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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
Q

Atmosphere contains ___ ___ that absorb and reradiate infrared radiations emitted by earth.

A

Greenhouse gases

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26
Q

Greenhouse gases

A

Water vapor
Carbon dioxide
Methane
Nitrous oxide

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27
Q

Natural ___ ___ is a very good thing for life on earth.

A

Greenhouse effect

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28
Q

Without greenhouse gases, earths climate would be about ___ cooler, near freezing.

A

33C

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29
Q

Winds and ocean currents result from differences in ___ ___ across the surface of earth.

A

Solar radiation

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30
Q

Uplift -

A

Warm air is less dense than cool air, and it rises

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31
Q

Subsidence -

A
  • 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
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32
Q

Equatorial uplift creates a large-scale, three-dimensional pattern of atmospheric circulation known as a ___ ___.

A

Hadley cell

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33
Q

___ ___ exist at mid-latitudes.

A

Ferrell cells

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34
Q

The ___ ___ occurs at north and south poles - high pressure zones with little precipitation - “polar deserts”

A

Polar cell

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35
Q

The three cells result in the three major climatic zones in each hemisphere:

A

Tropical
Temperate
Polar

36
Q

Areas of high a low pressure created by circulation cells result in air movements called ___ ___.

A

Prevailing winds

37
Q

Winds are deflected to the right in northern hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere due to the ___ ___.

A

Coriolis effect

38
Q

Water has higher ___ ___ than land.

A

Heat capacity

39
Q

Heat capacity -

A

Amount of energy required to raise a given quantity of matter a specific amount of temperature

40
Q

Bermuda high

A

Helps steer hurricanes toward the north in the summer months

41
Q

What is the Coriolis effect and how does it affect winds and currents?

A

Major ocean surface currents are driven by surface winds, modified by the coriolis effect

42
Q

Downwelling -

A

Where warm tropical surface currents reach polar areas, the water cools, ice forms, the water becomes more saline and more dense and sinks

43
Q

Upwelling -

A

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
Q

Upwellings bring nutrients from deep sediments to the ___ ___.

A

Photic zone

45
Q

Photic zone -

A

Where light penetrates and phytoplankton proliferate

46
Q

The “great ocean conveyer belt” -

A

An interconnected system of deep ocean currents that link pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans

47
Q

Lapse rate -

A

Atmospheric temperature decreases with increasing elevation/altitude

48
Q

Hadley, Ferrell, and polar circulation cells suggest that..

A

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
Q

Proximity to oceans, mountain ranges, and regional topography influence regional climate, which influences ___.

A

Vegetation

50
Q

Vegetation in turn affects ___ ___.

A

Regional climate

51
Q

Coastal areas have what type of climate?

A

Maritime climate

52
Q

Areas in the center of large continents have ___ ___ -> much greater variation in daily and seasonal temperatures.

A

Continental climate

53
Q

Orographic precipitation -

A

When an air mass meets a mountain range, it is forced upwards, cooling and releasing precipitation

54
Q

Slope aspect -

A

Direction the slope faces

55
Q

Rain shadow:

A
  • 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
Q

Albedo:

A
  • 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
Q

Evapotranspiration -

A
  • 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
Q

Loss of alteration of vegetation can affect ___.

A

Climate

59
Q

___ increases albedo of land surface, lowering absorption of solar radiation and resulting in less heating.

A

Deforestation

60
Q

Seasonal and long-term climatic variation are associated with changes in the earths…

A

Position relative to the sun

61
Q

Earth is tilted at an angle of ___ relative to the suns direct rays.

A

23.5 degrees

62
Q

In the tropics, seasons are marked by changes in ___.

A

Precipitation

63
Q

Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) -

A

Zone of maximum solar radiation and atmospheric uplift

64
Q

Tampico -

A

Rainy season in northern hemisphere summer-fall

65
Q

Vicosa -

A

Rainy season in Southern Hemisphere summer-fall

66
Q

___ environments also experience seasonal changes in temperature.

A

Aquatic

67
Q

Water is most dense at ___ degrees C.

A

4

68
Q

Ice has a higher ___ than open water.

A

Albedo (reflectance)

69
Q

Ocean and lakes can become stratified -

A

Warm surface water on top of colder, denser water results in layers that do not mix

70
Q

Thermocline -

A

Zone of transition

71
Q

In summer, stratification is most intense ->

A

Warm epilimnion lies over colder hypolimnion

72
Q

In spring and fall ->

A

Complete mixing (turnover) occurs when water temperature and density become uniform with depth

73
Q

North Atlantic oscillation -

A

Similar atmospheric pressure - ocean current oscillation that affects climate in Europe, northern Asia, and the eastern coast of North America

74
Q

Pacific decadal oscillation and Atlantic multidecadal oscillation -

A

Affects climate in North Pacific and Atlantic, and in US in opposing directions

Happened over millions of years

75
Q

We are currently in an ___ period.

A

Interglacial

76
Q

Milankovitch cycles -

A
  • 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
Q

___, ___, and ___ concentrations are major determinants of the chemical environment.

A

Salinity, acidity, and oxygen

78
Q

Salinity -

A

Concentration of dissolved salts in water

79
Q

Salinization -

A

Soils in arid regions become saline when water is brought to the surface by plant roots or irrigation

80
Q

Acidity -

A

Ability of a solution to act as an acid

81
Q

Alkalinity -

A

Ability of a solution to act as a base

82
Q

Except for some archaea, bacteria, fungi, most organisms require ___ for their metabolic processes.

A

Oxygen

83
Q

Research on salmon production led to the discovery of the ___ ___ ___.

A

Pacific decadal oscillation

84
Q

Two aspects of the PDO are particularly significant in the context of ecology:

A
  • 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
Q

Disturbance -

A

An event that detrimentally affects some species populations

Ecology (12 decks)

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