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