ch. 52 Flashcards
ecology
scientific study of interactions between organisms and the living/nonliving components of their environment
levels of organization
- organisms
- populations
- communities
- ecosystems
- biomes
- biosphere
organismal ecology
studies how an organism’s structure, physiology, and behavior meet environmental challenges
what does organismal ecology include
physiological and behavioral ecology
population ecology
focuses on factors affecting population size over time
population
group of individuals of the same species living in an area
community ecology
examines effect of interspecific interactions of community structure and organization
community
group of populations of different species in an area
ecosystem ecology
emphasizes energy flow and chemical cycling between organisms and the environment
ecosystem
entire community of organisms in an area and the physical factors with which they interact
landscape (or seascape)
mosaic of connected ecosystems
landscape ecology
focuses on exchanges of energy, materials, and organisms across multiple ecosystems
biosphere
global ecosystem, sum of all the planet’s ecosystems and landscapes
global ecology
examines influence of energy and materials on organisms across the biosphere
what constitutes a climate
long-term prevailing weather conditions in an area
what does climate consist of
- temperature
- precipitation
- sunlight
- wind
what are global climate patterns determined by
solar energy and earth’s movement in space
what does the warming effect of the sun establish
- temperature variations
- circulation of air and water
- evaporation of water
what causes latitudinal variations in climate
warming effects of sun
what affects sunlight intensity
angle at which sunlight hits earth
intensity
amount of heat and light per unit of surface area
where is the intensity of sunlight the strongest
in the tropics - strikes earth most directly
wet air masses circulation and tropics
- water evaporates in tropics, and warm/wet air masses flow from tropics to poles
- rising air masses release water and cause high precipitation
what do dry air masses create
arid climates
what creates predictable global wind patterns
air flowing close to earth’s surface
where do cooling trade winds blow
from east to west in the tropics
where do prevailing westerlies blow
from west to east in temperate zones
what seasonal variations increase steadily toward the poles
- day length
- solar radiation
- temperature increase
what is seasonality at high latitudes caused by
- tilt of earth’s axis of rotation
- annual passage around the sun
what do regions at 20 N and 20 S latitudes have
wet and dry seasons due to the changing angle of the sun
what are ocean currents altered by
seasonal changes in wind patterns
what do altered ocean currents cause
upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water from deep ocean layers
- stimulates population growth of phytoplankton and organisms that feed on them
what do ocean currents influence
the climate of nearby terrestrial environments
how do large bodies of water moderate the climate of nearby land
- day: air rises over warm land and draws a breeze from the cooler water
- night: air rises over warmer water and draws cooler air from land back over water, which is replaced by warm air from offshore
how do mountains influence air flow over land and affect climate
- warm air cools as it rises up a mountain and releases moisture on the windward side
- cool, dry air absorbs moisture from the land as it descends and creates a “rain shadow” on the leeward side
what is the temperature drop for each 1,000 m increase
6 degrees celsius
microclimate
very fine, localized patterns in climate