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Ecosystems, Climate and Environmental change > APS124 > Flashcards

APS124 Flashcards

1
Q

When was The Devension Cold Stage

A

115,000-10,000BP

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2
Q

What are interstadials

A

embedded periods of temporarily warm conditions

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3
Q

what are stadials

A

embedded periods of cold conditions

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4
Q

When was the Chelford Interstadial

A

60,000BP

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5
Q

Mean temp (degrees C) of Chelford Interstadial (Feb and July)

A

Feb: -10 (now 4)
July: 16 (now 17)

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6
Q

Vegetation of the Chelford Interstadial

A

birch, pine, spruce

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7
Q

Fauna of the Chelford Interstadial (8)

A

brown bear, fox, red deer, spotted hyeana, reindeer, woolly rhino, horse and elk

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8
Q

When was the Upton Warren Interstadial Complex

A

42,000-38,000 BP

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9
Q

July mean temp of Upton Warren IC

A

16 degrees C (now 17)

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10
Q

Flora found in Upton Warren IC? (vegetation)

A

Thermophilous species, arctic alpines, dwarf pillows and birch (NO TREES)

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11
Q

Fauna found in Upton Warren IC?

A

Mammoth, woolly rhino, bison, reindeer, horse

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12
Q

Dimlington Stadial key features

A 
A long period of cold
Maximum expansion of the Devensian ice
Extensive ice sheets
Large Herbivores forces south 
July mean temp: 17
Park-tundra vegetation
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13
Q

Windemere Interstadial

A

strong reduction of the ice caps,

Herb and moss tundra became replaced by shrubs, trees ‘park-tundra’ and woodland.

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14
Q

Lochlomond Stadial

A

Return to colder conditions for about 1000 years
July mean temp: 10-12
Caused by disruption of the gulf stream?
Ended with a very rapid temperature rise
Leads to post glacial (flandrian) period
Tree birches and pine survived
————-> 10,000 years ago

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15
Q

Suggested climate and date and zone:

Pre-boreal

A

Sub-arctic, 9500 bc, IV

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16
Q

Suggested climate and date and zone:

Boreal

A

Warmer and Dry, 7600 bc, V & VI

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17
Q

Suggested climate and date and zone:

Atlantic

A

Warm and Wet, oceanic, 5500 bc, VIIa

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18
Q

Suggested climate and date and zone:

Sub-boreal

A

Warm and Dry, continental, 3000 bc, VIIb

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19
Q

Suggested climate and date and zone:

Sub atlantic

A

Cool and Wet, oceanic, 500 bc, VIII

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20
Q

Zone I

A

pre-windemere

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21
Q

Zone II

A

Windemere Interstadial

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22
Q

Zone III

A

Loch Lomond Stadial

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23
Q

Zone IV

A

Post glacial birch zone, 9500 bc

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24
Q

Zone V

A

Hazel pine birch, 7600-5500 bc

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25
Q

Zone VI

A

Hazel pine period

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26
Q

Zone VII

A

Alder/mixed oak

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27
Q

What is the Forest Maximum

A

when most of the UK was covered in forest

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28
Q

what is The Atlantic Period

A

the ‘climatic optimum’ of the past glacial period

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29
Q

Zone VIII

A

Alder-birch, oak-beech period

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30
Q

3 main types of (semi) natural woodland?

A

Native, Ancient, Recent

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31
Q

What is Primary woodland?

A

Survived continually since ice age

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32
Q

What is secondary woodland?

A

Planted or established since last ice age

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33
Q

How much of the UK is wooded?

A

~ 12%

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34
Q

What is community structure

A

The spatial organisation of a plant material within a community

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35
Q

3 components of community structure?

A

Vertical structure
Horizontal structure
Species abundance

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36
Q

Woodland vertical structure:

What are the 3 layers?

A

Ground layer
Field layer
Shrub layer

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37
Q

3 main distributing types of horizontal structure?

A

Regular
Random
Clumped

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38
Q

The pattern shown by a species is a product of:

A

Morphology and growth characteristics,
Seed dispersal mechanisms,
Environmental heterogeneity
Species interactions

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39
Q

4 ways to measure species abundance:

A

Abundance guesstimates (DAFOR)
Density
Frequency
Cover

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40
Q

Species Abundance

A

the amount a species contributes to the vegetation

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41
Q

2 approaches to plant survival on the forest floor

A

Shade Tolerance

Complementation (growing when the light intensity is relatively high)

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42
Q

3 characteristics of shade plants?

A

Large thin leaves
Single palisade layer
Large SA:weight ratio

43
Q

What is phenology?

A

The study of the seasonal periodicity and timing of plant growth

44
Q

Vernal species

45
Q

Aestival species

46
Q

Hiemal species

47
Q

Groundlayer of oak woods dominated by what species?

A

Deschampia Flexuosa

48
Q

Brown forest soils

A

Active mixing of mineral and organic matter by organisms. No sharp boundaries between horizons

49
Q

Podzol soil

A

Almost no mixing. Sharp boundaries between horizons, and district horizons, higher acidity.
Characteristic of cool, wet climates.
Major store of carbon.
Heaths

50
Q

Reason for the ‘Elm Decline’

A

Disease,
Selective cropping,
Trees pollarded to provide leaves for livestock food

51
Q

Adaptations of grassland

A

Intercalary meristems
Adpressed growth
Low palatability
Ephemeral life history (short lived)

52
Q

Calcifuge species found in…

A

…acidic soils

53
Q

Calcicole species found in…

A

..calcareous soils (calcium carbonate)

54
Q

Rendzina soils are…

A

…immature soils

55
Q

Heathland dominated by…

A

Ericoid dwarf species (HEATHER)

Low floristic diversity, high conservation status.

56
Q

What is the Largest carbon reserve in the uk?

A

Peatlands (3 billion tonnes)

57
Q

Management technique for red grouse

A

Rotational burning (8-15 year cycles) for eating and nesting

58
Q

How much is grouse shooting worth a year in the UK?

A

100 million

59
Q

Problems with deforestation

A

Loss of diversity or distinct species

Loss of visual appeal value

60
Q

Soil changes with deforestation

A

Increase earthworms
Gradual breakdown of old calluna
Decrease in exchangeable H
Increase in pH, exchangeable Ca and total P

61
Q

How are wetlands formed?

A

Vegetation succession

62
Q

Allogenic succession

A

driven by environmental change

63
Q

Autogenic succession

A

occurs when the vegetation itself induces environmental change

64
Q

Primary Succession

A

on surfaces that have not previously supported vegetation

65
Q

Secondary Succession

A

On surfaces that have previously supported soil and vegetation

66
Q

2 ways in which peat accumulates

A

Territorialisation

Paludification

67
Q

What is Territorialisation

A

Filling in of lakes and pool

68
Q

What is Paludification

A

Once dry land gets wetter (increased sea levels, increased precipitation)

69
Q

Two types of Territorialisation?

A

Rafting

Rooting

70
Q

Rafting territorialisation

A

Open water becomes overgrown directly by peat

71
Q

Rooting territorialisation

A

Infilling of open water
In situ (Autochthonous) or
In-washed (Allochthonos)

72
Q

3 adaptations to oxygen deficiency in roots

A

Anaerobic respiration in roots
Transport of oxygen to roots
Release of oxygen into the rhizosphere (soil around root)

73
Q

Wetland plants have high tissue porosity. What provides this porosity?

A

Aerenchyma
Cavities and channels
Other special oxygenating structures

74
Q

What are Pheumataphores?

A

Upward growing roots
Mangroves (have lenticels)
Take air directly into the rooting system

75
Q

Oxygenation of the Rhizosphere occurs by

A

Diffusion of oxygen out of the roots

Enzymic oxidation on the root surface

76
Q

3 factors of plant distribution

A

Climatic factors
Physiographic factors
Edaphic factors (soil features)

77
Q

Anthropogenic atmospheric N deposition:

Oxidised N examples:

A

Wet: Nitrates (No3)
Dry: Nitrous oxides (N20)

78
Q

Anthropogenic atmospheric N deposition:

Reduced N examples:

A

Wet: NH4+ (ammonium)
Dry: NH3 (ammoinia)

79
Q

Anthropogenic N sources?

A

Fossil fuel combustion

Agriculture

80
Q

Factors affection N deposition?

A

Distance from source
Surface roughness
Rainfall

81
Q

4 mechanisms of N deposition as an ecological threat:

A

Eutrophication
Soil acidification
Increased susceptibility of plants to secondary success
Direct Toxicity to plants

82
Q

Floristic diversity can decline with increasing soil (a)?

Floristic diversity can decline with decreasing soil (b)?

A

a) N

b) pH

83
Q

What does Global Warming Potential compare? (GWP)

A

comparisons of the global warming impacts of different gasses.
It measures of how much energy the emissions of 1 ton of a gas will absorb over a given period of time, relative to the emissions of 1 ton of carbon dioxide (CO2). The larger the GWP, the more that a given gas warms the Earth compared to CO2 over that time period.

84
Q

Sea water is approx. 35g/1000g seawater, what are the consequences of this?

A

Freezing point lowers to -1.89%

Density increases to 1029kg.m-3

85
Q

What % of the suns energy is captured by marine photoautotrophs when its hits the sea?

86
Q

What are Macrophytes?

A

‘Sea weeds’ , need to be attached to the sea bed, need light.

87
Q

What is Phytoplankton?

A

Single celled organisms, produce half of the atmospheres oxygen.

88
Q

4 main classes of phytoplankton:

A

Cyanobacteria, Haptophytes, Dinoflagellates, Diatoms

89
Q

What are the problems with phytoplankton?

A

tend to sink

90
Q

Implications of Philippians super typhoon (October 2013)

A

6000 deaths

$8-$15billion in damage

91
Q

Define “Extreme” both climatically and ecologically:

A

Climatically: 95% percentile
Ecologically: abruptness

92
Q

Give on example of a trophic interactions driven by extreme events:

A

3 herbivores: Svalbard reindeer & rock ptarmigan and sibling vole. 1 consumer: Arctic fox. (Affected by ground ice from rain and snow.)

93
Q

What is the current UKCP?

94
Q

Describe the haze effect:

A

El chichon volcano Mexico, 1982

Temp change -0.2 to -0.5

95
Q

Give 2 consequences of the North Atlantic Oscillations:

A

Wet winters in Europe

Cold and dry winters in N Canada and Greenland

96
Q

What is the predicted future temperature rise:

A

Winter +2-3 degrees

Summer +2.5-4 degrees

97
Q

What is the predicted future sea level rise:

98
Q

What is the predicted precipitation change:

A

Winters +10-30%
Summer -40%
(Little change predicted annually)

99
Q

Give 3 impacts on recent change in climate (all species)

A

Native plant species 28%decreased
Native breeding birds 54% decline
Native butterfly species 71% decline

100
Q

Name 2 classic studies of UK limestone grasslands:

A

Buxton, Derbyshire

Wytham, Oxfordshire (more fertile)- large divergence of communities

101
Q

What is polar amplification? (Why does the arctic warm faster than lower latitudes?)

A

As snow melts, dark surface is exposed, absorbs more solar energy
More energy goes into warming that evaporation
Shallower atmospheric layer in the arctic
Atmospheric and oceanic circulation can increase warming.
Sea ice retreats and water gives off more heat energy

102
Q

What is permafrost?

A

Permanently frozen ground
24% land in the Northern hemisphere
Stores carbon as peat and methane
over 2x as much C than the atmosphere

103
Q

Permafrost thaw positive or negative feedback?

A

Positive feedback on climate

104
Q

What are the results of Arctic Greening?

A

Increased plant growth

Expansion of more productive plants (shrubification)

Ecosystems, Climate and Environmental change (1 decks)

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