Climate

Question 1

Climatic factors: temperature

Answer 1

directly influences physiological processes and indirectly influences resource needs

Question 2

What is a poikilotherm?

Answer 2

An ectotherm, meaning a cold-blooded animal that lacks the ability to control its temperature internally

Question 3

What is a homeotherm?

Answer 3

An endotherm, meaning a warm-blooded animal that creates heat using its metabolism and other adaptations like fur, fat, feathers, migration, etc.

Question 4

Climatic factors: light

Answer 4

availability determines plant distribution patterns

Question 5

Edaphic factors affecting climate (edaphic means soil-related)

Answer 5

Soil texture, structure, organic matter, soil acidity, alkalinity, and biologicals

Question 6

Geomorphic factors affecting climate

Answer 6

Landform attributes like slope steepness, aspect, and position

Question 7

The theory of tolerance

Answer 7

each species is able to exist and reproduce successfully only within a range of values for a particular environmental factor and, therefore, extreme conditions may control a species distribution

Question 8

Define photoperiodism

Answer 8

the biological implications of variations in day length due to the rotation of the earth (24 hour day/night cycle) and axial tilt of the earth (creating seasonal variations in day/night length)

Question 9

Tell me about long-day plants

Answer 9

They flower after exposure to long days and short nights in the spring and they are predominant in cool temperatures and polar latitudes (ex. red clover, spinach, oat, carnation, etc.)

Question 10

Tell me about short-day plants

Answer 10

They flower after exposure to short days and long nights in the fall and are predominant in warm temperate and subtropical climates (ex. Japanese anemone, rice, hemp, cotton, etc.)

Question 11

Name some neutral plants that are neither long-day or short-day plants

Answer 11

cucumber, tomato, roses, etc.

Question 12

Why does the seasonal solar radiation receipt vary with latitude?

Answer 12

because of day length variations and solar angle, which produces seasonal variations in surface temperature of the earth

Question 13

What is the temperature during chilling compared to frost?

Answer 13

chilling occurs when the temperature is above 0, frost occurs when the temperature is below 0

Question 14

Define supercooling

Answer 14

when liquids within plant cells can be cooled far below 0 degrees without freezing… sugar and other molecules are added to the water in plant tissues to allow this to happen

Question 15

Define frost tolerance

Answer 15

water moves out of plant cells in response to freezing temperatures, allowing ice to form between the cell walls where it is not destructive

Question 16

Evolved responses of animals to cold temperatures

Answer 16

growth of fur and feathers, shorter/smaller extremities, larger body size, etc.

Question 17

Seasonal responses of animals to cold temperatures

Answer 17

fat storage, metabolic changes, migration, hibernation, etc.

Question 18

Seasonal responses of plants to cold temperatures

Answer 18

metabolic changes like glycoproteins suppressing ice formation in plants to allow for supercooling, deciduousness when plants lose sensitive parts, etc.

Question 19

Define exothermic reactions in plants

Answer 19

An ice-formation event where intracellular ice can form within plant cells and rupture them when the temperature is too cold, killing the tree or plant

Question 20

What controls the equatorial limits of temperate and boreal species?

Answer 20

similar heat injury ranges, stratification (the chilling requirements for seed germination), and vernalization (the chilling requirements for blossoming)

Question 21

Define dormancy

Answer 21

characterized by the inability to achieve normal growth, a biological adaptation to a region with decreasing temperatures and shorter day length

Question 22

Define vernalization

Answer 22

the period of cold weather exposure experienced by plants and trees, which actually enables them to produce buds/fruit when warmer temperatures arise

Question 23

Define stenothermal

Answer 23

a species only able to stand a small temperature range

Question 24

Define eurythermal

Answer 24

a species able to tolerate a wide range of temperatures