Eco Lecture 1 Flashcards
what do ecologists do?
describe the distribution and abundance of organisms to solve ecological problems
What are the 5 types of ecological problems?
a) conversation
b) environmental issues
c) wildlife and resource management
d) pest control
e) human health
group of populations of different species in an area that interact
a community
: a group of individuals of the same species living in an area
a population
sets of species and physical environment they are found in
ecosystem
sets of ecosystems that are connected
landscape
terrestrial treeless biome?
tundra
something sudden that comes in and kills individuals from a
population
disturbance
is fire a natural disturbance? why?
natural as humans have been on the earth for a very long time
what happens to grass after a disturbance?
grows back quicker
as long as continual disturbance (on occasion) to a savanna ecosystem, the savanna will have largely ______ dominated ecosystem
grass
terrestrial biome with evergreen trees with mostly needle shaped leaves
northern coniferous forest
terrestrial biome with broadly shaped leaves that drop off once a year; on the northern hemisphere
temperate broad leaf forest
terrestrial biome with broad leaves, evergreens, and that has a broad band across the equator?
tropical forest
what is the hypothesis on the pattern of different vegetation in terrestrial ?
the pattern is driven by climate
two most important aspects of climate?
temperature
precipitation
distribution of tropical forest
occurs in equational and sub equatorial regions
temp of tropical forest year round?
little seasonal change; hot
plants in tropical forest
vertically layers, competition for light is high
Trees grow above closed canopy, canopy trees, one or two layers of subcanopy trees and layers of shrubs/ herbs
precipitation of the tropical rain forest and the tropical dry forest?
tropical rain forest: rainfall is pretty constant;
Tropical dry forest: highly seasonal;
distribution of desert biome?
occur in bands 30 degrees north and south latitude or at other latitudes in the interior of continents
precipitation of desert biome?
low and highly variable
plants of desert biome?
dominated by low, widely scattered vegetation; the proportion of bare ground is similar to other terrestrial biomes. Plants are succulents like cacti, deeply rooted shrubs and herbs that grow during the rare moist periods.
human impact on desert biomes?
Long-distance water transport and deep groundwater wells have allowed humans to maintain substantial populations in deserts. Reduced biodiversity of some deserts are the result of human urbanization
savanna distribution?
equatorial and sub equatorial regions
savanna precipitation
seasonal rainfall low; dry season
plants of savanna?
Thorny, small leafed trees; common fires during dry season→ dominant plants have adapted to the fires and are tolerant for the dry season