Unit 1 (Ch. 3,4,&5)

Question 0

Ecosystem boundaries

Answer 0

Some ecosystems, such as caves and lakes have very distinctive boundaries. However, in most ecosystems it difficult to determine where one ecosystems stops and the next begins.

Question 1

Ecosystem

Answer 1

A particular location on Earth distinguished by it’s particular mix of interacting biotic and abiotic components

Question 2

Ecosystem processes

Answer 2

Even though it is helpful to distinguish between two different ecosystems, ecosystems interact with other ecosystems.

Question 3

Photosynthesis (solar energy + 6h20 +6CO2 —-> C6H12O6 + 6O2)

Answer 3

Producers, autotrophs are able to use the sun’s energy to produce usable energy through the process called photosynthesis (self-feeders)

Question 4

Cellular respiration (energy + 6H2O + 6CO2 <—– C6H12O6 + 6O2)

Answer 4

Process by which other organisms gain energy from eating the tissues of producers

Question 5

Consumers (heterotrophs)

Answer 5

Obtain energy by consuming other organisms

Question 6

Primary consumers (herbivores)

Answer 6

Consume producers

Question 7

Secondary consumers (carnivores)

Answer 7

Obtain their energy by eating primary consumers

Question 8

Tertiary consumers (carnivores)

Answer 8

Eat secondary consumers

Question 9

Food chain

Answer 9

The sequence of consumption from producers through tertiary consumers

Question 10

Food web

Answer 10

A more realistic type of food chain that takes into account the complexity of nature

Question 11

Trophic levels

Answer 11

Producers, PC, SC, TC, and Quatranary Consumers

Question 12

Biomass

Answer 12

The energy in an ecosystem is measured in terms of biomass

Question 13

Standing crop

Answer 13

The amount if biomass present in an ecosystem at a particular time

Question 14

Ecological efficiency

Answer 14

The proportion of consumed energy that can be passed from one trophic level to another

Question 15

Trophic pyramid

Answer 15

The representation of the distribution of biomass among trophic levels

Question 16

Biosphere

Answer 16

The combination of all ecosystems on Earth

Question 17

Biogeochemical cycles

Answer 17

The movement of matter within and between ecosystems involving biological, geologic, and chemical processes

Question 18

The hydrologic cycle

Answer 18

The movement of water through the biosphere (evaporation, condensation, precipitation, runoff)

Question 19

Parts of the hydrologic cycle

Answer 19

Transpiration- process where plants release water from their leaves into the atmosphere
Evapotranspiration- the combined amount of evaporation and transpiration
Runoff- when water moves across the land surface into streams and rivers, eventually reaching the ocean

Question 20

The carbon cycle

Answer 20

In the atmosphere, carbon is attached to some oxygen in a gas called carbon dioxide.

Plants use carbon dioxide and sunlight to make their own food and grow. The carbon becomes part of the plant. Plants that die and are buried may turn into fossil fuels made of carbon like coal and oil over millions of years. When humans burn fossil fuels, most of the carbon quickly enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and traps heat in the atmosphere. Without it and other greenhouse gases, Earth would be a frozen world. But humans have burned so much fuel that there is about 30% more carbon dioxide in the air today than there was about 150 years ago, and Earth is becoming a warmer place.

Question 21

Gross primary productivity (GPP)

Answer 21

The total amount of solar energy that the producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time

Question 22

Net primary productivity (NPP)

Answer 22

The energy captured (GPP) minus the energy respites by producers

Question 23

The nitrogen cycle

Answer 23

Fixation - Fixation is the first step in the process of making nitrogen usable by plants. Here bacteria change nitrogen into ammonium.
Nitrification - This is the process by which ammonium gets changed into nitrates by bacteria. Nitrates are what the plants can then absorb.
Assimilation - This is how plants get nitrogen. They absorb nitrates from the soil into their roots. Then the nitrogen gets used in amino acids, nucleic acids, and chlorophyll.
Ammonification - This is part of the decaying process. When a plant or animal dies, decomposers like fungi and bacteria turn the nitrogen back into ammonium so it can reenter the nitrogen cycle.
Denitrification - Extra nitrogen in the soil gets put back out into the air. There are special bacteria that perform this task as well.

Question 24

The phosphorus cycle

Answer 24

Over time, rain and weathering cause rocks to release phosphate ions and other minerals. This inorganic phosphate is then distributed in soils and water. Plants take up inorganic phosphate from the soil. The plants may then be consumed by animals. Once in the plant or animal, the phosphate is incorporated into organic molecules such as DNA. When the plant or animal dies, it decays, and the organic phosphate is returned to the soil. Within the soil, organic forms of phosphate can be made available to plants by bacteria that break down organic matter to inorganic forms of phosphorus. This process is known as mineralisation. Phosphorus in soil can end up in waterways and eventually oceans. Once there, it can be incorporated into sediments over time.

Question 25

Disturbance

Answer 25

An even caused by physical, chemical, or biological agents that results in changes in population size or community composition

Question 26

Watershed

Answer 26

All of the land in a given landscape that drains into a particular stream, river, lake, or wetland

Question 27

Resistance

Answer 27

A measure of how much a disturbance can affect it's flows of energy and matter

Question 28

Resilience

Answer 28

The rate at which an ecosystem returns to it's original state after a disturbance

Question 29

Restoration ecology

Answer 29

A new scientific discipline that is interested in restoring damaged ecosystems

Question 30

The intermediate disturbance hypothesis

Answer 30

States that ecosystems experiencing intermediate levels of disturbance are more diverse than those with high or low disturbance levels

Question 31

Provisions

Answer 31

Goods that humans can use directly

Question 32

Regulating services

Answer 32

The service provided by natural systems that helps regulate environmental conditions

Question 33

Support systems

Answer 33

The support services that natural ecosystems provide such as pollination, natural fibers, and pest control

Question 34

Resilience

Answer 34

Resilience of an ecosystem ensures that it will continue to provide benefits to humans. This greatly depends on species diversity

Question 35

Cultural services

Answer 35

Ecosystems provide cultural or aesthetic benefits to many people

Question 36

Variations in climate determine the dominant plant growth forms of terrestrial biomes

Answer 36

- climate affects the distribution of species around the globe - organisms possess distinct growth forms due to adaptations to local temperature and precipitation

Question 37

Biomes

Answer 37

The presence of similar plant growth forms in areas possessing similar temperature and precipitation patterns

Question 38

Tundra

Answer 38

- cold, treeless biome with low- growing vegetation. In winter, the soil is completely frozen - the tundras growing season is very short, usually only about 4 months during summer - the underlying subsoil, permafrost is an impermeable, permanently frozen later that prevents water from draining and roots from penetrating

Question 39

Boreal forest

Answer 39

- forests made up primarily of coniferous (cone bearing) evergreen tress that can tolerate cold winters and short growing seasons - boreal forests are found between about 50-60 degrees north in Europe, Russia, and North America - this subarctic biome has a very cold climate, and plant growth is more constrained by temperature than precipitation - the soil is nutrient poor due to slow decomposition

Question 40

Temperate rainforest (Chapperal)

Answer 40

- moderate temperatures and high precipitation typify the temperate rainforest - coast biome and can be found along the west coast of North America from Northern California to Alaska in southern chile on the west coast of New Zealand, and on the island of Tasmania - ocean currents he'll moderate temperature fluctuations and provide a source of water vapor - this biome has a nearly 12 month growing season where winters are rainy and summers are foggy - The mild temperatures and high precipitation supports the growth of very large trees

Question 41

Temperate seasonal forest (deciduous)

Answer 41

- Receives over 1 m of precipitation annually - Found in eastern United States Japan China Europe chili and eastern Australia - dominated by broad leaf deciduous trees such as beech, male, oak and hickory - warmer summer temperatures favor decomposition so soils generally contain more nutrients than those of boreal forests

Question 42

Woodland/ Shrubland

Answer 42

- Found on the coast of northern California southern Australia southern Africa and in the area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea - Hot dry summers and mild rainy winters are characteristics of this biome - there is a 12 month growing season, but the plant growth is constrained by low precipitation in summer and by relatively low temperatures in - wildfires are common and plants of this biome are well adapted to both fire and drought

Question 43

Temperate grassland/ Cold desert

Answer 43

- this biome has the lowest average annual precipitation of any temperate biome - these are found in the great plains of North America and South America and in Central Asia and eastern Europe - Cold harsh winters and hot dry summers - Great plains area (midwest) - plant growth is constrained by both insufficient precipitation in summer and cold temperatures in Winter - plants include grasses and non woody flowering plants that are well adapted to wildfires in frequent grazing by animals

Question 44

Tropical rain forest

Answer 44

- in the tropics average annual temperatures exceed 20°C - located 20° north and south of the equator - found in Central and South America, Africa,southeast Asia and north eastern Australia - precipitation occurs frequently in this biome is warm and wet with little temperature variation - have more biodiversity per Hector than any other terrestrial biomes and contain up to two thirds of earths terrestrial species

Question 45

Tropical seasonal forest/savanna

Answer 45

- warm temperatures and distinct wet and dry seasons - common in central America on the Atlantic coast of South America and southern Asia and north western Australia and in sub-Saharan Africa - lion King - soil is fairly fertile and can be farmed due to high decomposition rates but the lower amount of precipitation constrains plant from using the soil nutrients that are released - grasses and scattered deciduous trees are common

Question 46

Subtropical desert

Answer 46

- found at 30° north and south with hot temperatures in extremely dry conditions - The Mojavi desert in the southwestern United States, Sahara in Africa, the Arabian desert of the middle east and the great Victoria desert of Australia - cacti, euphorbs, and succulent plants

Question 47

Streams and rivers

Answer 47

- flowing freshwater that may originate from underground springs or as runoff from rain or melting snow - streams are typically narrow and carry relatively small amounts of water where rivers are usually wider and Carry larger amounts of water

Question 48

Lakes and ponds

Answer 48

- standing water that some of which is too deep for emergent vegetation - Lakes are larger than ponds but there is no clear point at which a pond is considered large enough to be called a lake

Question 49

Littoral zone

Answer 49

The shallow area of soil and water near the shore where Algae and emergent plants grow

Question 50

Limnetic zone

Answer 50

Open water, where rooted plants can no longer survive. Phytoplankton are the only photosynthetic organisms. This zone extends to as deep as sun light can penetrate

Question 51

Profundal zone

Answer 51

The zone where sunlight cannot penetrate and therefore producers cannot survive

Question 52

Benthic zone

Answer 52

The muddy bottom of the lake or bond between the limnetic and profundal zone

Question 53

Freshwater wetlands

Answer 53

- aquatic biomes that are submerged or saturated by water for at least part of each year, but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation - these include swamps, marshes and Bogs

Question 54

Salt marshes

Answer 54

- found along the coast in temperate climates and contains non-woody vegetation - most productive biomes in the world

Question 55

Mangrove swamps

Answer 55

- found along tropical and subtropical coasts and contain trees whose roots are submerged in water - Salt tolerant and help protect the coastlines from erosion and storm damage

Question 56

Intertidal zone

Answer 56

- narrowband of coastline that exist between the levels of high tide and low tide - waves that crash onto the shore in this biome can make it a challenge for organisms to hold on and not get washed away

Question 57

Coral reefs

Answer 57

- Found in warm, shallow waters beyond the shoreline | - earths most diverse marine biome even though they are found in water that is relatively poor nutrients and food

Question 58

Coral bleaching

Answer 58

When the algae inside the coral dies. Scientist believe this is due to a combination of disease and environmental change

Question 59

The open ocean

Answer 59

The debt that light can penetrate in the open ocean is dependent on the amount of sediment and algae suspended in the water

Question 60

Photic zone

Answer 60

The zone that receives enough light to allow photosynthesis to occur

Question 61

Aphotic zone

Answer 61

The deeper water that lacks sufficient light for photosynthesis

Question 62

Chemosynthesis

Answer 62

The process that occurs in the aphotic zone where some species of bacteria use methane and hydrogen sulfide to generate energy

Question 63

Weather

Answer 63

The short-term conditions of the atmosphere in a local area. These include temperature humidity clouds precipitation windspeed and atmospheric pressure

Question 64

Climate

Answer 64

The average weather that occurs in a given region over a long period typically several decades

Question 65

Troposphere

Answer 65

The layer closest to earth surface

Question 66

Stratosphere

Answer 66

Above the troposphere

Question 67

Layers of earth

Answer 67

``` Troposphere Stratosphere Mesosphere Thermosphere Exosphere and ionosphere ```

Question 68

Unequal heating of earth

Answer 68

- variation in angle at which the sun's rays strike - amount of surface area over which the sun's rays are distributed - some areas of earth reflect more solar energy than others (albedo)

Question 69

Water vapor capacity

Answer 69

Warm air has a higher capacity for water vapor than cold air

Question 70

Adiabatic heating or cooling

Answer 70

As air rises in the atmosphere its pressure decreases and the air expands. Conversely, as air sinks, the pressure increases and the air decreases in volume

Question 71

Latent heat release

Answer 71

When water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into liquid water and energy is released