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GEO1005 > Biogeography > Flashcards

Biogeography Flashcards

1
Q

What is biogeography?

A

This is the study of patterns of species composition and diversity across space and time

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2
Q

What can maps show?

A

Species ranges

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3
Q

How can patchiness be explained?

A

Organisms have physiological tolerances and are also influenced by biotic interactions

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4
Q

How can species ranges vary?

A

Through space and time

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5
Q

Why can one species increase and another decline?

A

Competition for resources

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6
Q

What are physiological tolerances?

A

Tolerances for certain abiotic factors

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7
Q

How can history explain patchiness?

A

Distribution related to contingent events in the past such as chance dispersal and evolution

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8
Q

Why are there more grey squirrels than red squirrels?

A

Grey ones carry a pathogen that they are resistant to but red squirrels aren’t

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9
Q

Why is biogeography important?

A

Species composition influences ecosystem function

We need to understand the response of organisms to environmental change

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10
Q

What do biogeographers look for?

A

Patterns in the biosphere and underlying casual mechanisms

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11
Q

How are floral and faunal realms categorized?

A

They are now separately defined

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12
Q

What is Wallace’s line?

A

A recognised boundary between biogeographic provences

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13
Q

Why can there be a blurred line?

A

Because of species identity

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14
Q

What is Weber’s line?

A

This is the boundary of faunal balance

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15
Q

What is a good example of chance dispersion?

A

Islands

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16
Q

What can cause spatial variation?

A

Competition

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17
Q

Define biomes?

A

Large-scale ecological units distinguished by similar biological communities and climates

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18
Q

What do biomes act as?

A

Arbitrary boundaries

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19
Q

What is similar and different in biomes?

A

Species identities are not the same but vegetation types are

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20
Q

Where is the highest species richness?

A

In equatorial regions

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21
Q

What is the trend for diversity?

A

It declines with increasing latitude

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22
Q

Why is there regional variation?

A

This is because of altitudinal gradients
Ecotones between vegetation types
Elevations vary with latitude and aspect

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23
Q

What can lead to less biodiversity?

A

Aridity

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24
Q

Why does biodiversity decline at higher latitudes?

A

Because temperatures decline

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25
Q

How can plants adapt to aridity?

A

By having extensive root systems

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26
Q

Why can there be small-scale patterns?

A

Landscape-scale variation
Micro-environmental factors
Ecological processes
Anthropogenic disturbance

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27
Q

Give an example of an ecological process?

A

Competitive exclusion

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28
Q

What is an issue with plants having extensive root systems?

A

They draw moisture away from a larger area and there is no biodiversity in these areas with no moisture

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29
Q

Which level of diversity has the smallest spatial scale?

A

Alpha

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30
Q

Which level of diversity has the most diversity?

A

Alpha

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31
Q

What are 4 temporal scales?

A

Geological
Evolutionary
Long-term ecological
Short-term ecological

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32
Q

Give an example of an influence in a geological timescale

A

Plate tectonics

33
Q

Give an example of an influence in an evolutionary time scale

A

Speciation

34
Q

Give an example of an influence in a long-term ecological time scale

A

Succession

35
Q

Give an example of an influence in a short-term ecological time scale

A

Seasonal changes

Species interactions

36
Q

What is the biome approach not driven by?

A

Taxonomy

37
Q

Where can similar types of vegetation be found?

A

In areas with certain types of climate

38
Q

Why is temporal scale important?

A

Ecosystems vary across a range of timescales

The most relevant process depends upon the scale of reference

39
Q

Give an example of a range shift

A

Migration

40
Q

What can occur as a result of seasonal change?

A

Changes in biomass/ relative abundance

Range shifts

41
Q

What type of organisms have faster evolutionary changes?

A

Organisms that have more offspring quickly will have faster evolutionary changes than those that reproduce slower

42
Q

What do seasons have an impact on?

A

Growth

43
Q

How long does succession occur?

A

Decadal-centennial change

44
Q

What are the 6 stages of succession?

A 
Nudation
Migration
Ecesis
Competition
Reaction 
Stabilisation
45
Q

Briefly explain succession

A

Facilitation-based
Holistic: community has clear developmental stages
Convergence towards the climatic climax

46
Q

Explain primary succession

A

Succession on terrain with no biological legacy
Natural and anthropogenic substrates
Predictable changes in key parameters

47
Q

Explain what happens at glacier bays

A

Primary succession on glacial forelands

Predictable changes in species composition and soil propoerties

48
Q

Explain secondary succession

A

Some organisms persist post-disturbance
Reforestation
Qualitatively different from primary succession

49
Q

What is another term for lakes?

A

Hydrsere

50
Q

Explain lake succession

A

Changes in vegetation type as lake is infilled

Allogenic succession

51
Q

What is meant by allogenic succession?

A

It is driven by abiotic compoments

52
Q

When did the quaternary begin?

A

2.6 Ma

53
Q

What are some changes that occurred in the quaternary?

A

Expansion/ contraction of ranges to track climate

Fluctuations in population size, as well as distribution

54
Q

What happened during glacial periods?

A

Temperate taxa ride out glacial periods in refugia

55
Q

What is refugia?

A

This is an area in which a population can survive in unfavourable conditions

56
Q

What happened post-glacial period?

A

Expansion

57
Q

Explain post glacial colonisation of the UK

A

Broad leaf species replace pioneer colonists and herbs

58
Q

What record provides evidence of post glaciation?

A

Pollen record

59
Q

Who are two founders of evolutionary theory?

A

Darwin and Wallace

60
Q

When do populations stop expanding?

A

When there is limited resources

61
Q

What does the number of descendants partly rely on?

A

Interactions between the characteristics of individuals and the environment (fitness)

62
Q

What can explain similarities in widely-separated locations?

A

Continental drifting

63
Q

Explain the link between the ratites and tectonics

A

Contemporary species descended from a common Gondwanan ancestor

64
Q

What is the equilibrium model of island biogeography?

A

Seminal work of ecological theory
Revolutionary in terms of mathematical treatment
Highly influential in conservation biology

65
Q

What is nudation?

A

A disturbance

66
Q

How predictable are primary processions?

A

Relatively predictable

67
Q

What is the empirical basis for the theory of island biogeography?

A

Species richness appears to be correlated with:

  • island area (big islands have more species)
  • distance from source area (remote islands have fewer species)
68
Q

What are the essential features of the island biogeography model?

A

Species richness determined by:
1- rate of immigration of new species
2- rate of extinction of existing species

69
Q

What does the theory of island biogeography say about the impact of size and distance to mainland?

A

Big, close islands have high equilibrium diversity

Small, far islands have low equilibrium diversity

70
Q

What are 3 advantages of the island biogeography theory?

A

Provides a general explanatory framework
Island habitats come in many forms
Same principle; predictive

71
Q

What are the 3 weaknesses of the theory of island biogeography?

A

No evolutionary/ historical dimension
Does not explicitly acknowledge habitat diversity
Single metric of diversity (richness)

72
Q

What happens as glaciers move?

A

More terrain is uncovered which can then be colonised

73
Q

What can large scale temperature variation lead to?

A

Species changes and sea level rise

74
Q

What does the quaternary record show?

A

How organisms responded to large scale climate change

75
Q

Why can species be forced south?

A

Because of glaciers and ice sheets (refugia)

76
Q

What can climatic change cause?

A

An abrupt transition in species

77
Q

What does the rate of immigration and extinction depend upon?

A

The species present

78
Q

What happens to the rate of immigration as the island fills up?

A

It decreases

79
Q

What happens to the rate of extinction as the island fills up?

A

It increases

GEO1005 (8 decks)

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