Chapter34-Ecology Flashcards
What is Ecology?
Scientific study of interaction of organisms with their living environment
What are the two variables that affect organisms?
Biotic factors and Abiotic factors
What are Biotic factors?
Biotic factors are the living components of the environment that affect an organism
What are Abiotic factors?
Abiotic factors are non living components of the environment that affects an organism and the physical and chemical factors.
E.g: Temperature, forms of energy, water availability, nutrients
What is an organisms habitat?
The environment the organism lives in. It consist of Biotic and Abiotic factors.
What are the main methods ecologists use to study the ecology ?
- Field study (visit various habitats)
- Hypotheses and experiments under controlled environments
- Theoretical models (Mathematics)
What is an organism?
Individual living thing
What is a population?
A group of individuals of the same species living in a particular geographic area
What is a community?
Collection of many all populations of organisms living in a particular geographical area close enough to each other so that they interact
What is a biosphere?
All of earth that is inhabited by life
What is a biome?
The Earth has many different environments, varying in temperature, moisture, light, and many other factors. Each of these habitats has distinct life forms living in it, forming complex communities of interdependent organisms. A complex community of plants and animals in a region and a climate is called a biome.
What is the pelagic realm?
All open water in the ocean
What is the Benthic realm?
The substrate or the ocean floor
What is the photic zone of the aquatic biomes?
The area of the aquatic biomes that gets exposed to sunlight. (about 200m deep from surface)
What is the Aphotic zone?
The area of the aquatic biomes that light does not penetrate. This zone is also known as the twilight zone
What are some adaptations of fish living in Aphotic zone?
- Large eyes to capture as much light to see
2. Large mouths to increase the chances of capturing prey
What are the marine biomes?
- Inter-tidal zone: Ocean meets land
- Estuary: River meets ocean
- Wetland - Transition between marine and terrestrial bomes. E,g Marshy land
What are freshwater Biomes?
- Lakes and ponds: Still water
- Rivers and streams: Flowing water
- Wetlands: Fresh water and terrestrial transition
What factor predominantly distinguish the terrestrial Biomes? and why
The plats (vegetation) Plants provide food, shelter, nesting sites for the community
What is convergent evolution?
Appearance of similar traits in species living in geographically distant biomes.
What are the 9 types of terrestrial biomes?
- Tropical forest
- Savanna
- Desert
- Chaparral
- Temperate grassland
- Temperate broadleaf forest
- Coniferous forest
- Arctic tundra
- Polar ice
What are the characteristics of tropical forests?
- Occurs close to the equator
- Warm temperature and 12 hour day time
- Temperature remains roughly constant through out the year
- High rain fall and year around rain fall
- Poor soil due to high rainfall
- Dense vegetation
- Broad leaves
- Has many tree dwelling animals
Why is farming in cleared rain forests difficult?
Poor soil conditions. The organic matter that replenishes the nutrients in the soil is removed with the clearing of the rain forest.
Name some organisms that live in rain forests?
Snakes, insects, frogs, monkeys, birds
What is a savanna?
A Biomes dominated by isolated trees and large grass lands
What are the characteristics of a savanna?
- Small rainfall
- Large grasslands and isolated trees
- Brief rainy season
- Poor and dry soils
- Plants are adapted to conserve water: Small leaves
- Migrating animals bases on availability of food and water during seasons
- Large grazing animals and their predators and insects and snakes
What are some animals living in Savannas?
African elephant, Lion, Kangaroo
What is a desert?
A dry terrestrial biomes
What are the characteristics of a desert?
Very little and unpredictable rainfall
What are the adaptations of desert plants to the arid conditions?
- Deep rooted shrubs to access moisture in the ground
- Succulents that stores water : Eg. Cacti
- Waxy coating on leaves to prevent water loss
What are some adaptations of desert animals?
- Small and lives in burrows
2. Nocturnal
How do fires help maintain the grasslands in the Savanna ?
Large trees are subject to burning and being destroyed whereas the growing edge of the tall grass is under the surface that can survive the fires
What is a Chaparral?
A Biome that has dense spiny shrubs with tough evergreen leaves
What are the weather conditions in a Chaparral?
mild rainy winters and hot dry summers with forest fires during summer E,g California
How do Chaparral plants adapt to forest fires?
- Leaves contains flamable chemicals that burns fast
- Uses food reserves in the surviving roots to spread
- Seeds germinate after fires
What are temperate grasslands?
Tree less regions consisting of vast expanses of grass
What are some characteristics of temperate grass lands?
- Cold winters
- 10 -30 inches rainfall per year
- Large grazing animals like horses, bisons
What factors control the growth of tall trees in temperate grass lands?
Forest fires, grazing animals and low rainfall
What are temperate broad leaf forests?
Biomes that has sufficient moisture to support large trees with wide leaves such as Oak or Hickory
What are the characteristics of temperate broad leaf forests?
- Broad temperature change during the year
- High annual precipitation evenly distributed through out the year
- A fall season where trees loose the leaves
- Fertile soil
What are coniferous forests?
Biomes dominated by cone bearing evergreen trees
What is are the climate characteristics of coniferous forests?
Long cold winters and short mild summers
What are some characteristics of coniferous forests?
Acidic soil due to leaves of coniferous trees,
What are some animals living in coniferous forests?
moose, elk, bear, wolf
What is a Tundra?
An area between the Taiga and the polar ice cap
What is permafrost?
Frozen subsoil
Why do plants in arctic Tundra have shallow roots?
Roots cannot penetrate the frozen subsoil or permafrost
What are some animals in the arctic Tundra?
Polar bears, Caribou, Arctic fox
Name some abiotic factors that contributes to rarity of trees in the arctic Tundra?
short growing season, permfrost, long cold winters, high winds
What is the least diverse Biome?
Arctic Tundra
What is the most diverse Biome?
Rain forests
