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Environmental Science > Chapter 5: Ecosystems, Energy, Patterns, and Disturbance > Flashcards

Chapter 5: Ecosystems, Energy, Patterns, and Disturbance Flashcards

1
Q

Biomes

A

ecosystems with similar vegetation and climate

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2
Q

Describes where energy and nutrients go as they move from one organism to another

A

Food chain

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3
Q

Interconnection of food chains to form complex feeding relationships

A

Food web

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4
Q

Trophic Levels

A

show movement of energy and materials

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5
Q

Autotrophs

A

produce organic material from inorganic matter by using an external energy source

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6
Q

Heterotrophs

A

must consume organic material to obtain energy

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7
Q

Autotrophs are also referred to as…

A

producers

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8
Q

Consumers

A

eat living prey

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9
Q

Decomposers

A

scavengers, detritus feeders, and chemical decomposers that eat dead organic material

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10
Q

Chemosynthesis

A

some bacteria use energy in inorganic compounds to form organic compounds

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11
Q

Examples of consumers

A

animals, fungi, most bacteria, most protists

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12
Q

Primary consumers (herbivores)

A

eat producers

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13
Q

Secondary consumers

A

feed on primary consumers

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14
Q

How are consumers categorized?

A

according to their food source

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15
Q

Carnivores

A

secondary or higher-order meat eaters

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16
Q

Omnivores

A

feed on both plants and animals

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17
Q

Detritus

A

dead plant material, fecal wastes, and dead bodies

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18
Q

Detritus is organic and high in potential energy for:

A
  1. Scavengers
  2. Detritus feeders
  3. Chemical decomposers
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19
Q

Scavengers

A

decomposers that break down larger pieces of matter (vultures)

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20
Q

Detritus feeders

A

decomposers that eat partly decomposed matter (earthworms)

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21
Q

Chemical decomposers

A

decomposers that bread down molecule sized matter (fungi and bacteria)

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22
Q

Climate

A

a description of the average temperature and precipitation of a region

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23
Q

Biomes at higher altitudes are similar to…

A

biomes at higher latitudes

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24
Q

The more rainfall and warmer temeratures…

A

the closer you are to the equator

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25
Q

What determines where a species can live?

A

Individual ranges of tolerance to temperature and precipitation

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26
Q

Temperate deciduous forest

A

72-200 cm (30/80 in.)/yr

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27
Q

Grassland (prairie) biome

A

rainfall is less than seasonal

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28
Q

Desert biome

A

less than 25 cm (10 in.)/yr

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29
Q

Have broad-leaved evergreens that cannot tolerate freezing

A

Tropical rain forsts

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30
Q

Trees drop their leaves and become dormant during freezing temperatures

A

Deciduous forest

31
Q

Tolerate the harsh winters and short summers of northern regions

A

Coniferous forests

32
Q

Permafrost

A

permanently frozen subsoil

33
Q

Altitude

A

distance from sea level

34
Q

Dry, hot days, cold nights, thin, porous soils, scattered shrubs, cacti, rodents, lizards, raptors

A

Desert

35
Q

Frequent fires, rich, deep soils, center of continents, grass species dominant, large grazing mammals, insects, rodents, hawks

A

Grasslands and Prairies

36
Q

Heavy rainfall year round, soils thin and poor in nutrients, 26 degrees celcius, broad-leaf evergreens, dense canopy, vines

A

Tropical rainforest

37
Q

Temps below freezing in winter, summers warm and humid, well-developed soils, broad-leafed deciduous trees, some conifers, shrubby undergrowth, ferns, mosses, many mammals, birds and amphibians

A

Temperate forest

38
Q

Long, cold winters, precip. light in winter, heavier in summer, acidic soils, conifers, large herbivores, mice, hares, lynx, bird nesting area

A

Coniferous forest

39
Q

Bitter cold, short growing season, small plant life, low precipitation, thin soils, permafrost, shrubs, lichens, mosses, grasses, hares, artic foxes, caribou, migrant shorebirds.

A

Tundra

40
Q

What determines aquatic and wetland ecosystems?

A

depth, salinity, and permanence of water

41
Q

Bodies of standing water, seasonal stratification of watter. Occur where there are physical depressions in landscape

A

Lakes and ponds

42
Q

Flowing water, high DO’s, often turbid from runoff, lots of insect larvae, occur where precip. and groundwater flow by gravity towars oceans

A

Streams and Rivers

43
Q

Standing water, at times dry, thick organic sediments, high nutrients, follow lakes and ponds in succession

A

Inland wetlands

44
Q

Variable salinity, 2-way currents, rich in nutrients, turbid, where rivers meet oceans

A

Estuaries

45
Q

From coastline continental shelf, high in nutrients

A

Costal ocean

46
Q

Great depths, all byt upper 200m, dark and cold, poor in nutrients, covers 70% of earth, low productivity

A

Open ocean

47
Q

Open oceans accounts for lots of productivity but they have a low…

A

rate of productivity

48
Q

Primary production in open oceans is limited by…

A

scarce nutrients

49
Q

Disturbance

A

a significant change that kills or displaces many community members

50
Q

Ecological succession

A

transition from one biotic community to another

51
Q

Pioneer species

A

colonize a newly opened area first

52
Q

Lichens

A

pioneer species best suited for colonizing bare rock

53
Q

Primary succession

A

the process of initial invasion and progression form one community to another

54
Q

Where does primary succession occur?

A

in areas lacking soil and plants

55
Q

Secondary succession

A

occurs in an area cleared by a disturbance

56
Q

How does secondary succession start?

A

With pre-existing soil

57
Q

What can send succession back to an earlier stage?

A

Disturbances

58
Q

For succession to occur, what must already be present in the area?

A

plants and animals

59
Q

Resilience

A

an ecosystem’s ability to go back to normal after a disturbance

60
Q

Resilience mechanism includes the processes of:

A
  1. Replenishment of nutrients,
  2. Dispersion by plants and animals
  3. Regrowth of plants and succession
61
Q

Resilience helps maintain the stability of…

A

ecosystems

62
Q

Tipping point

A

a situation or disturbance that can move an ecosystem in one direction or another

63
Q

What tends to lower ecosystem services?

A

Human actions

64
Q

Ecosystem capital

A

when we depend on natural systems for goods and services

65
Q

What percent of the land’s primary production is used to support human needs?

A

40%

66
Q

How many major ecosystem goods and services provide $41 trillion to uman welfare each year?

A

17

67
Q

Incremental value of services

A

places an economic value on the relationship between changes in the quanity/quality of services and human welfare

68
Q

Vital ecosystem services should be included in calculating…

A

Costs and benefits of a proposed change in land use

69
Q

Ecosystem capital stock

A

ecosystems and their polulations

70
Q

How can you restore an area?

A

by stopping the abuse

71
Q

Ecosystems can be restored if:

A
  1. abiotic factors are unchanged
  2. population of species still exist
  3. alien species aren’t introduced
72
Q

Stakeholders

A

all people with a stake in an ecosystem’s health

73
Q

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment’s report concluded that…

A

ecosystems may no longer be able to sustain future generations

Environmental Science (14 decks)

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