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Ecology > Ch. 2 The Physical Environment > Flashcards

Ch. 2 The Physical Environment Flashcards

1
Q

Salmon are anadromous, which means..

A

They return to streams from the ocean to spawn in natal streams

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2
Q

Many threats to streams have decreased migrations, spawning and reproductive success of salmon..

A
  • damming
  • pollution
  • sedimentation
  • overfishing
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3
Q

The ___ ___ ultimately determines where organisms can live, and the resources that are available to them.

A

Physical environment

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4
Q

___ is the most fundamental characteristic of the physical environment.

A

Climate

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5
Q

Weather -

A

Current conditions: temperature, precipitation, humidity, cloud cover

Short-term

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6
Q

Climate -

A

Long-term description of weather, based on averages and variation measured over decades

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7
Q

Climatic variation includes..

A
  • daily and seasonal cycles

- large-scale cycles that occur over years or decades

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8
Q

Long-term climate change can be a result of..

A

Changes in the intensity and distribution of solar radiation and changes in overall energy balance

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9
Q

Current climate change is due to..

A

Significantly increased CO2 and other gases in the atmosphere due to human activities

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10
Q

Climate determines the ___ ___ of organisms.

A

Geographic distribution

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11
Q

Climate is characterized by average conditions, but extreme conditions are also important to organisms as they contribute to ___ and ___.

A

Stress and mortality

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12
Q

The physical environment must be characterized by its ___ ___ ___, as well as average conditions.

A

Variability over time

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13
Q

___ affects abiotic processes.

A

Climate.

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14
Q

The ___ is the ultimate source of energy that drives global climate.

A

Sun

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15
Q

An __ __ accounts for balance of gains and losses.

A

Energy budget

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16
Q

Energy is transferred by four pathways:

A

Conduction
Convection
Radiation
Evaporation

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17
Q

Conduction -

A

Kinetic energy transfer by molecules in direct contact with one another

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18
Q

Convection -

A

Energy transfer by movements of fluids

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19
Q

Radiation -

A

Energy transfer by electromagnetic radiation

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20
Q

Evaporation -

A

Heat loss from a surface by evaporation of water

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21
Q

Much of the solar radiation absorbed by earths surface is re-radiated back to the atmosphere as ___ ___.

A

Infrared radiation

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22
Q

Latent heat flux

A

Water at surface evaporates -> absorbs energy

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23
Q

____ includes evaporation and transpirational loss by plants.

A

Evapotranspiration

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24
Q

Sensible heat flux -

A

Energy transfer from warm air immediately above surface to cooler atmosphere by convection and conduction

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25
Atmosphere contains ___ ___ that absorb and reradiate infrared radiations emitted by earth.
Greenhouse gases
26
Greenhouse gases
Water vapor Carbon dioxide Methane Nitrous oxide
27
Natural ___ ___ is a very good thing for life on earth.
Greenhouse effect
28
Without greenhouse gases, earths climate would be about ___ cooler, near freezing.
33C
29
Winds and ocean currents result from differences in ___ ___ across the surface of earth.
Solar radiation
30
Uplift -
Warm air is less dense than cool air, and it rises
31
Subsidence -
- air descends when it cools and forms a high pressure zone at about 30 degrees N and S - major deserts of the world are at these latitudes
32
Equatorial uplift creates a large-scale, three-dimensional pattern of atmospheric circulation known as a ___ ___.
Hadley cell
33
___ ___ exist at mid-latitudes.
Ferrell cells
34
The ___ ___ occurs at north and south poles - high pressure zones with little precipitation - "polar deserts"
Polar cell
35
The three cells result in the three major climatic zones in each hemisphere:
Tropical Temperate Polar
36
Areas of high a low pressure created by circulation cells result in air movements called ___ ___.
Prevailing winds
37
Winds are deflected to the right in northern hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere due to the ___ ___.
Coriolis effect
38
Water has higher ___ ___ than land.
Heat capacity
39
Heat capacity -
Amount of energy required to raise a given quantity of matter a specific amount of temperature
40
Bermuda high
Helps steer hurricanes toward the north in the summer months
41
What is the Coriolis effect and how does it affect winds and currents?
Major ocean surface currents are driven by surface winds, modified by the coriolis effect
42
Downwelling -
Where warm tropical surface currents reach polar areas, the water cools, ice forms, the water becomes more saline and more dense and sinks
43
Upwelling -
Where deep ocean water rises to surface - occurs where prevailing winds blow parallel to coast - upwellings influence coastal climates and bring cold nutrient-rich waters to the surface
44
Upwellings bring nutrients from deep sediments to the ___ ___.
Photic zone
45
Photic zone -
Where light penetrates and phytoplankton proliferate
46
The "great ocean conveyer belt" -
An interconnected system of deep ocean currents that link pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans
47
Lapse rate -
Atmospheric temperature decreases with increasing elevation/altitude
48
Hadley, Ferrell, and polar circulation cells suggest that..
Precipitation should be highest in the tropical latitudes and in a band at about 60 degrees N and S; and lowest in zones around 30 degrees N and S.
49
Proximity to oceans, mountain ranges, and regional topography influence regional climate, which influences ___.
Vegetation
50
Vegetation in turn affects ___ ___.
Regional climate
51
Coastal areas have what type of climate?
Maritime climate
52
Areas in the center of large continents have ___ ___ -> much greater variation in daily and seasonal temperatures.
Continental climate
53
Orographic precipitation -
When an air mass meets a mountain range, it is forced upwards, cooling and releasing precipitation
54
Slope aspect -
Direction the slope faces
55
Rain shadow:
- north-south trending mountain ranges create rain shadow - slope facing prevailing winds receivers high precipitation, while leeward slope gets little precipitation - rain shadow effect influences vegetation
56
Albedo:
- capacity of land surface to reflect solar radiation - is influenced by vegetation type, soils, and topography Example: a coniferous forest has a darker color and lower albedo than bare soil or a dormant grassland
57
Evapotranspiration -
- sum of water loss through transpiration by plants and evaporation from soil - transfers energy and water into atmosphere, thereby affecting air temperature and moisture
58
Loss of alteration of vegetation can affect ___.
Climate
59
___ increases albedo of land surface, lowering absorption of solar radiation and resulting in less heating.
Deforestation
60
Seasonal and long-term climatic variation are associated with changes in the earths...
Position relative to the sun
61
Earth is tilted at an angle of ___ relative to the suns direct rays.
23.5 degrees
62
In the tropics, seasons are marked by changes in ___.
Precipitation
63
Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) -
Zone of maximum solar radiation and atmospheric uplift
64
Tampico -
Rainy season in northern hemisphere summer-fall
65
Vicosa -
Rainy season in Southern Hemisphere summer-fall
66
___ environments also experience seasonal changes in temperature.
Aquatic
67
Water is most dense at ___ degrees C.
4
68
Ice has a higher ___ than open water.
Albedo (reflectance)
69
Ocean and lakes can become stratified -
Warm surface water on top of colder, denser water results in layers that do not mix
70
Thermocline -
Zone of transition
71
In summer, stratification is most intense ->
Warm epilimnion lies over colder hypolimnion
72
In spring and fall ->
Complete mixing (turnover) occurs when water temperature and density become uniform with depth
73
North Atlantic oscillation -
Similar atmospheric pressure - ocean current oscillation that affects climate in Europe, northern Asia, and the eastern coast of North America
74
Pacific decadal oscillation and Atlantic multidecadal oscillation -
Affects climate in North Pacific and Atlantic, and in US in opposing directions Happened over millions of years
75
We are currently in an ___ period.
Interglacial
76
Milankovitch cycles -
- regular changes in shape of earths orbit and tilt of its axis relative to the sun - the intensity of solar radiation reaching earth changes, accentuating seasonal variation and resulting in climatic change
77
___, ___, and ___ concentrations are major determinants of the chemical environment.
Salinity, acidity, and oxygen
78
Salinity -
Concentration of dissolved salts in water
79
Salinization -
Soils in arid regions become saline when water is brought to the surface by plant roots or irrigation
80
Acidity -
Ability of a solution to act as an acid
81
Alkalinity -
Ability of a solution to act as a base
82
Except for some archaea, bacteria, fungi, most organisms require ___ for their metabolic processes.
Oxygen
83
Research on salmon production led to the discovery of the ___ ___ ___.
Pacific decadal oscillation
84
Two aspects of the PDO are particularly significant in the context of ecology:
- Relationship between climate, the functioning of organisms and their growth and reproduction, and population and community processes - time scale of the PDO is long
85
Disturbance -
An event that detrimentally affects some species populations

Ecology (12 decks)

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