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Biology -20 > Chapter 4 - Characteristics Of Ecosystems > Flashcards

Chapter 4 - Characteristics Of Ecosystems Flashcards

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1
Q

What is Ecology?

A

The study of how organisms interact with one another and their physical environment

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2
Q

What is a population?

A

A group of organisms of the same species

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3
Q

What is a community?

A

A group of multiple populations

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4
Q

What is an Ecotone?

A

The grey area between two different ecosystems where organisms of both ecosystems interact with one another. There is usually a greater biodiversity in an ecotone than either ecosystem it is made up of

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5
Q

What may an ecological niche consist of?

A

The organisms place in the food chain, the time of day it is active, the things it eats, its habitat, and its breeding area

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6
Q

Why are niches important?

A

Niches in an ecosystem help to reduce competition for territory and resources

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7
Q

Why is biodiversity important?

A

Because in an ecosystem if a predator, for example, loses one source of prey there is likely many others to compensate

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8
Q

The more niche oppurtunities in an ecosystem, the _______ the biodiversity

A

Higher

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9
Q

Why may an exotic species thrive in a new environment?

A

Because usually there is no ways to keep the new species in check and it may multiply lots

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10
Q

What is a biome?

A

A biome is a large stertch of land home to many different ecosystems. They usually have their own dominant species

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11
Q

What are Canadas 4 major biomes?

A

Taiga
Tundra
Deciduous forest
Grassland

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12
Q

What is the Taiga Biome like?

A

Found in every province in Canada
Dominated by Conifer trees
The floor is covered in shade

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13
Q

What are Conifers like?

A

Have needles rather than leaves
Needles have a waxy coating which keeps waterloss to a minimum
Flexible branches and triangular shape allow for the snow to slide off

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14
Q

What kind of organisms live in the Taiga Biome?

A

Grizzly and black bears
Wolverines
Weasels
Owls
Spruce Grouse
White-winged Crossbill
Shrubs
Mosses
Ferns

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15
Q

What is the Muskeg Ecosystem?

A

The Muskeg ecosystem is an ecosystem north of Alberta that has a layer of permafrost covered by swampier grasses where the water drains into
Due to the low temperature, decomposotion is slow making it a fragile eco system

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16
Q

What organisms are in the Muskeg ecosystem?

A

Mosses, lichens, other plants with long roots that can shift
Caribou

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17
Q

What organisms do not grow in Muskeg ecosystems?

A

Fungi, soil bacterias growth are limited due to the low temperature

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18
Q

What ecosystem has the most fertile soil? Why?

A

THe grassland ecosystem
Warm temperatures + short-lived, long-rooted grasses tend to live there and can help with decomposition

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19
Q

What is humus?

A

A rich layer of soil from decayed plant matter

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20
Q

How many layers does the grasland ecosystem have? WHat does this effect

A

Only one. This effects the biodivesrity in the ecosystem, resulting in a less biodiverse ecosystem

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21
Q

What kind of producers are in the grasslands?

A

Rough fescue, wheat grass, and spear grass

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22
Q

What organisms are in the grasslands?

A

Deer, squirrels, rabbits, snakes, yellow-bellied sap-suckers, rattlesnakes

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23
Q

What are Deciduous Ecosystems?

A

An ecotone between Grassland and Taiga ecosystems

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24
Q

What kind of trees are in the Deciduous ecosystem? How much water do they need?

A

Poplar, aspen, balsam
They need less water than a Conifer tree
Can be found near water sources

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25
What kind of soil does a deciduous ecosystem have?
Due to the warmer temperatures and precipitation, the soil is very rich
26
What is an Understorey?
Below the canopy layer, usually including shorter trees and shrubs
27
What are abiotic factors in the Taiga ecosystem?
Northern and Central Alberta Changeable weather Soil contains some water and can be acidic Heavy precipitation
28
What are abiotic factors in the Muskeg ecosystem?
Cold temperatures Short growing season Permafrost layer Mid precipitation
29
What are abiotic factors in the Grasslands ecosystem?
Central and Southern Alberta Extra sunlight and warmer than other ecosystems Rich, fertile soil Mid precipitation
30
What are abiotic factors in the deciduous forest ecosystem?
Central Alberta Increased sunlight and warmer temperatures Rich fertile soil Heavy precipitation
31
What are the three zones in a lake?
Littoral, Limnetic, Profundal
32
Explain the Littoral zone
The littoral zone is where the shore begins and plant matter ends. This is the most productive area of a lake and lots of photosynthesis occurs here
33
Explain the Limnetic zone
The limnetic zone is where light still penetrates the surface of a lake. Photosynthesis also occurs here. Plankton (heterotrophic and autotrophic) live here
34
Explain the Profundal zone
The lowest part of a lake. The organisms here feed off of the dead organisms that fall to them. They are called detritus feeders
35
What happens if a lake doesn't get much sunlight and a lot of organisms die?
Decomposers will use up the oxygen in the lake and it will not be able to be replenished, so the oxygen content in a lake may go down
36
What are the four layers of soil?
Litter, Topsoil, Subsoil, bedrock
37
Explain the Litter layer
The litter layer has lot of nutrients and lots of decaying plant matter It acts as a blanket on top of the soil and regulates temperature as well as the amount of water loss
37
Explain Topsoil
Topsoil has lots of nutrients as well Rocks are in there as well which are able to allow decomposers to decompose decaying plant matter
38
Explain Subsoil
Similar to the topsoil, but less humus and more rock
39
What determines the pH of soil?
Acid rain caused by global warming The plants that grow in the soil The rock the soil is formed from
39
What organisms flourish in acidic soils? What organisms don't?
Mosses flourish because they have less competition that way Conifers do not flourish, though they are adapted to withstand it
39
What may an organism do to survive if they are in an area with little water?
Have adaptations that help them. Rough fescue has long thin leaves that reduce water loss
40
What is available water dependant on?
How much precipitation occurs How long it stays in the upper layer of soil and how much collects beneath the soil
41
What is groundwater?
Water in soil or below the earths surface
41
What is leaching?
The process of water carrying nutrients down below the surface
42
How is Leaching corrected?
Plants can adapt to grow longer roots which will allow them to reach the nutrients under the surface
43
How are conifers needles well adapted to the winters? Why is this better than regular leaves?
Conifers keep their needles year round rather than expending energy to shed and regrow them
44
How are grasses in the grasslands well suited for the winter?
They have deep roots which allow them to keep their roots and only freeze off the top portion of the grass
45
How can oxygen get into lakes?
WInd stirring the surface of the water Photosynthetic palnts
46
What does sunlight vary with?
Altitude and Latitude
47
As temperature INCREASES the concentration of O2 in water ________
decreases
48
Why does the bottom of a lake have higher CO2 levels?
Because decomposers live at the bottom and respirate
49
Pressure in waterincrease 100kpa per ____m
100
50
What happens to lakes in winter?
Light can slightly penetrate the top layer and photosynthesize, or there will be no photosynthesis to occur if the lake is covered in snow and thick ice
51
What happens to lakes during spring?
Spring turnover: Since the densest water can be is 4 Degrees, when the cold water from the winter warms up and eventually warms to 4 degrees, it will sink to the bottom replacing the water below. This process carries O2 to all depths
52
What is the Epilimnion?
The top layer of water, heats up easily
53
What is the Hypolimnion?
THe lowest layer of a lake, has a consistent low temperature
54
What is the thermocline?
THe rapid decline of temperature between the Epilimnion and the Hypolimnion
55
What are the four factors that limit the overall growth of a population?
Biotic potential, Limiting factors, Carrying capacity, Limits of tolerance
56
What is the definition of Biotice Potential?
Maximum number of offspring a species could have in a perfect world
57
What are the four factors Biotic Potential is limited by?
1. Birth potential 2. Capacity for survival 3. Breeding frequency 4. Length of reproductive life
58
What are some Abiotic limiting factors?
Sunlight, temperature, chemical environment
59
What are some biotic limiting factors?
Sufficient food, predators, diseases
60
What's an example of a density-independent factor?
WIldifres, natural disasters, drought
61
What is an example of a density-dependent factor?
Food, space, water
62
What is the law of minimum?
The resource in the lowest quantity will determine how limited growth is
63
What is 'slash-and-burn'?
The process of getting rid of a forest through burning the trees
64
What is 'clear-cutting'?
The removal of trees in an area for timber or pulp
65
What is 'selective cutting'?
The removal of only certain trees in an area
66
What are some positives to clear-cutting?
Inexpensive Helps the timber and pulp industries Can help moose by allowing berried shrubs to grow so they can feed
67
What are some negatives to clear-cutting?
Soil erosion and runoff into streams increases Nitrates can be carried into streams soils can be warmed and result in water loss
68
What is the most valuable tree? Why?
Softwoods grow quicker and are used for timber industries
69
Why are fires good?
They create and maintain many different ecosystems in one forest, allowing for very high biodiversity
70
What are Oligotrophic lakes?
Deep and cold Low amount of nutrients Not many producers Not very biodiverse Clear water
71
What are Eutrophic lakes?
Shallow and warm Lots of nutrients Biodiverse Murky
72
What is Eutrophication?
Oligotrophic -> Eutrophic -> Dry land
73
What are five ways water can be polluted?
Organic solid waste like sewage (causes water to be used up) Disease-causing organisms Inorganic solids and dissolved minerals Thermal Energy (decreases solubility of oxygen in the water) Organic compounds, like oil (promotes algae growth)
74
What are three indicators of water quality?
Bacteria Dissolved Oxygen Biological Oxygen demand
75
What is coliform bacteria?
A bacteria present in the colon. Used as a sign to see if water may be polluted with other similar bacteria
76
What do healthy trout indicate in water?
High oxygen levels
77
If droughts become continuous, what may happen to lake shores?
If there is a lack of new water being put into a lake, the minerals may settle and be able to build up chloride and sodium ions
78
What is primary succession?
Succession that begins in an area with no existing community
79
What is secondary succession?
Occurs in a partially destroyed area

Biology -20 (9 decks)

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