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Bio 160 > Chapter 2 - The Physical Environment > Flashcards

Chapter 2 - The Physical Environment Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

relating to fish that migrates back to the river to spawn. Salmon have a life cycle of starting in rivers, growing up traveling to the sea, then coming back to the river to spawn again.

A

Anadromous

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2
Q

Suggested by Steven Hare and Robert Francis to explain the declining salmon population

A

Suggested that changes in the environment of habitat (where salmon spawn) could be contributing to the population decrease

Hypothesized that shift in salmon production were associated with long-term climate variation in the North Pacific

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3
Q

Suggestion by Nathan Mantua & Colleagues to explain the salmon decline

A

Noted that when fishing was poor in Washington and Oregon, it was good in Alaska

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4
Q

Ultimate determinant of where organisms can live, the resources available to them, and the rate at which their population can grow

Understanding of this is the key to understand all the ecological phenomena

A

Physical Environment

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5
Q

long-term trends in temperature, wind, and precipitation

A

Climate

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6
Q

Drives climate system and biological energy production

A

Radiation

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7
Q

Influences the availability of critical resources: water & nutrients

A

Soil

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8
Q

Current temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind, and cloud cover

A

Weather

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9
Q

Long-term description of weather at a given location, based on averages, and variation measured over decades

A

Climate

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10
Q

Includes daily, and seasonal cycles associated with changes in solar radiation as Earth rotates and revolves

Changes over years or decades

A

Climate Variation

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11
Q

Climate Variation occurs as a result of

A

changes in the intensity, and distribution of solar radiation reaching the Earth’s surface, and changes in the overall energy balance

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12
Q

Determines the rates of biochemical reactions, and physiological activity for all organisms

A

Temperature

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13
Q

Supplies water that is an essential resource for terrestrial organisms
Where freshwater organisms depend on

A

Precipitation

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14
Q

Where marine organisms depend on
Influence the temperature, and chemistry of waters they live in

A

Ocean Currents

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15
Q

Usually used to characterize climate or physical environment at a given location

A

Average Conditions

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16
Q

Why can’t average conditions characterize geographic distributions?

A

because it is influenced by extreme conditions more than average conditions

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17
Q

Driven by energy that is derived from solar radiation

A

Global Climate System

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18
Q

Heat loss due to evaporation

A

Latent Heat Flux

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19
Q

How many watts of solar radiation per square meter each year is received by the top of earth’s atmosphere?

A

342 watts, 1/3 reflected back out by atmosphere, 1/5 absorbed by ozone

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20
Q

When energy is transferred through exchange of kinetic energy by molecules in direct contact with each other

A

Conduction

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21
Q

Transfer of energy via wind and water

A

Convection

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22
Q

Energy transfer from the warm air immediately above the Earth’s surface to the cooler atmosphere by both convection and conduction

A

Sensible Heat Flux

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23
Q

Several gases contained in the atmosphere that absorb, and reradiate infrared radiation

A

Greenhouse gasses

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24
Q

Force exerted by molecules of air on the air, and surface below it

A

Atmospheric Pressure

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25
Q

Steps of Storm Formation

A

Uplift of air → formation of bands of low atmospheric pressure relative to zones to the north and south → flows toward the poles when it reaches troposphere, and stratosphere → cools (exchange heat with surrounding air) → reaches the same temperature as the surrounding air → descends to the surface via subsidence

26
Q

Large-scale pattern of atmospheric circulation created by the tropical uplift of air

A

Hadley cell

Named after George Hadley

27
Q

Creates regions of high atmospheric pressure, which inhibit cloud formation
Where majority of deserts are found

A

Subsidence

28
Q

Large-scale pattern of atmospheric circulation near the poles

A

Polar cell

29
Q

Exists at mid-latitudes between Hadley and Polar Cells

A

Ferrell Cell
Named after William Ferrell

30
Q

These cells establish the major climate zones on Earth which are:

A

Tropical zone - between 30° N and S
Temperate zone - between 30° and 60° N and S
Polar zone - above 60° N and S

31
Q

Ferrell Cells are driven by?

A

Driven by:
Movement of the polar and hadley cells

Exchange of energy between tropical and polar air masses in region called polar front

32
Q

Deflection associated with earth’s rotation resulting into surface winds blowing toward the equator from high-pressure zones at tropic zone are deflected to the west

A

Coriolis Effect

33
Q

above 75-200m; warmer and less saline = less dense

A

Surface Water

34
Q

Zones where deep ocean currents connect with surface currents again, where deep ocean water rise to the surface

Occurs when prevailing winds blow nearly parallel to a coastline

Occurs in westward-flowing equatorial Pacific Ocean

A

Upwelling

35
Q

Layer of surface water where there is enough light to support photosynthesis

A

Photic Zone

36
Q

large system of interconnected surface and deep ocean currents linking the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans

A

Great ocean conveyor belt

37
Q

decrease in temp. with increase in height in elevation above sea level

A

Lapse Rate

38
Q

Climate with little variation in daily and seasonal temperatures; higher humidity; on coastal regions

A

Maritime Climate

39
Q

Climate with greater variation in daily and seasonal temperatures; on continental land masses

A

Continental Climate

40
Q

Slopes facing into the prevailing winds

A

Windward Slopes

41
Q

Slopes facing away from the prevailing winds

A

Leeward Slopes

42
Q

Results in lower precipitation and soil moisture in leeward slopes

A

Rain-shadow effect

43
Q

The amount of solar radiation that a surface reflects and is influenced by: type of vegetation, soil, topography

A

Albedo

44
Q

Sum of water loss by transpiration and by evaporation

A

Evapotranspiration

45
Q

Earth closest to the sun
Earth farthest from the sun

A

Perihelion and Aphelion respectively

46
Q

Layering of water in oceans and lakes

A

Stratification

47
Q

Areas in the ocean where cold, nutrient-rich waters from deeper
layers rise to the surface.

○Occurs due to movement of surface currents away from coastline
○ Allows deeper, cold water to rise and replace the displaces surface water
○ Driven by a combination of wind patterns and Coriolis effect (Earth’s rotation)
○ Upwelling = ↓ temperature

A

Upwelling Zones

48
Q

surface layer = warmest and supports active population of
phytoplankton and zooplankton

A

Epilimnion

49
Q

zone of rapid temperature decline found below the surface layer; separates epilimnion from hypolimnion

A

Thermocline

50
Q

stable layer of the densest and coldest water

A

Hypolimnion

51
Q

Mixing of the surface and deep layers of lake

A

Turnover

52
Q

warming of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean

A

El Nino

53
Q

cooling of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean

A

La Nina

54
Q

An oscillation in atmospheric pressures and ocean currents in the North Atlantic Ocean that affects climatic variation in Europe, in northern Asia, and on the east coast of North America.

A

North Atlantic Oscillation

55
Q

A long-term oscillation in sea surface temperatures and atmospheric pressures in the North Pacific Ocean that has widespread climatic effects.

A

Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)

56
Q

periods during the Earth’s history when glaciers and ice sheets reached their maximum extent or coverage

A

Glacial Maxima

57
Q

refer to warmer intervals or phases between the glacial maxima when glaciers and ice sheets retreat or melt

A

Interglacial Period

58
Q

cause of the regularity of glacial and interglacial cycles

A

Milankovitch cycles

59
Q

refers to the concentration of dissolved salts in water

A

Salinity

60
Q

A process by which high rates of evapotranspiration in arid regions result in a progressive buildup of salts at the soil surface.

A

Salinization

Bio 160 (3 decks)

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