chapter 34 Flashcards
ecology
the scientific study of the interactions b/t organisms and their environment (ex: re-cockaded woodpecker and forest habitat it depends on)
population
all the individuals of a single species in an area (emphasis on the area)
levels of study
- population
- community
- ecosystem
- biosphere
community
all the living organisms (populations) living close enough for potential
- revolves around who eats what
- includes plants, animals, fungi, and other living organisms
ecosystem
all the living (community) and nonliving (abiotic) factors in an area
abiotic factors
all the nonliving factors (solar energy, water, temperature, soil, wind, periodic disturbances)
biosphere
the earth (literally means the “sphere of life”)
- more specifically - a thing layer of life on the surface of the earth
- approximately 30,000 feet above sea level (mt everest) to about 36,000 feet below sea level (deepest trench in the pacific ocean)
- about 12.5 miles total
biotic factors
all the living organsims (animals, plants, fungi, protists, bacteria, and archea
solar energy
power nearly all surface terrestrial (land) and shallow water ecosystems
-the more sunlight, the more photosynthesis can take place, creating food (bottom of the food web) for other organisms
water
amount of rain; water in oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, etc
temperature
organisms live within a limited range of temperatures
-extremes = below 32F is too cold for most organisms, above 122F is too hot for most organisms because enzymes are destroyed (proteins)
soil
what nutrients are available in the soil; how well does it retain water
wind
pollination, seed dispersal, water loss, wind chill
periodic disturbances
fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanoes
importance of abiotic factors
important in detmining what plants and animals can live in an area
- ex: organisms need energy and water to survive and flourish
- more sunlight and water available, the more plants can live in an area,
- more plants = more animals that can live an area
global climate patterns: solar energy
solar energy is the driving force for Earth’s climates
- it has a great effect on temperature, rain, and wind on the earth
- this is caused by the uneven heating of the earth surface because of the earth’s curvature
distribution of sunlight
- equator gets the most direct sunlight
- latitudes north and south of the equator get more indirect sunlight (lower angle, light spread out more)
air circulation
uneven heating of earth’s surfaces effects both the amount of rain and wind
- warm air rises and absorbs/picks up moisture
- cool air loses moisture, which condenses into rain and falls; cool air falls back to earth’s surfaces
global climate patterns
- sunlight
- air circulation
- ocean circulation
process of air circulation
- direct solar energy near the equator heats up the surfaces and the air (air rises and absorbs moisture)
- then, as the warm air ascends higher in the atmosphere, where the air is much cooler (moist air cools, clouds form, and rain fall back down)
…….. see slide 21
ocean circulation
Atlantic ocean currents
effects of global climate patterns
- tropics are generally b/t 23.5degrees N and S of the equator (abundant sunlight, heat, and rainfall)
- temperate zones are generally b/t 25 to 60degrees N and S of the equator (moderate sunlight, heat and rainfall, Dayton)
- deserts tend to be near 30degrees N and S of the equator (abundant sunlight but little rainfall)
what causes seasons?
- the earth’s tilt on its axis, in relation to the sun, causes the season in the northern and southern hemispheres
- we are tilted toward the sun in the summer and away from the sun in the winter
- tropics experience the least seasonal variation in solar energy
tilt of earth
23.5 degrees
Angle of sun and seasons
The higher the angle of the Sun the more intense the sunlight
Ex. a = summer – Sun at a higher angle, the light is more intense
Ex. b = winter – Sun at a lower angle, light is spread out over a larger surface
analemma
the figure-8 curve you get when you mark the position of the Sun each day at the same time throughout the year - Shows the angle of the Sun
biomes
- tropical rainforest
- savannas
- deserts
- temperate deciduous forests
- temperate grasslands
- coniferous forests
- tundra
tropical rainforest
- sunlight is abundant (12 hours a day, lots of photosynthesis)
- rain is abundant (100-180+ inches/year)
- temperature is warm year around
- biodiversity is high
savannas
- sunlight abundant
- rain (40-60 inches/ year); season (wet/dry seasons)
- dominated by grasslands and scattered trees because there is not enough water to support many trees and there are frequent fires and grazing animals that inhibit further invasion of trees
- temperature is warm to hot year around
- biodiversity is moderate (migrations)
deserts
- sunlight is abundant
- rain (less than 10 in/year)
- temperature: hot days and cool nights (plants and animals have to adapt to heat, cold, and little water
- biodiversity is low
temperate deciduous forests
- sunlight is moderate
- rain is moderate and spread out throughout the year (enough rain to support large trees and forests)
- temperature: seasonal with hot summers and cold winters
- biodiversity: moderate
temperate grasslands
- sunlight is moderate
- rain: seasonal; wet and dry seasons (grasslands with trees only along rivers and streams)
- temperature: season, hot summers/cold winters
- biodiversity: moderate
coniferous forests
- sunlight is moderate
- rain is moderate
- temperature: cold winters
- biodiversity - low to moderate
- cone-bearing trees with needles for photosynthesis rather than leaves; can also be found at higher elevation in other biomes
tundra
- sunlight is low
- rain is low, mostly snow
- temperature is warm to very cold (brief, warm summers; permafrost = coninuously frozen subsoil; vegatation close to the ground due to high winds)
- low biodiversity
Aquatic and marine biomes
-
aquatic
freshwater (rivers, streams, lakes)
marine
seawater (seas and oceans)
photic zone
the region into which sunlight penetrates (where photosynthesis occurs)
aphotic zone
the region beneath the photic zone (not enough sunlight penetrates for photosynthesis)
intertidal zone
where the ocean meets the land (area b/t high and low tide)
ex: beaches
continental shelf
the relatively shallow areas by the continents (ocean plants and may fish live here)
benthic realm
the seafloor or lake bottom (also the bottoms of rivers and streams)
phytoplankton
diverse algae and cyanobacteria that drift passively, primarily in the photic zone (do photosynthesis and release oxygen; producers who are at the bottom of the aquatic/marine food chain)
Zooplankton
microscopic animals that drift, feeding on the phytoplankton in the photic zone (they in turn are eaten by fish and other animals)
detritivores
found in the benthic realm, decomposing the organic matter that settles there
coral reefs
found in the tropics, are the most productive marine biomes (corals are living organisms; enjoy looking at them, but do not walk on them)
