Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Bio Final Will > Biosphere/Ecology/Conservation Biology > Flashcards

Biosphere/Ecology/Conservation Biology Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

define ecology

A

The study of organism interactions with others and environment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What do biotic and abiotic factors determine in a population?

A
  1. Distribution of species
  2. Abundance and diversity of organisms
  3. Evolutionary processes
  4. Movement of energy and materials in ecosystems
  5. Successional development of ecosystems
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is a community?

A

A group of populations in an area

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

A community of organisms in an area and the physical factors that interact with them

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is a landscape?

A

a mosaic of connected ecosystems

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the biosphere?

A

sum of all planets ecosystems and landscapes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is organismal ecology?

A

How organism structure/behavior responds to environmental changes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is community ecology?

A

How interactions between species affect community structure and organization.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is population ecology?

A

How biotic and abiotic factors affect population sizes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is ecosystem ecology?

A

How energy and chemicals cycle through organisms/environment.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is landscape ecology?

A

What factors control these cycles of chemicals and energy.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is global ecology?

A

How the regional exchange of chemicals/energy affects organisms across the biosphere.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What are the 4 determinants of climate?

A

Temperature, precipitation, light, wind

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Why is climate important to consider for evolution?

A

It was the first cause of organism distribution on earth.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is a biome?

A

It is a major ecosystem type

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

How do we classify biomes?

A

By predominant vegetation (terrestrial), the physical environment (aquatic), and adaptations of organisms to that environment.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What do biomes differ in?

A

Average temperature and precipitation, seasonal variations, and soil nutrient composotion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What do we call a lake that doesn’t mix the top and bottom like Pink lake?

A

A meromictic lake

19
Q

What prevents a meromictic lake from mixing? (give the name and describe the phenomenon)

A

Thermoclines are when the vertical temperature gradients prevent mixing.

20
Q

What is the name of a lake where the top and bottom layers mix in the spring? What is this movement of water called?

A

holomictic lakes turnover in the spring

21
Q

Why do species occur in different areas? (3)

A

Evolutionary history, biotic factors, abiotic factors

22
Q

Why did cichlids diversify in Africa?

A

to ecologically speciate to deep or shallow lakes

23
Q

What is species richness?

A

The number of species in a biological community

24
Q

Why would there be an increase in species richness in an area?

A

More speciation or less extinction

25
Q

What 3 theories based on evolutionary history can explain the pattern of species richness across the globe?

A

During ice ages, temperate areas were vulnerable to glaciations, therefore:
1. Tropical areas receive much more energy from sunlight (longer growing season)
2. There are fewer seasonal changes, and therefore more niches and less competition.
3. Tropical communities are older and stay undisturbed for longer due to the lack of ice age glaciations

26
Q

What are the two types of species according to their resource usage? Describe them

A
  1. A generalist is when a species thrives in a wide variety of conditions. Eg. switching food types when presented with lack of one food type.
  2. A specialist is a species that thrives under a narrow range of conditions eg. an animal that only eats one thing.
27
Q

How can we describe the performance of species as their resource abundance goes up?

A

Both generalist and specialist species reach a theoretical maximum at some point, with the specialization one being higher than the generalist one, however the generalist one is less low farther away from the maximum.

28
Q

Why do actual resource abundance curves differ from potential abundance curves?

A

Actual abundance curves are lower because of biological interactions

29
Q

What is dispersal of populations?

A

The movement away from origin centers or areas of high population density.

30
Q

What animal is an example of distribution? How can we describe its realized distribution vs its potential suitable range?

A

The wood turtle expanded its range after glaciers retreated, however new urban areas made it so that the realized distribution area is smaller than its potential suitable range.

31
Q

What are the 6 ways a species can respond to climate change?

A
  1. Its natural range is limited by physiological factors and it cannot migrate
  2. The natural range is shifted north
  3. There is a shrinkage in the natural range due to limited number of habitats in the north and southern limit moving up.
  4. Dispersal barriers like landscape prevent the colonization of potentially suitable habitats
  5. Limited dispersal abilities prevent keeping up with rapidly changing conditions
  6. Adaptation happens to the new range and the population expands into this new range.
32
Q

What do species interaction affect in a population?

A

survival, reproduction, population sizes, evolutionary changes

33
Q

What is a niche

A

The abiotic and biotic factors used by a species

34
Q

What is competition?

A

Two individuals of different species compete for the same resource

35
Q

How can we describe the effect of competition on niches?

A

The realized niche is always smaller than the fundamental niche.

36
Q

What is competitive exclusion?

A

It is when populations compete for the same resource, and the one that uses it more efficiently effectively wipes out the other population.

37
Q

What is resource partitioning?

A

The differentiation of ecological niches that decreases competition.

38
Q

Can ecological interactions drive evolutionary change?

A

Yes! An example is Darwin’s finches!

39
Q

How would we describe large beaked birds vs small beaked birds after a drought event that only leaves tough shelled seeds to eat?

A

The large beaked birds have a higher relative survival.

40
Q

What are the two ways a population of an intermediate trophic level could be controlled?

A

Bottom up (dependence on food available in lower levels)
Top down (dependence on predation)

41
Q

What is a keystone species?

A

A species that has a large influence on species richness.

42
Q

What is commensalism?

A

One individual from a species that gains benefit from an individual of another species that is not positively or negatively impacted by the relationship.

43
Q

Give a rough example of commensalism.

A

Whales and barnacles

Bio Final Will (5 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions