Chapter 52

Question 1

What is Ecology?

Answer 1

Ecology is the study of emergent properties of living things.
Study of what happens when living things are put together.

Question 2

Early 1970’s was the…

Answer 2

beginning of environmental movement.

Question 3

What were the 3 big motivators of the environmental movement?

Answer 3

• Earth rise Apollo 8: It showed that Earth is all we have. Its our world and “if we mess it up we are screwed.”
• The Cuyahoga River Fire: There was too many pollutants on the water and set fire. Could not put the fire out, and it made people start thinking about “What are we doing to our water?”
• Silent Spring by Rachel Carson: There are no song birds around springs. Spraying pesticides that contaminated worms. Birds came to eat them and would die because of eating too many worms.

Question 4

What is Bioaccumulation?

Answer 4

Concentration of chemicals

For example concentrated chemical in a bird because they eat more than worms.

Question 5

What are some of the Ocean currents?

Answer 5

California Current, Antarctic Circumpolar Current, Indian Ocean Subtropical Gyre, South Pacific Subtropical Gyre, South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre, North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre

Question 6

What is the Water Cycle?

Answer 6

Water is lighter than air. Water groups accumulates and then gets heavier.
Precipitation is when water pushes up because of mountain ranges and elevation pressure pushes them out.

Question 7

What is happening to the American beech trees and what is expected to happen?

Answer 7

Over the next century there will be a 4.5 Celsius warming and instead of the east side of America being covered in the trees, only the northern part and most of Canada will be covered.

Question 8

What determines biomes?

Answer 8

Precipitation and temperature determines the biomes.

Question 9

What are biomes?

Answer 9

They are large generalized systems.

Question 10

What are the biomes discussed in class?

Answer 10

Rain Forest, Desert, Savanna, Chaparral, Coniferous forest, Deciduous Forest, Tundra

Question 11

What are some of the characteristics of the Rain forest?

Answer 11

Tons of variety of species and diversity. Lots of precipitation occurs on equator.
Sun directing rays on the water creates evaporation so lots of precipitation!

Question 12

Defining characteristics of the biome desert

Answer 12

Unpredictable rainfall

Desert in Arizona gets 10-15 inches of rain a year and has tons of diversity of life

Question 13

Defining characteristics of the biome Savanna

Answer 13

Spacious and open has a couple of species of trees

Question 14

Defining characteristics of the biome Chaparral

Answer 14

Chaparral areas are surrounded by water

Has very thick vegetation

Question 15

Defining characteristic of Coniferous forest

Answer 15

Product of the Ice Age

Survives in tough soils, has soft woods.

Question 16

Defining characteristic of Deciduous forest

Answer 16

Color changes in fall, Full of trees with broad leaf, Trees that like rich soils, has very rich soils.

Question 17

Defining characteristic of Tundra

Answer 17

Tundra is above treelines and shrubs, things grow slowly, never direct sunlight, doesn’t get a lot of sunlight.

Question 18

How are biomes defined?

Answer 18

Biomes are major ecosystem types and are defined by dominant plants.