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Biology 1108 > Unit 1 - Mount St Helens Background Info > Flashcards

Unit 1 - Mount St Helens Background Info Flashcards

1
Q

What defines an ecosystem?

A

pre & post eruption

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2
Q

What defines a species as members of populations that actually or potentially interbreed in nature, NOT according to similarity of appearance?

A

biological species concept

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3
Q

What defines all of the individuals of a SINGLE species that interact?

A

population

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4
Q

What defines all of the populations of LIVING things that interact in a place?

A

community

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5
Q

What defines a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment (biotic and abiotic components)?

A

ecosystem

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6
Q

How does a community differ from an ecosystem?

A

community is based solely on organisms and within an ecosystem the physical environment is included

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7
Q

What are some ways that ecosystems are defined by organisms (biotic)?

A

(1) Biodiversity
(2) Biomass (NPP - net primary productivity)
(3) Species interactions
(4) Invasive or keystone species

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8
Q

What are some ways that ecosystems are defined by their environment (abiotic)?

A

(1) Climate - averages & seasonality
(2) geology - bedrock, water, soils, topography
(3) disturbance - natural, human & scale, frequency

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9
Q

What are some components of soil that we can study?

A

(1) pH levels
(2) nutrients
(3) composition (sand, silt, clay, organic matter)
(4) depth

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10
Q

What are some common examples of landforms?

A

mountains, cliffs, valleys, plains

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11
Q

Scales and frequency levels of the following:
(1) tornadoes
(2) hurricanes
(3) thunderstorms

A

(1) large scale / low frequency
(2) large scale / low frequency
(3) small scale / high frequency

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12
Q

Definition: how much land is covered in a natural disaster

A

scale

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13
Q

definition: how often a natural disaster occurs

A

frequency

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14
Q

Is there a defined size of an “ecosystem”?

A

no

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15
Q

Are there boundaries dividing ecosystems?

A

no

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16
Q

Why are there no boundaries in an ecosystem?

A

because of migration - animals can continuously fly in & out

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17
Q

Where is the location of MSH?

A

Washington state

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18
Q

What mountain range is MSH also a part of?

A

cascade mountains

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19
Q

How would you described the biome of MSH?

A

temperate rainforest

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20
Q

What do biomes classify ecosystems by?

A

primarily their vegetation type

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21
Q

What biome is the temperate rainforest fairly similar to? And in what way are they similar?

A

tropical rainforest & they both have annual precipitation

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22
Q

How does the temperate rainforest mainly differ from the tropical rainforest?

A

cooler temperatures

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23
Q

Describe common characteristics of the Pacific NW Climate?

A

(1) mild & wet year round
(2) lots of snow in the mountains
(3) infrequent fire
(4) VERY infrequent volcanic events

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24
Q

What region of the US is MSH located in?

A

Pacific NW

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25
Q

What changes as you go up in elevation?

A

(1) temperature
(2) animals
(3) biomass and soil nutrient levels
(4) precipitation

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26
Q

Is there more rain at the bottom or tops of mountains?

A

top

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27
Q

What impact does changing elevation have on biological communities?

A

(1) changes in biomes / ecosystems in a condensed fashion (tropical RF, temperate RF, taiga, tundra, polar ice)
(2) relationship between latitude and altitude

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28
Q

What is the biodiversity of mountains like?

A

very HIGH - all different kinds of ecosystems represented

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29
Q

definition: the variety of different kinds of life you will find in one area–the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms

A

biodiversity

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30
Q

What was the “old growth” forest of MSH like pre-eruption?

A

had never been logged, very diverse, includes lots of wildlife, but NOT necessarily undisturbed

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31
Q

What was the soil of MSH like pre-eruption?

A

“rich” with lots of available nutrients suitable for plant life

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32
Q

Was MSH a homogeneous ecosystem pre- eruption?

A

NO - Mountains have lots of different ecosystems that change with elevation

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33
Q

definition: an ecosystem that has indistinguishable features and looks exactly the same all over

A

homgeneous

34
Q

How does the top of a mountain compare to the bottom?

A

top: colder, more rain, thinner air, poor soil, less / smaller plants, fewer animals
bottom: mild/warmer, less rain, richer soil, more large and small plants, more animals

35
Q

When was the date and time of the MSH eruption?

A

May 18th, 1980 at 8:32 AM

36
Q

The MSH eruption went directly up what side of the mountain?

A

North side

37
Q

What was unique about the southern slopes of the mountain?

A

they experienced so little damage that they looked almost identical to pre-eruption

38
Q

What were the 3 main areas of disruption on MSH?

A

(1) Pyroclastic flow / pumice plain
(2) Blow down zone / lateral blast
(3) Scorch zone

39
Q

What main area of MSH is being described here:
-most damaged area
-pumice covering all the ground
-NOTHING in this area survived
-covered up with 6’ of tephra/ash

A

pumice plain

40
Q

Describe the destruction of MSH.

A

230 square miles of forest were blown done & scorched up to 17 miles away from MSH

41
Q

What is tephra/ash?

A

rock dust

42
Q

Was tephra very suitable for plants after the eruption?

A

no, its different from normal volcanic ash in that it does not contain many nutrients in it

43
Q

What made MSH different from a normal volcano?

A

lateral explosion - directed sideways rather than upward and NO magma was involved, it was tephra

44
Q

What main area of MSH is being described here:
-shattered trees - big wave of heat killed all trees
-wasn’t much ABOVE ground that survived

A

blowdone zone / lateral blast

45
Q

What main area of MSH is being described here:
-outermost reach of impact
-some trees managed to stay up but all of their leaves were blown off
-plants among the forest floor survived in this area

A

scorch zone

46
Q

Why did some plants survive in the scorch zone?

A

the timing of the eruption left a layer of snow over the slopes still & this snow pact protected everything a certain level above ground

47
Q

What two things will affect the order of reestablishment on MSH?

A

(1) what can reach the area first
(2) what can survive there

48
Q

The first to reestablish in the pumice plain will need to be the first that can _____ & ______.

A

reach; survive

49
Q

What are some example of organisms that will reestablish in the MSH pumice plain first?

A

insects - live low to ground; feed off dead plant matter
birds - they can fly, migrate into pumice plain
small rodents - feed on insects
smaller plants / shrubbery
bacteria

50
Q

How are plants able to move/migrate?

A

seed dispersal

51
Q

definition: how seeds/spores are spread from the parent plant

A

dispersal

52
Q

What is a negative consequence of seed dispersal?

A

plants spend a lot of time & energy making/dispersing their seeds

53
Q

What is the purpose of parents taking a lot of time & energy to disperse seeds?

A

to reduce competition for resources among parents & offspring

54
Q

How is pollen dispersal different from seed dispersal?

A

pollen is used for fertilization - combines genes of separate plants & is sexual reproduction

55
Q

What are the 4 main ways that plants disperse seeds?

A

(1) wind
(2) water
(3) animal
(4) gravity

56
Q

What is the main benefit of wind dispersed seeds?

A

very long dispersal distance

57
Q

What is the main benefit of animal dispersed seeds?

A

the digestion of the fruit leads to fertilized soil

58
Q

What is a negative of animal dispersed seeds?

A

(1) takes a lot of energy to create desirable fruit
(2) dispersion distance varies

59
Q

What is a specific form of gravity dispersal that includes pods that shoot out seeds from them?

A

ballistic dispersal

60
Q

How is the dispersal distance for water dispersed seeds?

A

variable (can be a splash or long-distance)

61
Q

What is a negative of gravity dispersed seeds?

A

short dispersal distance (seeds roll down a hill)

62
Q

What is a pro of seeds dispersing close to their parents?

A

probability of survival is higher (environments already suitable for that species)

63
Q

What is the purpose of a seed coat?

A

to protect seed from environment

64
Q

definition: embryo sack wall surrounding a seed

A

seed coat

65
Q

definition: food storage area of a seed (largest part)

A

cotyledon

66
Q

What are the benefits of a thick seed coat?

A

(1) protects seeds from getting eaten by an animal/insect
(2) protects from temperature / atmospheric conditions - prevents inside from drying out / becoming to waterlogged or wet

67
Q

What are the negatives of a thick seed coat?

A

(1) take a lot of energy to create
(2) may have shorter dispersal distance

68
Q

What are the benefits of a thin seed coat?

A

(1) disperses easily

69
Q

What are the negatives of a thin seed coat?

A

(1) not as much protection from outside environment

70
Q

What is the purpose of the cotyledon of a seed?

A

to store food as fats and oils (think peanuts)

71
Q

What are the advantages of having a large cotyledon?

A

(1) can store more energy
(2) seed can last longer before sprouting (germination)
(3) more likely to survive
(4) can grow quickly to overtop competitors
(5) can’t disperse far - suitable environment (adv?)

72
Q

What are the advantages of having a small cotyledon and seed coat?

A

(1) can produce MANY more seeds
(2) longer dispersal distance

73
Q

What does the concept of evolutionary trade-offs explain?

A

(1) a pool of energy can be allocated in different ways
(2) there are advantages and disadvantages of each selection
(3) its impossible to have the best of both worlds

74
Q

How do we see evolutionary trade-offs with regards to large seeds?

A

can’t have a massive amount of large seeds

75
Q

What type of relationship occurs between seed size and seed number (fecundity)?

A

inverse

76
Q

What type of relationship occurs between per capita seedling survivorship and seed size?

A

direct

77
Q

Per capita = per _______

A

individual

78
Q

per capita survivorship = probability of survival for _____ seed

A

one

79
Q

Is there one best strategy for small vs large seeds?

A

No, both can have = fitness levels (total survivorship

80
Q

definition: the ability to pass on genes to subsequent generations (amount surviving to reproduce)

A

fitness

Biology 1108 (12 decks)

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