Biogeography & Terrestrial Biomes Flashcards
LG 18
ecology
study of how organisms interact w/ each other & w/ their surrounding environment
- goal: understand distribution & abundance of orgs
population
group of INDIVIDUALS of SAME SPECIES living in same geographic area @ same time
community
all SPECIES that interact w/ each other in a certain area
ecosystem
all ORGANISMS living in a geographic area, together w/ abiotic components that affect or exchange materials w/ organisms
- community + physical environment
abiotic
not alive
- temp. important in determining range
(ie) water, air & some soil components
(ie) temp, rainfall, presence of mountain or ocean, continental drift
biosphere
thin zone surrounding world where all life exists
- sum of all terrestrial & acquatic ecosystems
conservation biology
effort to study, preserve & restore threatened genetic diversity, populations, communities & ecosystems
biogeography
study of how species & populations are distributed geographically
range
geographic distribution of species
- each org has specific range of tolerance of abiotic conditions
- determined by abiotic & biotic factors
- dynamic
biotic
living or produced by a living organism
(ie) interactions w/ otro orgs, competition & resource availability
dispersal
movement of individuals from their place of origin (birth, hatching) to a new location
Wallace line
(Indonesian region) line that demarcates areas
- each characterized by a distinct set of animal species
- DISPERSAL BARRIER
exotic species
nonnative species that is introduced into new area
(ie) often competitors, pathogens, or predators of native species
invasive species
exotic species that, upon introduction to new area, spreads rapidly & competes successfully w/ native species
climate
prevailing, long-term weather conditions in a particular region
- components: temp, moisture, sunlight & wind
weather
specific, short-term atmospheric conditions of temperature, moisture, sunlight & wind in certain area
Hadley cell
atmospheric cycle of large-scale
- circulation cells occur @ 0˚ to 30˚ N/S (wet) & 30˚ N/S to 60˚ N/S (dry)
- major cycle in global air circulation
rain shadow
dry region on side of a mountain range away from prevailing wind
specific heat (Cs)
measure (of capacity of) a substance to absorb energy
- amount of E required to raise the temp of 1 g of a substance by 1 degree C
biomes
large terrestrial or marine region characterized by distinct abiotic characteristics & dominant types of vegetation
net primary productivity (NPP)
(ecosystem) total amount of carbon fixed by photosynthesis over a given time period minus amount oxidized during cellular respiration
biomass
total mass of all organisms in a given population or geographical area
- usually expressed as total dry weight
aboveground biomass
total mass of living plants in an area, excluding roots
permafrost
permanently frozen layer of icy soil found in most tundra & some taiga
ecology primary goal
understand:
- distribution (why certain species live where they do)
- abundance (how many live there)
population ecology
study how # and distribution of individuals in a population changes over time
- longitudinal study
community ecology
question the nature of SPECI INTERACTION & consequences of interactions
5 levels of ecology
(1) organismal ecology
(2) population ecology
(3) community ecology
(4) ecosystem ecology
(5) global ecology
ecosystem ecology
study how nutrients & energy move among organisms and through the surround atmosphere, soil & water
- look at FOOD WEB
- abiotic
- extension of organismal, population & community ecology
organismal ecology
give an idea of how morphological, physiological & behavioral adaptations affect where an individual lives
- individual adaptations + population distribution
global ecology
quanitify effects of human impacts on biosphere
- young field, but growing rapidly
air characteristics
(1) dry warm air holds more moisture = no rain
(2) air rise = decrease ability to hold H20
why cold poles
(1) small sunlight per unit area
(2) cool air pushed toward poles
(3) no direct angle of sunlight hits surface
why warm tropics
(1) large sunlight per unit area
(2) more energy in heat
(3) direct angle of sunlight
season
regular, annual fluctuations in temp, precipitation or both
- due to Earth axis tilt @ 23.5˚
how mountain affect regional climate
mountain ranges = extreme precipitation
- winds ocean side of mountain = moisture-laden air from ocean
- moist air rise over mountain, cool air fall as rain shadow
- dry air = desert conditions
how oceans affect regional climate
oceans moderate temp. (of costal areas & islands)
- summer: high specific heat -> absorb more heat
- winter: ocean releases heat to atm -> H2O temp warmer than air temp (warmer near ocean)
rain shadow
side of mountain where cool air falls after passing over side w/ ocean
most important climate components for diversity
(1) temperature
(2) moisture
four components of climate
(1) temp
(2) moisture
(3) sunlight
(4) wind
how temp affects climate
affects moisture
- low T = H2O freeze
- high T = H2O evaporates
how moisture affects climate
H2O loss = constant (via evaporation & transpiration)
- to stay alive, reduce H2O loss & replace lost H2O
how sunlight affects climate
direct v. non-direct sunlight on atm
- affects seasons
how wind affects climate
(1) intensifies T & moisture
(2) increase heat loss via evaporation & convection
(3) increase H2O loss via evaporation & transpiration
(4) direct impact w/ flying orgs & plants
major biomes
(1) tropical wet forest
(2) subtropical desert
(3) temperate grasslands (prairies)
(4) temperate forests
(5) boreal forests (taiga)
(6) artic tundra
tropical wet forest
1 of 6 major biomes
- vegetation: evergreen & broad leaves
- plant productivity: year round growing, high productivity, species diversity, aboveground biomass
- misc: no season variation in temp, high levels of rainfall, equatorial regions
subtropical desert
1 of 6 major biomes
- vegetation: cacti, thick waxy coating
- plant productivity: extremely low avg. productivity
- misc: found @ 30˚ N/S, adapt to extreme temp & aridity (grow slowly but rapidly during rainfall)
temperate grasslands (prairies)
1 of 6 major biomes
- vegetation: grass dominate
- plant productivity: extremely dense plant life, extensive root systems, highly fertile (spring, summer & fall)
- misc: N. America & central Europe, too hot/dry to support forest
temperate forests
1 of 6 major biomes
- vegetation: needle-leaved evergreens
- plant productivity: deciduous species, lower productivity than TF, higher productivity than desert or grassland, moderate diversity
- misc: N. America & Europe, T no support photsythesis year-round, moderate T fluctuations (sometimes below 0)
boreal forests (taiga)
1 of 6 major biomes
- vegetation: cold-tolerant conifers (pines, spruce, firs & larch trees)
- plant productivity: low productivity, high aboveground biomass, low species diversity
- misc: tree layer & ground layer only, low precipitation, very cold winters, cool/short summers
artic tundra
1 of 6 major biomes
- vegetation: treeless
- plant productivity: low species diversity, productivity & aboveground biomass; insect abundance
- misc: N. Hemisphere, permafrost, very short growing season, T = below 0, extremely low precipitation
distribution
where the organisms live
(ie) range
abundance
number of individuals per unit area
(ie) population density
