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climate and ecology Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

adaptation

A

evolutionary process where an organism becomes better able to live in their habitat

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2
Q

biome

A

group of ecosystems with the same climate, dominate plants, and animals

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3
Q

ecology

A

study of living things and how they interact with their environment

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4
Q

ecosystem

A

living and nonliving things that interact in an area

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5
Q

marine

A

marshes, tidal zones, estuaries, lagoon, coral reef

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6
Q

wetland

A

marshes or swamps

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7
Q

types of adaptations

A

structural, physiological, behavioral

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8
Q

species

A

an organism that can reproduce and produce a fertile offspring

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9
Q

biotic factors

A

living factors that affect the environment

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10
Q

community

A

group of different populations in an area

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11
Q

habitat

A

where an organism lives and gets its needs met (food, shelter, air)

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12
Q

niche

A

your habitat and you role in it (mother/child, predator/prey)

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13
Q

population

A

group of organisms that belong to the same species in an area

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14
Q

how do you estimate a population size

A

using quadrats and the mark recpature methods

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15
Q

examples of abiotic factors and their impact

A

fossil fuels: carbon dioxide in put into the atmosphere, rocks: release calcium, magnesium, potassium waterL involved in photosynthesis

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16
Q

competitive exclusion principle

A

two species that compete for the exact same resources cannot stably coexist

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17
Q

autotroph

A

makes their own food,

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18
Q

carbon cycle

A

process by which carbon travels from the atmosphere into organisms and the earth and then back into the atmosphere

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19
Q

carnivore

A

eats only meat (lion)

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20
Q

carrying capacity

A

species average population size in a particular habitat

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21
Q

commensalism

A

when one organism gets helped and the other not affected(bird nest/tree, barnacle/whale)

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22
Q

cooperation

A

where groups of organisms work together for mutual benefits

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23
Q

exponential growth

A

when the resources availability is unlimited so the pop grows at an exponential rate

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24
Q

herbivore

A

eats only plants (cow)

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25
Q

heterotroph

A

need to find and eat foods (carnivores, herbivores, omnivores)

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26
Q

limiting factor

A

the factor that limits the reaction rate in any physiological process

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27
Q

mutualism

A

when both organisms help each other (bee, flower)

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28
Q

nitrogen cycle

A

process by which nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms as it circulates the atmosphere and different ecosystems

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29
Q

omnivore

A

eats meat and plants (bear)

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30
Q

parasitism

A

when one benfits (parasite) and one is harmed (host) but not necessarily killed (tick/dog, mistletoe/deciduous tree)

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31
Q

predation

A

the preying of one animal on others

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32
Q

prey

A

organism that is hunted

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33
Q

producer

A

makes their own food from minerals, water and sunlight

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34
Q

scavenger

A

organism that eats already dead animals (hyenas, vultures)

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35
Q

succession

A

process by which ecosystems change and develop over time

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36
Q

symbiosis

A

two organisms that depend on each

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37
Q

trophic level

A

an organisms position on the food web

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38
Q

difference between exponential growth curve and linear

A

exponential growth is much faster

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39
Q

what is a limiting factor and how does is affect carrying capacity

A

limiting factors determine the carrying capacity of a population

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40
Q

types of interaction in a community

A

predation, competition, and symbiosis

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41
Q

what are resources that organisms compete for

A

air, water, food, space

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42
Q

what is interdependence

A

the dependence of two or more organisms on each other

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43
Q

difference between predation and parisitism

A

parisitism the parisite live in the host whereas predation is the process of conquer and eat

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44
Q

difference between cooperation and mutualism

A

mutualism is beneficial interaction between organisms whereas cooperation is looser interactions and a general term

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45
Q

how do prey affect predator population

A

an increase in prey an increase in predator

46
Q

difference between secondary succession to primary succession

A

primary: occurs following an opening a habitat, secondary: response to a disturbance

47
Q

what is a food chain, how does it relate to trophic levels

A

a hierarchy of organisms and how each are dependent on the next for food. The trophic level of an organism is the number of steps it is from the start of the chain

48
Q

difference between primary, secondary, tertiary consumers

A

primary are herbivores, secondary are carnivores/omnivores and tertiary are apex predators that feed on the primary and secondary consumers

49
Q

describe the structure of the ecological pyramid

A

a graphic representation of the relationship between different organisms in an ecosystem

50
Q

where does the energy go when it moves through a food chain

A

it moves up in the chain to each organisms

51
Q

what is a food web, what are the organisms involved and how are they related

A

a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains, plants and animals are involved and they relate because it shows how they all are connected

52
Q

denitrification

A

loss/removal of nitrogen that usually results in the escape of nitrogen into the air

53
Q

mark and recapture

A

how to estimate an animals population size

54
Q

nitrogen fixation

A

process by which nitrogen in the air is converted into ammonia

55
Q

transpiration

A

process of water movement through a plant and its evaporation

56
Q

photosynthesis

A

process by which plants take in c02 and release o2

57
Q

behavioral adaptation

A

things organisms do to survive (bird calls, migration)

58
Q

biosphere

A

part of earth that has life

59
Q

pioneer species

A

are the first to colonize at a previously damaged ecosystem (fungi, bacteria, lichen)

60
Q

lightning

A

high current electric charge in the atmosphere

61
Q

random sampling

A

used to examine difference between contrasting habitats within a habitat

62
Q

greenhouse effect

A

atmospheric heating cause by radiation being transmitted inward through the earths atmosphere

63
Q

albedo

A

amount of solar energy that gets reflected off the earth and back into space

64
Q

feedback

A

effect that change in one part of an ecosystem has on another

65
Q

mechanisms

A

a system of interacting parts and processes that produce an effect on another

66
Q

microclimate

A

climate of a very small area

67
Q

leeward

A

a place that is protected from the prevailing wind

68
Q

specific heat

A

amount of heat on gram of a substance must absorb/lose to change it temp by 1 degree C

69
Q

topography

A

arrangement of natural/artficial feature of an area

70
Q

rainshadow

A

a dry area on the leeward side of a mountain area

71
Q

aerosols

A

suspension of fine solid particles/liquid droplets in the air can be natural or artificial (fog, dust, haze)

72
Q

windward

A

place that faces the prevailing wind

73
Q

permafrost

A

thick subsurface layer of soil that remains frozen all throughout the year

74
Q

major factors that affect climate

A

latitude, elevation, nearby water, ocean currents, topography, vegetation, prevailing winds

75
Q

two main types of environmental data used to classify climate

A

temperature and precipitation

76
Q

causes of seasons

A

the tilt of earths rotational axis away/toward the sun

77
Q

natural causes of climate change

A

volcanic eruptions, ocean currents, solar variations, earths orbit

78
Q

similarities and differences of greenhouse effect and global warming

A

they both involve the heating of the earth, however global warming can have many different causes whereas greenhouse gas effect is caused by carbon dioxide and greenhouse gasses absorbing radiation

79
Q

major greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere

A

water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone

80
Q

how does depletion of the ozone layer impact the planet

A

increases the amount of uv rays that reach the earth so it can increase the rate of skin cancer, immune system damage

81
Q

biodiversity

A

the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem

82
Q

sustainable

A

based on a long pd of time, we conserve the productivity of the waters, soil and ecosystems

83
Q

list and describe species interactions

A

mutualism, commensalism, predation, competition, and parisitism

84
Q

affects of population growth/decline

A

pop growth: running out of room for people so they are using ecologically sensitive areas (tropical forests etc)
decline: impacts economic growth

85
Q

three types of growth curves

A

linear, exponential or cubic

86
Q

why does the typical population growth pattern have an s shape

A

the population grows slowly in the beginning the has a sharp increase in growth rate

87
Q

what is a density dependent limiting factor

A

factors who affect the size or growth of population based on the size of the population (food, predation, disease)

88
Q

what is a density-independent limiting factor

A

factors that are not dependent on the number of individuals in a population (earthquake)

89
Q

erosion

A

the process of eroding by wind water or other natural occurrences

90
Q

estuary

A

tidal mouth of a large river where the tide meets the stream

91
Q

nonpoint source

A

pollution that is due to lad runoff, precipitation, drainage etc

92
Q

benthic

A

study of organisms that make up the bottom communities in bodies of waters

93
Q

deforestation

A

permanent removal of trees to make room fr something else

94
Q

desertification

A

process by which fertile land becomes desert due to drought, deforestation etc

95
Q

photic

A

surface layer of a body of water that receives sunlight

96
Q

environmental issues of land and water biomes

A

land: deforestation, agriculture development, erosion
water: oil spilage, overfishing, acidification, marine pollution, sea temp rise

97
Q

biologic magnification

A

increase buildup of toxic substances within organisms

98
Q

invasive

A

an organisms not native to an ecosystem and causes harm

99
Q

organism

A

one member of a species

100
Q

climate

A

the average temp and precip in a certain area

101
Q

why does the arrow in a food chain point towards the consumer

A

shows the transfer of energy from one organism to another

102
Q

human factor

A

factor caused by human actions: pollutions, trees cut down, global warming

103
Q

decomposer

A

digests and absorbs nutrients from decaying organisms (mushrooms, bacteria)

104
Q

abiotic factor

A

nonliving factors that affect the environment (sun, wind, water)

105
Q

tropical rainforest

A

found at equator, high temp, high rainfall, high humidity, little humus and organic litter, poor soil, high biodiversity, threats: deforestation, agriculture

106
Q

temperate deciduous forests

A

30-50 n latitude, trees drop leaves in fall to save energy, seasons, rich layer of humus, fertile soil, NA, EU, Asia, broad thin leaves with large surface areas for mx light absorption, seeds and underground stems survive winters, high biodiversity, birds migrate to warmer weather, mammal hibernation

107
Q

taiga

A

north coniferous forests south of arctic circle, long cold winters (6-10 mo), short grpwing seasons, constant sun, snow precip, conifer leaves are thin and waxy to retain water, cones protect seeds, high biodiversity in summer, birds migrate south in winter, animal fur is thick,

108
Q

temperate grasslands

A

prairies, steppes, pampas, inland part of continent, grass is main vegetation, very fertile soil, little rain, fires, grass survives year to year, few trees survive, dense root system, few large herbivores, underground burrows, agriculture threats (wheat, corn), overgrazing (soil erosion)

109
Q

deserts

A

rich soil, little organic matter, some made by rainshadow effect, rain falls on windward side of mountains, dry air sweeps over leeward side, thick fleshy stems, spines on plants to protect against predators, sudden growth spurts, animal adaptations: summer sleep (estivation), nocturnal, absorb water from food, increase in resedential areas, recreational vehichle threats, cold at night hot during day

110
Q

tundra

A

permafrost, pools of water lots of insects, treeless, mosses and lichen covered rocks, short woody plants, reproduce quickly in summer, migratory birds, reindeer and caribou, small rodents, oil removal and transportation, land easily damaged and slow recovery

111
Q

amount of energy that is passed from one level on the food pyramid to the next

A

10%

112
Q

characteristics of living things

A

reproduce, have cells, dna, use energy, grow, react to environment, evolve, maintain homeostatsis

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