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Chapter 35 - The Biosphere Flashcards

1
Q

What is ecology?

A

The study of the interactions of organisms with their living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) environment.

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2
Q

What are biotic factors?

A

All organisms within the area of study. Biotic factors are living.

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3
Q

What are abiotic factors?

A

The non-living environment.
i.e. type of rock, nutrient availability, water, temperature, sunlight etc.

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4
Q

What is a habitat?

A

The environment in which an organism lives, including biotic and abiotic factors present in their surroundings.

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5
Q

What is an organism?

A

An individual living thing – bacterium, fungus, protist, plant, or animal.

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6
Q

What is a population?

A

A group of individuals of the same species living within a particular geographic area.

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7
Q

What is an ecological community?

A

All the populations living in close enough proximity for interaction. It includes ALL of the biotic factors within the environment.

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8
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

All the organisms in a given area and the abiotic factors that they interact with.

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9
Q

What is a landscape?

A

An array of ecosystems taken together. This perspective emphasizes the absence of defined ecosystem boundaries.

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10
Q

What is the biosphere?

A

The entirety of life on the planet. The sum of Earth’s ecosystems.

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11
Q

What is the order of ecological study from least to most inclusive?

A

Organism, population, community, ecosystem, landscape, biosphere.

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12
Q

What is the ultimate energy source for our planet? What is another less common energy source?

A

The Sun (photosynthesis).
Some organisms in deep ocean vents or dark caves derive energy from chemical sources (chemosynthesis).

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13
Q

What are the three most important abiotic factors?

A

Temperature, water, inorganic nutrients.

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14
Q

What are some abiotic factors that are specific to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems?

A

Aquatic: dissolved oxygen, salinity and pH
Terrestrial: wind and fire.

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15
Q

Why is it colder at the poles than the equator?

A

The Earth is curved. The Sun’s energy strikes the poles at a much lower angle which spreads the energy over a larger area. At the equator the Sun strikes more directly so it’s hotter.

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16
Q

What causes our seasons?

A

The tilt of the Earth’s axis which causes different hemispheres to face the sun more directly at different times of year.

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17
Q

What is the primary driver of our oceanic and atmospheric air currents?

A

The difference in intensity of solar radiation and heating between the equator and the poles. Temperature differences.

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18
Q

What are prevailing winds and what causes them?

A

The dominant wind in an area. The combined effect of rising and falling air masses, combined with the Earth’s rotation.

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19
Q

What are ocean current and what causes them?

A

River-like flow patterns within the ocean.
Prevailing winds, the planet’s rotation, unequal heating of surface waters and the locations and shapes of the continents.

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20
Q

How much does temperature change for every 1000 m increase in elevation?

A

Air temperature is reduced by about 6°C for every 1000 m increase in elevation.

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21
Q

Can cool air hold more or less moisture than warm air?

A

Cool air can hold less moisture.

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22
Q

How does the presence of mountains affect precipitation patterns on the windward and leeward sides of the mountain?

A

Air is pushed up by mountains, it cools and rains on the windward side. The air is now dry as it goes over the mountain so it cannot rain on the leeward side (a “rain shadow”).

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23
Q

In Canada where do most of our weather systems come from and what are they affected by?

A

Most come from the west and are influenced by the Pacific Ocean and air passing over the Rockies.

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24
Q

What is a biome?

A

An expansive geographic area of land or water with similar climatic conditions and ecological associations.

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25
What are terrestrial biomes characterized by? What about aquatic biomes?
Terrestrial biomes are characterized by **temperature and precipitation**. Aquatic biomes are defined more by **salinity and water temperature**.
26
What is the pelagic zone? How is it divided in to categories?
The open water zone in aquatic environments. Divided into different categories depending on light availability.
27
What is the photic zone?
In marine and freshwater ecosystems, the depth at which there is enough light for photosynthesis.
28
What is the aphonic zone?
The area below the photic zone including the "twilight" zone where there is still some light available and areas with no light.
29
In aquatic environments, at depths greater than ______m there is no light at all.
1000m
30
What is the benthic zone?
The bottom sediments in marine and freshwater ecosystems. Near shore, these are in the photic zone and full of life.
31
What is the most diverse marine habitat/biome? How do they grow?
Coral reefs. A reef is built up over time by successive generations of coral animals.
32
What is the intertidal zone?
Where the marine environment meets the land. Full of water during high tide and empty during low tide.
33
What is an estuary?
Where a freshwater stream meets the ocean, so the salinity ranges from fresh to salt water. Nutrient rich and some of the most productive biomes.
34
What are wetlands?
A transitional biome between an aquatic ecosystem (marine or freshwater) and a terrestrial one (i.e. marshes, swamps or bogs). May be permanently or temporarily covered in water.
35
What are mudflats and salt marshes?
Coastal wetlands that often border estuaries.
36
Freshwater biomes cover less than ___% of the Earth’s surface, contain only ___% of its water but contain about ___% of all described species.
Freshwater biomes cover less than **1%** of the Earth’s surface, contain only **0.01%** of its water but contain about **6%** of all described species.
37
Lakes, ponds and the ocean all have _________ and ___________ organisms.
Pelagic (within the water column) and benthic (on the bottom) organisms.
38
Why do lakes stratify in the summer?
Layers are formed by temperature and density differences. Warmer, less dense water on the surface; colder, more dense water at the bottom. Lake size and shape are also a factor.
39
At what temperature is water most dense?
4 degrees Celsius.
40
What are the top and bottom layers of a stratified lake called? What is the layer in between called?
The less dense surface water is the **epilimnion**. The more dense (4°C) water below is the **hypolimnion**. A **thermocline** is a zone of rapid temperature change in between.
41
Is the epilimnion always less dense than the hypolimnion? Is it always warmer than the hypolimnion?
The epilimnion always less dense. However in the winter the epilimnion is colder than 4°C (so it's still less dense but also colder than the hypolimnion).
42
How can the stratification of a lake in the summer result in areas with low oxygen?
The temperature and density gradient can prevent oxygenated surface water from mixing with the hypolimnion (where there's usually no photosynthesis).
43
What seasons do stratified lakes overturn in? Why and why is this important?
In fall and spring when the entire lake becomes 4°C (all the same density). Oxygen from the surface and nutrients from the bottom can be mixed throughout the lake.
44
What is a oligotrophic lake? What is a eutrophic lake?
A lake lacking nutrients with lots of dissolved oxygen. A lake with lots of nutrients that leads to increased growth of organisms which can deplete oxygen.
45
What is the difference between lentic and lotic water?
Lentic = still waters (lakes, ponds, or wetlands) Lotic = moving water (rivers and streams)
46
Do rivers and streams have more nutrients at their source or downstream? Why?
They're nutrient poor at their source (glacial melt water), but can pick up more sediments and nutrients the further they flow.
47
What are some benefits of wetlands?
They're rich in **species diversity**, provide water storage to **reduce flooding** and improve water quality by **filtering pollutants**, sediments and nutrients, before it gets to the lake.
48
Terrestrial biomes are grouped primarily based on their ___________.
Terrestrial biomes are grouped primarily based on their vegetation.
49
What is the polar ice biome characterized by?
Very low temperatures with a low amount of precipitation. Northern and southern most parts of the globe.
50
What is the tundra biome characterized by?
Low temperatures, though higher than Polar climate, and minimal precipitation (a very cold desert).
51
What is permafrost? What biome is it found in?
Continuously frozen subsoil, with only the upper part thawing in summer. Found in the tundra.
52
Are there trees in the tundra? Why type of animal is common there?
No trees! Many animals are **migratory**.
53
What is the coniferous forests (boreal/taiga) biome characterized by?
It's warmer and wetter than Tundra, but colder and drier than temperate forests. Most precipitation falls as snow. Little to no permafrost.
54
What is the largest terrestrial biome?
Coniferous forests (boreal/taiga).
55
What is the temperate forest biome characterized by?
It's warmer and wetter than coniferous forest. Temperatures range from -30 to +30. Trees are not as tall or diverse as tropical forests.
56
What is the temperate grasslands biome characterized by?
It has similar temperatures to temperate forests, but less precipitation and is also prone to fires and periods of drought.
57
What is one of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet and why?
Temperate grasslands because almost all of it has been converted to farm land.
58
What are the desert and steppes biomes characterized by?
Very dry. Deserts get less than 30 cm of precipitation per year. Steppes get 30-60 cm/year. Very hot during the day, but with very large temperature fluctuations.
59
What is the chaparral biome characterized by?
Relatively high temperatures, low level of precipitation, and prone to fires. Dominated by spiny shrubs. Limited to small coastal areas with cool ocean currents (i.e. the Mediterranean).
60
What is the savanna biome characterized by?
High temperature, relatively low precipitation and prone to fires. Similar to temperate grasslands but with a more pronounced dry season. Sparse trees.
61
What is the tropical forest biome characterized by?
Equatorial areas with high temperatures, high precipitation and 11-12 hours daylight all year long. Very biodiverse.
62
What are the two types of tropical forests and what makes them different.
Dry tropical forests where there's little rain or long dry seasons. Tropical rain forests where it's VERY rainy and humid.
63
What is the most diverse terrestrial habitat/biome?
Tropical forests.
64
Know how to read a climate graph to tell if a location is temperate or tropical, wet or dry! Be able to identify a basic biome from the graph.
Review the slides with climate graphs in the biosphere powerpoint. Remember the purple line shows temperature and the blue area shows precipitation throughout the year.
65
All biomes are linked by the ________ _________ __________.
The global water cycle.
66
In the water cycle, how does water get into and out of the air?
Into the air by evaporating from bodies of water or transpiring through plant leaves. It leaves the air through precipitation (rain, snow, hail, etc.).
67
Where does the water from precipitation go once it falls onto land?
It is taken up by plants; flows into streams, rivers, lakes and eventually back to the ocean. Some replenishes the store of ground water.
68
How do human activities affect the water cycle?
Water flowing over land picks up sediments, fertilizers, pesticides, and contaminants. Rain may pick up parts of air pollution and become acid rain. Removal of rainforest and overuse of groundwater also disrupt the cycle.
69
What is the current population of the earth (most recent estimate)?
8.2 Billion

Biology (27 decks)

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