrogen, sulfide, or thiosulfate
Chemosynthetic Bacteria Sulfur Oxidizers most common
63
The 2 types of chemosynthetic bacteria living around geothermal vents
1. Free-living 2. Living within tissues of invertebrates
64
The 3 major categories of heterotrophs
Herbivores Carnivores Detritivores (decomposers)
65
What elements make up 93-97% of the biomass of living organisms?
Phosphorus Oxygen Nitrogen Carbon Hydrogen
66
Give 3 physical defenses of plants against herbivores
Thorns Abrasive Silica Toughened Tissues
67
Give 2 chemical defenses of plants against herbivores
Toxins Digestion-reducing substances (e.g. tannins)
68
Give 3 defenses of prey against carnivores
Camouflage Anatomical Defenses Behavioral Defenses
69
The conspicuous, bright colors of many animals to deter predators
Aposematic
70
A form of mimicry among noxious organisms
Mullerian Mimicry
71
A form of mimicry among harmless organisms in which they mimic noxious organisms
Batesian Mimicry
72
The behavior of predators caused by the size of their prey
Size-Selective Predation
73
A branch of biology concerned with the study of social relations
Sociobiology
74
Defined as the number of offspring or genes contributed by an individual to future generations
Fitness
75
Characteristics of males or females not directly involved in the process of reproduction
Secondary Sexual Characteristics
76
A process which results from differences in reproductive rates among individuals as a result of differences in their mating success
Sexual Selection
77
A form of sexual selection in which individuals of one sex compete for mates
Intrasexual Selection
78
A form of sexual selection in which individuals of one sex consistently choose mates on the basis of some particular trait
Intersexual Selection
79
A condition where plants cannot self-pollinate
Self-Incompatibility
80
A process that generally involves exchanges of resources or various forms of assistance between individuals
Cooperation
81
What signal the beginnings of sociality?
Group Living Cooperation
82
A complex level of social behavior
Eusociality
83
The 3 major characteristics of eusociality
1. Individuals of more than one generation living together 2. Cooperative care of the young 3. Division of individuals into castes
84
A concept that proposes that an individual's overall fitness is determined by its own and its relatives' survival and reproduction
Inclusive Fitness
85
The evolutionary force favoring helping relatives
Kin Selection
86
The territory in which an animal is raised
Natal Territory
87
The tendency of an animal to remain in the same area throughout their lives
Philopatry
88
The total number of offspring produced over the course of a lifetime
Lifetime Reproductive Success
89
A group of physically distinctive individuals that engage in specialized behavior within a group
Castes

General Ecology (13 decks)

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