Eco Lecture 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

what do ecologists do?

A

describe the distribution and abundance of organisms to solve ecological problems

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2
Q

What are the 5 types of ecological problems?

A

a) conversation
b) environmental issues
c) wildlife and resource management
d) pest control
e) human health

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3
Q

group of populations of different species in an area that interact

A

a community

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4
Q

: a group of individuals of the same species living in an area

A

a population

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5
Q

sets of species and physical environment they are found in

A

ecosystem

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6
Q

sets of ecosystems that are connected

A

landscape

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7
Q

terrestrial treeless biome?

A

tundra

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8
Q

something sudden that comes in and kills individuals from a

population

A

disturbance

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9
Q

is fire a natural disturbance? why?

A

natural as humans have been on the earth for a very long time

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10
Q

what happens to grass after a disturbance?

A

grows back quicker

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11
Q

as long as continual disturbance (on occasion) to a savanna ecosystem, the savanna will have largely ______ dominated ecosystem

A

grass

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12
Q

terrestrial biome with evergreen trees with mostly needle shaped leaves

A

northern coniferous forest

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13
Q

terrestrial biome with broadly shaped leaves that drop off once a year; on the northern hemisphere

A

temperate broad leaf forest

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14
Q

terrestrial biome with broad leaves, evergreens, and that has a broad band across the equator?

A

tropical forest

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15
Q

what is the hypothesis on the pattern of different vegetation in terrestrial ?

A

the pattern is driven by climate

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16
Q

two most important aspects of climate?

A

temperature

precipitation

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17
Q

distribution of tropical forest

A

occurs in equational and sub equatorial regions

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18
Q

temp of tropical forest year round?

A

little seasonal change; hot

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19
Q

plants in tropical forest

A

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

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20
Q

precipitation of the tropical rain forest and the tropical dry forest?

A

tropical rain forest: rainfall is pretty constant;

Tropical dry forest: highly seasonal;

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21
Q

distribution of desert biome?

A

occur in bands 30 degrees north and south latitude or at other latitudes in the interior of continents

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22
Q

precipitation of desert biome?

A

low and highly variable

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23
Q

plants of desert biome?

A

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.

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24
Q

human impact on desert biomes?

A

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

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25
Q

savanna distribution?

A

equatorial and sub equatorial regions

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26
Q

savanna precipitation

A

seasonal rainfall low; dry season

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27
Q

plants of savanna?

A

Thorny, small leafed trees; common fires during dry season→ dominant plants have adapted to the fires and are tolerant for the dry season

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28
Q

distribution of temperate grasslands?

A

South Africa, Hungary, Argentina, Uruguay, Russia, plains and prairies of North America

29
Q

precipitation of temperate grasslands?

A

highly seasonal (dry winter, wet summer);

30
Q

temp of temperate grasslands?

A

cold winter; hot summer

31
Q

desert biome temperature?

A

highly variable both seasonally and daily;

32
Q

plants of temperate grasslands?

A

dominant plants are grasses and forbs vary in height from few centimeters to 2 meters; grasses can grow quickly after a drought or fire; grazing animals helps prevent woody shrubs and trees entering grasslands

33
Q

distribution of northern coniferous forest?

A

broadband across northern NA and Eurasia to edge of arctic; largest terrestrial biome

34
Q

precipitation of northern coniferous forest?

A

periodic droughts common; some in US pacific

35
Q

temperature of northern coniferous forest?

A

cold winter; hot summer

36
Q

plants of northern coniferous forest?

A

dominated by cone bearing trees (pine, spruce, fir, hemlock) some of these depend on fire to regenerate

37
Q

distribution of temperate broad leaf forest?

A

mainly at mid latitudes in Northern hemisphere

38
Q

precipitation of temperate broadleaf forest?

A

distributed somewhat evenly with summer rain and winter snow

39
Q

temperatiure of temperate broadleaf forest

A

winter (0 degrees), summer (max temp 35 degrees) and hot and humid

40
Q

plants of temperate broadleaf forest?

A

distinct vertical layers (closed canopy, one or two strata of understory trees, herb layer); Northern hemisphere → deciduous trees are dominant which shed leaves for winter; Australia→ evergreen eucalyptus trees are dominant

41
Q

_________ plays a big role in the transition from forested to non-forested biomes?

A

precipitation

42
Q

definition of
can or cannot get there is a potential limit to a species; maybe just didn’t get there and their home now is fine
barrier
time limit

A

dispersal/ movement

43
Q

_________: something about habitat that prevents species from thriving
too cold?
too dry?
too salty (water organisms)?

A

abiotic factors

44
Q

____:insufficient food resources?
predators?
disease?

A

biotic factors

45
Q

what did the coyote range expansion have to do with?

A

wolves

46
Q

grey wolf used to occupy most of ______

A

north america

47
Q

if wolves and coyotes compete for the same resource who wins?

A

wolf

48
Q

do wolves prefer grassland or woodland? coyotes?

A

wolves–> woodland

coyotes–> grasslands

49
Q

what facilitated the expansion of the coyote?

A

the elimination of the wolf; biotic factors

50
Q

of individuals per unit area

A

density

51
Q

of individuals that belong to a population

A

abundance

52
Q

looks at changes in abundance of a species

A

populatin dynamics

53
Q

explain why deserts are not located at the equator despite them being the hottest biomes

A

hottest at the equator, air begins to warm here
air rises and cools
cool air doesn’t hold as much moisture and it rains, (rainforest band)
while the air rises more air comes in to replace it
→ circulation cell

-doesn’t rain, and it picks up moisture at surface before bringing it to the rainforests

54
Q

what causes outbreak of desert locust?

A

fast population growth–> quick and large change in abundance

55
Q
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_change depends on:
birth
death 
immigration (came into pop)
emigration (left pop)
A

population growth, N

56
Q

what specifies a closed population

A

no immigration or emmigration

57
Q

what is “R”

A

difference between births and deaths in a population –> individuals added to a population

58
Q

what is “r”

A

per capital rate of population growth

59
Q

r is positive, population is ____

A

increasing

60
Q

r is negative., population is ____

A

decreasing

61
Q

specific open population characteristic?

A

there is a difference between immigration and emigration

62
Q

the difference between immigration and emigration rates is called ____ represented by the variable __

A

net per capital migration rate, m

63
Q

female locust egg laying explanation

A

the female locusts would sense the vegetation, feed, produce the eggs (more than usual) and lay eggs in soil around vegetation (good egg survival) then when the eggs hatch there is food for the young locusts (high young survival rate)

64
Q

distribution of eggs of locusts are ___

A

clumped

65
Q

is the density high in young hoppers?

A

no

66
Q

population of solitary forms –> population of swarms

pale–> dark and sociable

A

gregarization

67
Q

when do locusts solitary forms fly? gregarious forms?

A

night (one); day (many)

68
Q

the main driver of gregarious changes

A

serotonin

69
Q

explain why gregarious goes back to solitary forms in desert locusts?

A

rains ends → no new food
already have eaten all old food
no more crowing
not happy eatng together, resort back to solitary form