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Biology Unit 5 > Chapter 44 - Intro to Ecology & Biosphere > Flashcards

Chapter 44 - Intro to Ecology & Biosphere Flashcards

1
Q

Define Ecology

A

the study of interactions between living organisms and their environment

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2
Q

What are the 4 levels of Ecology?

A
  • Organismal - individual
  • Population - many individuals of the same species
  • Community - different populations living in the same space
  • Ecosystems - a community + the abiotic environment
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3
Q

What are the 4 levels of Ecological Study?

A
  • Organismal Ecology
  • Population Ecology
  • Community Ecology
  • Ecosystem Ecology
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4
Q

What is Organismal Ecology?

A

the focus is on the adaptations of organisms to their environment, including morphological, behavioral, and physiological adaptations

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5
Q

What is Population Ecology?

A

Focuses on the number of individuals (same species) in a population & how and why population size changes over time

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6
Q

What is Community Ecology?

A

Focuses on the interactions between conspecifics (competition, reproduction, etc.) and heterospecifics (predation, parasitism, herbivory, pollination, etc.)

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7
Q

What is Ecosystem Ecology?

A

Focuses on how nutrients and energy are stored and how they move through organisms and through atmosphere, soil, and water

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8
Q

Define Biomes

A

large areas of land or water with similar climate, flora, and fauna

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9
Q

What is the Biosphere?

A

all the biomes on Earth

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10
Q

Define Biogeography

A

the study of the distribution of organisms and the abiotic factors that determine those distributions

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11
Q

What is Species Distribution?

A

which species live in which areas and why

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12
Q

What determines Species Distribution?

A

biotic and abiotic factors

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13
Q

What are Endemic Species?

A

species that are found only in a specific geographic range

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14
Q

What are Generalist Species?

A

species that are found in many geographic ranges

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15
Q

List Abiotic factors

A
  • Inorganic nutrients and Soil
  • Oxygen
  • Wind
  • Fire
  • Temperature and Moisture
  • Net primary productivity (carbon)
  • Biomass(?)
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16
Q

Which two elements determine the geographic range of many species?

A

Nitrogen & Phosphorous

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17
Q

Plants require what two elements and what does it do?

A

(abundance or scarcity of) Nitrogen & Phosphorous in the soil limit plant growth

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18
Q

Higher elevations have _______ oxygen levels than lower elevations

A

Lower

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19
Q

What can wind contribute to an environment?

A
  • Affects transpiration, evaporation, etc.
  • Can physically move soil, water, plants, animals
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20
Q

Fire is an agent of _______

A

Disturbance

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21
Q

True or False: Fire is mandatory for some organisms to live and reproduce

A

True

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22
Q

What are the primary producers and base of most food webs?

A

Plants

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23
Q

What is net primary productivity?

A

an estimation of all organic matter available as food

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24
Q

How do you calculate net primary productivity?

A

carbon fixed per year - what is oxidized during cell respiration
(generally estimated by above-ground biomass per unit area)

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25
Q

How does annual biomass related to abiotic factors?

A

Net primary productivity is optimized in environments with the greatest biomass
High net productivity → greater animal diversity

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26
Q

What are the two determining factors for Terrestrial Biomes?

A
  • Temperature - variation on a daily basis and seasonal basis
  • Precipitation - total annual precipitation (fluctuations in precipitation)
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27
Q

True or False: same biomes cannot occur in different places

A

False: same biomes do occur in different places on Earth

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28
Q

What are the 8 Terrestrial Biomes?

A
  • Tropical Wet Forest
  • Savannah
  • Subtropical Desert
  • Chaparral
  • Temperate Grasslands
  • Temperate Forest
  • Boreal Forest
  • Arctic Tundra
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29
Q

Tropical Wet Forest/Rainforest are located in _______ regions

A

Equatorial (around the equator)

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30
Q

What is Temperature and Sunlight like in Tropical Rainforests?

A

Stable year-round
* temp: 20°C ~ 34°C
* sun: 11 ~ 12 hours per day

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31
Q

What are the Plants like in Tropical Wet Forests?

A
  • year-round growth (no seasonality)
  • green leaves all year (no dormancy)
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32
Q

What is the Rainfall like in Tropical Wet Forests?

A

Variable
* 125cm - 600cm annually
* Wet & Dry months

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33
Q

Which terrestrial biome has the highest animal and plant diversity?

A

Tropical Wet Forests

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34
Q

Describe the Savannah terrestrial biome

A

Grasslands with scattered trees

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35
Q

Where are Savannah biomes located?

A

Africa, South America, and Australia

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36
Q

What is the Temperature like in Savannah biomes?

A

Hot & Tropical
* Average temp: 24°C ~ 29°C

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37
Q

What is the Rainfall like in Savannah biomes?

A

Minimal rainfall
* 10 - 40cm
* Extensive dry season

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38
Q

What are the plants like in Savannah biomes?

A

Mostly grasses and shrubs, few trees

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39
Q

What is an important abiotic factor in Savannahs?

A

Fire; plants recover quickly after fire event

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40
Q

What type of animals can Savannah biomes support?

A

Vast herds of grazing animals

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41
Q

Where are Subtropical Desert biomes located?

A

In a narrow range between 15° and 30° North and South

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42
Q

Describe what the Temperature is like in Subtropical Desert biomes.

A

Intense temperature swings
(Average Daytime | Nighttime)
* Hot Deserts: 60°C | 0°C
* Cold Deserts: 25°C | -30°C

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43
Q

Describe what rainfall is like in Subtropical Desert biomes

A

Unpredictable & negligible
* As low as 2cm annually
* Extremely dry

44
Q

Describe the plantlife in Subtropical Desert biomes

A
  • Mostly annuals that row and flower quickly then die
  • Some perennials that have adaptations to conserve water, minimize leaf growth, deep roots, etc.
45
Q

What type of animals are in Subtropical Desert biomes?

A

Typically burrowers

46
Q

What is a Chaparral biome?

A

Scrub forest

47
Q

Where are Chaparral biomes located?

A

California, Mediterranean Sea, and South Australia

48
Q

Describe the Temperature in Chaparral biomes

A

Intense temperature swings
* Average day temp: 60°C
* Average night temp: as low as 0°C

49
Q

Describe the Rainfall in Chaparral biomes

A

Winter rainfall
* 65 - 75cm annually
* Dry summers

50
Q

Describe the plant life in Chaparral biomes

A

Mostly scrubs
* Dormant in winter
* Adapted to periodic fires (the ashes from fire enrich soil with nitrogen)

51
Q

What are Temperate Grassland biomes?

A

Prairies and Steppes

52
Q

Where are Temperate Grassland biomes located?

A

Central North America and Eurasia

53
Q

Describe the Temperature in Temperate Grassland biomes

A

Annual temperature fluctuation
* Warm summers & cold winters

54
Q

Describe the Rainfall in Temperate Grassland biomes

A

Annual, periodic rainfall
* 25 - 75cm annually
* Wet spring, summer & fall
* Dry winter

55
Q

Describe the plant life in Temperate Grassland biomes

A

Mostly dense grasses
* Have growing seasons

56
Q

What types of animals live in Temperate Grassland biomes?

57
Q

What is an important abiotic regulator for Temperate Grassland biomes?

A

Fire
* suppressed fire causes conversion to scrub/forest
* fire maintains the biome

58
Q

What are Temperate Forest biomes like?

A

Deciduous forests

59
Q

Where are Temperate Forest biomes located?

A

mid-latitude regions

60
Q

Describe the Temperature in Temperate Forest biomes

A

Annual temperature fluctuation
* warm summers
* cold winters

61
Q

Describe the Rainfall in Temperate Forest biomes

A

Predictable annual rainfall
* 75 - 150cm annually
* Constant rainfall (no rainy season)

62
Q

Describe the plant life in Temperate Forest biomes

A

Deciduous trees are dominant
* Active in Spring & Summer
* Dormant in Fall & Winter
* Less diversity than Rainforest

63
Q

What is rich in Temperate Forest biomes?

A

they’re rich in organic & inorganic material

64
Q

What are Boreal Forest biomes?

A

Coniferous forests & Taiga forests

65
Q

Where are Boreal Forest biomes located?

A

South of the Arctic Circle

66
Q

Describe the temperature in Boreal Forest biomes

A

Low annual temperatures
* Cool, wet summers
* Cold, dry winters

67
Q

Describe the rainfall in Boreal Forest biomes

A

Predictable annual precipitation
* 40 - 100cm annually
* Mostly snow, not rain

68
Q

Describe the plantlife in Boreal Forest biomes

A

Conifer trees are dominant
* Photosynthesize from early Spring to late Fall

69
Q

Boreal Forest soil is low in what, and how does it affect the conifer trees?

A

Low in nitrogen; it’s why conifers retain their leaves

70
Q

Describe the animal life in Boreal Forest biomes

A

Lower species diversity than temperate forest
* Animals have adaptations for cold weather

71
Q

Where are Arctic Tundra biomes located?

A

Throughout Arctic regions in the North

72
Q

Describe the temperature in Arctic Tundra biomes

A

Very low annual temperature
* Summer: 3 ~ 12°C
* Winter: -34°C

73
Q

Describe the sunlight in Arctic Tundra biomes

A

Extreme sunlight conditions
* 24 hours in Summer
* 0 hours in Winter

74
Q

Describe the rainfall in Arctic Tundra biomes

A

Extremely low annual precipitation
* 40 - 100cm annually
* Mostly snow (not rain)

75
Q

Describe the plantlife in Arctic Tundra biomes

A

Shrubs dominant
* Extremely short growing season during summer

76
Q

What type of soil do Arctic Tundra biomes have?

A

Permafrost soil
* Always frozen
* Roots cannot penetrate deep

77
Q

Describe the animal life/diversity of Arctic Tundra biomes

A

Low species diversity
* Animals have adaptations for cold weather

78
Q

Describe Aquatic biomes

A
  • Water is the medium in which organisms live (different physical and chemical properties than air)
  • Water absorbs light (deeper the water, less light)
  • Stratified by temperature (warmer on surface, cooler in the depths)
79
Q

What are the 2 types of Aquatic biomes?

A
  • Marine (ocean, coral reefs, estuaries)
  • Freshwater (lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, wetlands)
80
Q

What is the largest Marine biome?

A

Ocean (saltwater)

81
Q

How is the Ocean categorized into zones?

A

based on light penetration

82
Q

Name and describe the Ocean zones

A
  • Intertidal Zone - closest to land
  • Neritic Zone - photosynthesis occurs
  • Pelagic Zone - open ocean
  • Benthic Zone - nutrient rich because of detritus
  • Abyssal Zone - the deepest part of the ocean
83
Q

Describe the marine biome Coral Reefs

A
  • Geological structure in the Ocean biome
  • Located in photic zone (only found in warm waters)
  • Supports great diversity of invertebrates and vertebrates
84
Q

Coral reefs have a _______ relationship between coral polyps (cnidarians) and algea

85
Q

What do Coral organisms secrete that forms the reefs?

A

Calcium carbonate

86
Q

What threatens Coral Reefs?

A

Acidification of the water by carbon dioxide & climate change

87
Q

What are Estuaries?

A

where ocean (saltwater) and freshwater meet

88
Q

What type of water do Estuaries have?

A

Brackish
* diluted saltwater
* mix of freshwater and saltwater

89
Q

Estuaries are ______ for many species of fish and invertebrates

90
Q

What varies considerably in Estuaries?

A

Salinity
* Based on currents, tide, and flow of the freshwater
* Estuarian organisms have adaptations to handle salinity fluctuations

91
Q

Estuaries are _______ rich

92
Q

In Estuaries, _______ is high but _______ is low

A

Biomass; Biodiversity

93
Q

What size(s) do Lakes and Ponds come in?

A

Great variety

94
Q

What type of water do Lakes and Ponds have?

A

Lentic (not flowing)

95
Q

Describe the temperature in Lakes and Ponds

A

Most important abiotic factor
* Thermal stratification in summer
* water water at top & cooler at bottom
* reverses in winter

96
Q

What determines photosynthetic organisms in Lakes & Ponds?

A

Light penetrance
* based on food chain
* deeper light penetrance → more photosynthetic organisms

97
Q

What are the 2 limiting factors of Lakes & Ponds?

A

Nitrogen & Phosphorous
* determining factor for phytoplankton

98
Q

What leads to the eutrophication of lakes/ponds?

A

Run-off from farms, yards, etc.
* increased algae growth, which blocks light penetrance
* consumes majority of dissolved oxygen
* causes the lake/pond to be polluted

99
Q

What size(s) do Rivers and Streams come in?

A

great variety

100
Q

What kind of water do Rivers & Streams have?

A

Lotic (flowing)

101
Q

Rivers & Streams carry water from _______ to _______

A

headwaters; lake or ocean

102
Q

What is an important abiotic factor for Rivers & Streams?

A

Rate of flow
* Faster near the source
* Faster flow tends to be clear of debris, colder, few plankton, and plants and animals adapted to fast-moving water
* Slower flow is warmer, has more debris, and more opportunity for plankton

103
Q

Describe the soil of Wetland biomes

A

permanently or periodically saturated with water (NOT lakes or ponds)

104
Q

Describe the vegetation in Wetland biomes

A

vegetation is rooted in the soil but extends above surface of water across entire surface area

105
Q

Wetlands have ________ vegetation and ________ soil

A

hydrophytic; hydric

106
Q

What are considered wetlands?

A

marshes, swamps, bogs, mudflats, and salt marshes

Biology Unit 5 (4 decks)

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