Ecology and Biosphere

Question 1

what are the different levels ecologist work at?

Answer 1

organismal, population, community, ecosystem, landscape, global

Question 2

what is organismal ecology?

Answer 2

study of individual organism

Question 3

what is population ecology?

Answer 3

study of population or a group of individuals ( factors effecting factors)

Question 4

what is community ecolody?

Answer 4

study of populations of different species and their interactions

Question 5

what is ecosystem ecology?

Answer 5

study of communities of organisms and affects of abiotic factors

Question 6

What is biogeography?

Answer 6

distribution of living things and the abiotic (non-living) factors that affect their distribution

Question 7

What are some examples of abiotic factors?

Answer 7

temperature, rainfall, latitude and elevation, seasonality, bodies of water

Question 8

what role does latitude play in climate determination?

Answer 8

the closer you get to the equator the hotter the climate is and vice versa.

Question 9

how does seasonal variation affect sunlight intensity?

Answer 9

the earth tilts on its axis, thus in the summer the northern hemisphere tilts towards the sun and away from sun in the winter

Question 10

what do ocean currents do to influence the climate?

Answer 10

Large bodies of water moderate terrestrial climate

Question 11

what is an ecotone?

Answer 11

places where biomes blend into each other

Question 12

what are the characteristics of tropical forests?

Answer 12

constant rainfall, high temperatures, vertically layer plant life, great diversity of animal life

Question 13

what are the characteristics of a desert?

Answer 13

very dry, temperature range from -30 to 50 C, low widely scattered vegetation, nocturnal animals

Question 14

what are the characteristics of savanna ?

Answer 14

grasslands and scattered trees, dry season last up to 9 months, fires to control vegetation, large herbivores

Question 15

what are the characteristics of a chaparral?

Answer 15

highly distributed, dry summers, winter is cool and summer is warm, shrubs and small tress, goats and deer, birds and insects

Question 16

what are the characteristics of temperate grasslands?

Answer 16

rainfall seasonal with wetter summers and dryer winters, cold winters and hot summers, grasses are dominate and survive drought and fire

Question 17

what are the characteristics of northern coniferous forest?

Answer 17

largest terrestrial biome on earth across north america and eurasia, moderate rainfull, cone bearing trees, diverse animal life

Question 18

what are the characteristics of a tundra?

Answer 18

artic and antartic regions about 20% of the earth’s surface, mosses, grasses, shrubs, permafrost restricts plan growth, caribou, wolves and fox

Question 19

what are the characteristics of temperate broadleaf forest?

Answer 19

rainfall all season, vertical plant canopy with one or two layers of understory trees, many mammals and birds

Question 20

what are aquatics biomes?

Answer 20

they are characterized by physical and chemical environment, marine biomes known by 3% salt conc. and fresh are known by less than 0.1 salt conc.

Question 21

Explain the ocean’s importance

Answer 21

makes up largest marine biome covering 75% if the plant, evaporation from oceans causes most rainfall, algae and photosynthetic bacteria produce oxygen and consume co2

Question 22

what are lakes

Answer 22

standing bodies of water, ponds to great lakes, can be thousands of feet deep

Question 23

What are oligotrophic lakes?

Answer 23

nutrient poor and oxygen rich, have less surface area to depth, larger limnetic zone

Question 24

What are eutrophic lakes?

Answer 24

nutrient rich and oxygen poor, more surface area to depth, larger littoral zone

Question 25

what are wetlands?

Answer 25

-area filled and surrounded by water at least some of the time and supports life adapted to water saturation,
-they are high in organic production by plants and high decomposition by microbes
-natural water treatment as nutrients and chemical pollutants are filtered

Question 26

what is a riverine?

Answer 26

wetlands develop in shallows along streams and rivers

Question 27

what is a fringe?

Answer 27

wetlands develop along coast of lakes and oceans where water flows back and forth due to tides and flooding

Question 28

characteristics and importance of streams and rivers

Answer 28

speed and volume flow
-headwater streams are usually cold, clear, fast, and turbulent
-downstreams are usually slower warmer and more turbid
-chemical composition depends on substrate stream runs through

Question 29

what are estuaries?

Answer 29

an area of transition between a river and the sea

Question 30

what are the importances of estuaries?

Answer 30

very productive biome especially for fish, shellfish and crustaceans, as well as organisms important to the food chain

Question 31

what is the intertidal zone?

Answer 31

submerges through out the day and exposed by the tides, the upper part gets exposed longer than bottom, also has high oxygen and nutrient levels

Question 32

what is the oceanic pelagic zone?

Answer 32

vast realm of ocean blue water and are constantly mixed by wind currents, it also covers 70% of earth’s surface

Question 33

what are some characteristics of a coral reef?

Answer 33

calcium carbonate skeletons of coral, it is a shallow photic zone of sable marine environments, best reefs on windward side of island

Question 34

what is the marine benthic zone?

Answer 34

it is the seafloor of the neritic and pelagic zones, no sunlight, vary from shallow near coastal areas to deep benthic and abyssal zones