10/4 quiz Flashcards
1
Q
physiological ecology
A
adaptations to the physical environment
2
Q
organisms have mechanisms to…
A
perform well in a limited range of conditions
compensate for a certain range of variation in conditions
3
Q
examples of abiotic factors
A
temperature, water availability, salinity
4
Q
types of environmental changes
A
predictable (seasonal, daily, tidal, etc.) or unpredictable (hurricanes, fire, etc.)
5
Q
environmental variation serve as a significant challenge to an organism’s ___
A
fitness
6
Q
levels of tolerance
A
variation in environmental conditions had different consequences for different processes (reproduction, growth, survival)
7
Q
successful reproduction/population maintenance occurs at ___ ranges than survival and growth
A
narrower
8
Q
environmental tolerances determine the ___ ___ of organisms
A
geographic distribution
ex: most herps (reptiles and amphibians) avoid low temperatures
9
Q
acclimatization
A
reversible (within the individual’s lifetime) shift in physiological tolerances of an individual
10
Q
examples of acclimatization
A
thicker fur in winter, smaller leaves during dry season, humans in high altitudes
11
Q
adaptations
A
genetically determined characteristic that enhances an individual’s fitness in its environment
12
Q
secondary definition of adaptation
A
evolutionary process that allows organisms to become better suited to their environment
13
Q
disclaimers about adaptations!
A
they may challenge other adaptations
they have evolutionary trade-offs
14
Q
example of different populations adapting to the same conditions in different ways
A
humans in high altitudes
andes: high RBC concentration and larger lung volume
tibet: normal RBC conc. and elevated breathing rate
15
Q
categories of responses
A
adaptive avoidance and adaptive tolerance
16
Q
types of adaptive avoidance
A
behavioral (migration) and metabolic
17
Q
examples of metabolic avoidance
A
metabolic rate depression, hibernation, and estivation
18
Q
types of adaptive tolerance
A
behavioral, morphological, physiological, and biochemical
19
Q
pros of migration
A
avoid harsh conditions and expand resource base
20
Q
cons of migration
A
energetic cost and high risk of mortality
21
Q
what determines migration?
A
seasons -> its seasonal movement to/from a region
external stimuli serve as cues
22
Q
when is migration most advantageous?
A
when abiotic challenges are seasonal and predictable
23
Q
example of organism that migrates
A
monarch butterflies - avoid low temperatures
wildebeest - avoid drought
24
Q
avoidance
A
avoiding an environmental change
can occur seasonally or even daily between microhabitats/environments
25
example of organism using avoidance adaptation
desert iguana - regulates body temp by moving microhabitats
26
types of metabolic avoidance
dormancy, metabolic arrest, torpor, hibernation, or estivation
27
example of organism using dormancy
coconut seeds when surrounded by harsh, salty water
28
example of organism using metabolic arrest
brine shrimp - lose most of their bodily water content and rehydrate when water is available in their environment
29
torpor
short-term reduction in metabolic rate (overnight)
for low temps or food deficiency
30
hibernation
prolonged torpor (weeks/months)
31
estivation
reduction in metabolic rate due to heat or drought
32
why is temperature important to survival?
metabolism and other bodily systems are dependent on enzymes, which are temp sensitive
high temp -> denature
low temp -> inactive
33
what can happen to lipid membranes at low temps?
solidify
things can't be transported in/out of cell
34
what happens if a cell freezes?
can be punctures by ice crystals
ex: frostbite
35
two ways of dealing with temperature variation
endotherm or ectotherm
36
what is an endotherm?
generate heat through metabolism
requires higher metabolic rate and energy demands
mammals and birds
37
ectotherms
regulate body temp through behavior, not metabolism
lower metabolic rate and energy demands
reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates
38
what are behavioral changes ectotherms can use?
basking, changes in posture, and changes in orientation
39
what are two standards of temperature for organisms?
homeotherms or poikilotherms
40
what is a homeotherm?
organisms that keep their body temp relatively constant
most endotherms, few ectotherms
41
example of homeotherm
many marine fish - live in water that stays at a constant temp
42
what is a poikilotherm?
organisms who have varying body temps
most, but not all, ectotherms
43
intracellular freezing is always ___
lethal
cell rupture
44
how can organisms deal with low temps?
metabolism (endo) or insulation (fur/blubber)
45
how do freeze tolerant species work?
have anti-freeze like compounds to lower body's freezing point
body can cool to -20 C w/o freezing
46
examples of anti-freeze compounds
glycerol and glycoproteins
47
examples of freeze-tolerant species
Antarctic fish, some insects, painted turtles
48
extracellular freezing is...
challenging but possible
49
what controls the balance between and organism and it's environment's salt concentration?
osmosis
50
animal mechanism to control water/salt concentration
urine concentration or salt glands
50
what do salt glands allow animals to do?
drink sea water
51
species are limited by ___ ___ and ___
physical factors and resources
52
each species has __ and ___ ___ limits
upper and lower tolerance
53
what determines species distributions?
physical environment, biotic interactions, and evolutionary history
54
how can the physical environment determine a species' distribution?
tolerance limits
55
examples of biotic interactions that can influence species distributions
food, predators, competition, parasites, and diseases
56
example of evolutionary history impact species distribution
polar bears being in north pole but not antarctica
can physically survive there, but won't migrate and didn't evolve there
57
what are climate patterns a result of?
shape (latitude) and tilt of earth, atmospheric circulation cells, oceanic currents, proximity to oceans and mountain ranges
58
when we discuss climate, we will consider...
temperature, precipitation, averages, and variation
59
why does the equator experience hot/wet climate?
gets focused sunlight
"angle of incidence of sunlight"
60
what causes seasonal variation?
spherical shape + tilt + orbit
61
what is the solar equator?
where the sun hits the earth's surface perpendicularly, changes with earth's rotation
62
what results from tropics getting more direct sunlight year-round?
higher average annual temperature
less seasonality in temperature
63
what does the northern hemisphere experience when being tilted towards the sun?
more direct sunlight
longer days
64
describe how hadley cells of air circulation work
at equator: low pressure, warm, wet air rises to create rainfall, then moves north/south and cools, colder, higher pressure, dry air sinks, warms back up and picks up moisture in regions it falls on
65
what do hadley cells result in?
general tendency for tropical and subtropical rainforests at equator and deserts 30 degrees in latitude from there
66
what are the names of all three air circulation cells in each hemisphere?
hadley, ferrell, and polar
67
areas with the most energy incidence get the most ___
rainfall
68
what determines wet and dry seasons in the tropics?
position of the solar equator
69
at equator, there are ___ wet and dry seasons
2
rain belt passes twice a year moving north and south
70
between tropics and temperate areas, which has the most temperature seasonality?
temperate
71
between tropics and temperate areas, which has the most precipitation seasonality?
tropics
72
global climate can be explained by:
spherical shape and tilt of the earth and its orbit around the sun
73
temperate zones experience greater temperature in ___
temperature
due to tilting and orbit
74
tropics experience greater seasonality in ___
precipitation
due to rain belt oscillation
75
how does proximity to oceans impact the northern hemisphere?
less rainfall - less open water to get water from (than southern hem.)
higher temperature variation - less moderating effect of oceans
76
what does it mean that water has a high heat capacity?
a large amount of heat is necessary to change its temperature
77
as you get further from oceans, you observe...
less rainfall in interior than coast
less temperature variation along coasts
even regionally!
78
how do mountain ranges impact climate?
rain shadow effect
79
rain shadow effect
how one side of the mountain will have moisture and the other side will be significantly drier
80
example of distribution of one species limiting the distribution of another
tsetse flies limiting cattle due to disease they spread
81
what are examples of physical barriers that limit continental and global species distributions?
oceans, mountains, river
82
what is a more recent way organisms have found to overcome physical barriers to distribution?
human movement
83
how has evolutionary history impacted species distributions?
geological history, historical shifts in climate, and phylogenetic history
84
what are examples of geological history?
continental drift and glaciation
85
what is an example of historical shifts in climate?
range breaks due to historical local extinctions
86
what are examples of phylogenetic history?
phylogenetic conservatism of species' range limits
divergence of the range limits
87
what is the great american interchange
north america was part of laurasia and south america was part of godwana
sa mammals colonized na and vice versa occurred
88
biome
a biological community defined by its dominant plant forms/physical growth structure
89
what's the difference between an ecosystem and a biome?
can have the same basic growth forms (same biome) but consist of different species (different ecosystems)
90
why are biomes centered around plants?
they provide overall character of an area
are primary producers (basis of food web)
have a lot of exposure to environments and no means of controlling their internal environment (compared to animals)
91
what determines the distribution of plants?
climate, soil and disturbances
92
what are examples of aspects of CLIMATE that can influence plant distribution?
temperature, precipitation, and seasonality
93
what are aspects of SOIL that determine plant distribution?
permeability and nutrient composition
94
what are examples of DISTURBANCES that influence plant distribution?
fire, herbivores, and anthropogenic effects
95
why do temperate zones experience greater seasonality in ___?
temperature
earth's tilt and orbit
96
why do tropic zones experience greater seasonality in ___?
precipitation
rain belt oscillations
97
what makes grasses different from most other plants?
grasses grow from their base, underground
most other plants grow from tips
grasses are better protected from disturbances
better adapted to warm, dry conditions due to their photosynthetic pathway
98
what does a Whittaker climate diagram do?
define biomes by their average temperature and annual precipitation
99
what is the primary problem with Whittaker climate diagrams?
they disregard seasonality, fires, and soil conditions because they are so big picture
good for a general understanding though
100
despite being discrete entities on the Whittaker climate diagram, the different biomes have...
a lot of continuous variability within them
101
what are on the axes of Whittaker climate diagrams?
x = average temp (backwards orientation!)
y = annual precipitation
102
things to note about walter climate diagrams
absolute temperature and precipitation
10 degrees to 20 mm relationship btwn temperature and precipitation
number of months with average minimum above freezing are highlighted on x-axis
103
what does a walter climate diagram recognize?
importance of variation in climate throughout the year
104
when can plants grow in a walter climate diagram?
when precipitation line is above temperature line and temperature line is over 0C
105
what can we identify from WCD?
general temperature and presence of seasonality
general precipitation and presence of seasonality
droughts
presence and length of growth season
hemispherical geography
106
sclerophyllous scrub growth form
tough, leathery leaves
107
sclerophyllous shrub environment
temperature and precipitation seasonality, warm/cool
108
deciduous tree growth form
they drop their leaves in cold or dry periods
109
deciduous tree environment
moist, seasonally warm/cool on fertile soils or warm, seasonally wet/dry
110
grasses, sedges growth form
grow from the base of their leaves
111
grasses, sedges environment
moist, temperature seasonality, with fire
112
cacti and shrub growth form
succulent stems/leaves, water storage tissues
113
cacti and shrub environment
dry, seasonally hot/cool
114
evergreen broad-leaved trees growth form
photosynthesis year-round
115
evergreen broad-leaved trees environment
wet, warm year-round
116
needle-leaved evergreen trees growth form
photosynthesis year-round
117
needle-leaved evergreen trees environment
moist, seasonally warm/cool or cool cold in infertile soils
118
forbs growth form
broad-leaved herbaceous (non-woody) plants
119
forbs environment
seasonally cool/cold
120
what are the three main types of biomes?
tropical, temperate, and boreal
121
what are characteristics of tropical biomes?
within about 20-30 degrees of equator
temperatures vary more within a single day than from month to month
seasonality of rainfall
plants are not freeze-tolerant
122
what are the types of tropical biomes
tropical rainforests, savannas, and deserts
123
what characterizes tropical rainforests?
broad-leaved evergreen trees
continuous canopies with multiple understory layers
low temperature seasonality, high rainfall (1 or 2 peaks)
124
tropical rainforests have high ___ but poor ___
biodiversity - 7% of land surface, 75% of known species
soils - quick and continuous decomposition of plant litter due to temp and humidity, clay soils don't hold nutrients well
125
what are tropical rainforests vulnerable to?
disturbances like logging/burning (removes nutrients), rain leaching nutrients away, soil erosion
126
stratification
when a habitat has vertical layering
1: emergent trees
2: canopy
3: understory
4: forest floor
plus lianas and epiphytes (plants that grow on other plants)
127
what is the main difference between the climate of savannas and rainforests?
seasonality of precipitation is the same but now temp can drop lower
there are also droughts in savannas and not rainforests
128
what do animals characteristically do in savannas?
migrate due to seasonality of precipitation
129
what are savannas characterized by?
frequent fires (from lightning)
usually grasslands
few trees because of the fires and existing species are fire-adaptive and many are endemic (only in that place) - some plants even need fire to germinate
130
types of deserts
hadley cell, rain shadow, continental interior
131
what are deserts characterized by?
droughts and minimal plant growth
never a month in Walter climate diagrams that supports plant growth (drought or freezing)
sustained periods of high temps and low water availability
plants grow quickly when rainfall does occur
132
what type of plants grow in deserts?
succulents, shrubs, and grasses
133
what are examples of temperate biomes?
grasslands, shrublands, and deciduous forests
- some part of their Walter climate diagram will always be below freesing
134
what is the primary differentiation between temperate biomes?
totals amounts and seasonal patterns of precipitation
135
why is frost important?
frost-free season is "growing" season
136
temperate grasslands climate
too dry for trees, but wet enough for grasses (not desert dry)
most precipitation occurs during non-freezing, growing seasons
137
temperate grasslands characteristics
maintained by drought, fires, and grazing
large populations of big roaming herbivores
dominated by grasses and herbaceous vegetation
high productivity and fertile soils
138
example of temperate grassland
great plains in US
139
mediterranean shrublands climate
mild, rainy winter and hot, drought summers
asynchrony between summer growing season with low rainfall and winter rains
won't necessarily get below freezing
140
mediterranean shrubland characteristics
regular fire disturbances
fire-adaptive plants, but no cacti
sun and warm temp year round
open canopy of short trees and thick, evergreen shrubs
sclerophyllous vegetation
high species diversity
141
temperate deciduous forest climate
50-90 mm precipitation each month
mix of temps above and below freezing
enough rainfall to support tree growth
142
temperate deciduous forests characteristics
soils are fertile enough to support trees after they lose their leaves
lose leaves in extended periods of freezing (bc why maintain leaves when they aren't serving a purpose?)
species diversity lower than tropical forests
fire not a major factor
this is where we live!
143
what plants usually grow in temperature deciduous forests?
oak, maple, beech trees plus shrubs and forbs
144
examples of boreal biomes
boreal forests and tundra
145
what is a characteristic trait of boreal biomes?
soils with permafrost (some portion is always frozen) -> slow decomposition (bc its so cold) leading to excess of organic matter and poor nutrients
plants can't have deep roots
146
boreal forests climate
long winters and short growing seasons
high temperature seasonality
cold and dry
subfreezing temps up to 6 months
147
boreal forests characteristics
largest biome - 1/3 of earth's forested land
mostly coniferous trees
cold, wet and permafrost soil
summer droughts promote fires (think canada)
148
tundra climate
cold - very short growing season
permafrost
soil - poor; low rates of decomposition
149
tundra characteristics
low shrubs, grasses, lichens, and mosses
continuous light for 1-2 months in summer
low precipitation, permafrost prevents soil drainage
very low temps most of the year
150
importance of mountains when studying biomes
create elevation based climatic gradients that change rapidly
altitude changes serve like latitudinal changes, can keep geography relatively constant
151
how much do temperatures increase for every 1000m increase in elevation?
6.4 C
152
what are examples of population demography factors?
size, age structure, and distribution
153
example of demography used in conversative biology
saving sea turtles from extinction due to fishing issues
able to use demography to better target high mortality rate time periods
154
life span
maximum number of years an individual can potentially live
155
life expectancy
expectation of life at a certain age
affected by the probability of dying at different ages
