chapter 18 Flashcards
what is ecology
everything is related to something else, everything is going someplace, there is no such thing as a free lunch, nature knows best
what is a population
group of interbreeding individuals of the same species, living in the same geographic area
what is a community
two or more populations of different species, living in the same geographic area and interacting with one another
what is an ecosystem
a community of living organisms plus their non-living environment through which energy flows and minerals cycle
what is a biome
group of ecosystems with common patterns of climate and distinctive vegetation distributed over a wide area
what is the biosphere
all of the ecosystems of the world – the portion of the earth that supports life, including the atmosphere [air], hydrosphere [water] and lithosphere [land]
what are the two main climatic factors which determine the distribution of biomes
temperature and precipitation
which biome is characterized by permafrost
—tundra–
>arctic regions of North America & Eurasia
> long cold winters, summers only few weeks
> permafrost—permanently frozen subsoil; preventing water & plant roots
> lichens, mosses sedges, grasses, low growing shrubs
soil builds slowly
> food chains are simple and limited
in which biome is Memphis located
—-taiga—
[northern coniferous forest]
> summers cool, winters cold
> rainfall moderate, soil thin & nutrient-poor
> pine, spruce, fir plants
> squirrels, beaver, porcupine
what are the four most abundant tree species in west Tennessee
beech, maple, basswood, oak
which biome has the best agricultural land
—grassland—
[all continents except Antarctica; places where its too dry to support a forest but too wet to be a desert ]
> light rainfall; nutrients aren’t leached from soil; very fertile
> grasslands both tall and short
> antelope, prairie dog, coyote, badger, prairie chicken
which is the only major biome not found in North America
—tropical savanna—
[tropical grassland]
> only major biome not represented in north America
–warm regions with prolonged dry seasons and recurrent fires [Africa]
> grasses with few small scattered shrubs or trees
> hoofed grazed mammals; giraffe, antelope, wildebeest, zebra, and their predators lion and cheetah
which biome is the richest in species diversity
—–tropical rain forest—-
[equatorial central and south America, Africa and southeast Asia where rainfall and temperatures are high throughout the year]
> richest biome in species diversity
> rapid growth due to excellent growing conditions year-round[temperature, rainfall, light] also organic decomposition is rapid, minerals recycled quickly
> tall trees with slender tree trunks, branching near top forming dense canopy over thick understory of vines, ferns, orchids
> diverse animals and colorful; birds, amphibians, mammals, reptiles, insects
what is the effect on vegetation of increasing latitude and increasing altitude
going north from the equator to the pole or going from base to the top of a mountain—you would see similar changes in the vegetation which result from decreasing temperatures and decreasing amounts of available moisture
what are the zones in a lake
photic zone—>the upper zone where there is sufficient light for photosynthesis—plants produce more oxygen than they use so extra is available for respiration of other organisms
aphotic zone—>below the photic zone where there is not enough light for photosynthesis—where the available light is just enough for photosynthesis and respiration to balance each other
littoral zone—> the shallow, well-lighted water around the edge of the lake—here there are rooted aquatic plants such as water lilies, willows and rushes
limnetic zone–>well-lighted open surface of the lake — here there are floating plants, algae and animals such as fish, small arthropods and zooplankton
