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Ecology Exam > Ecology Exam 1 > Flashcards

Ecology Exam 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Controlled experiment

A

experimental groups are compared with a control group that lacks the factor being tested

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2
Q

Ecology

A

scientific study of how organisms affect, and are affected by, other organisms and their environment

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3
Q

Environmental Science

A

incorporates concepts from the natural sciences & the social sciences & focuses on how people affect the environment & how to address environmental problems

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4
Q

Spatial scale

A

Small: soil microorganisms
Large: atmospheric pollutants

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5
Q

Temporal scale

A

Short: leaf response to sunlight
Long: species change over geologic time

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6
Q

Population

A

group of individuals of a single species that live in a particular area & interact with one another

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7
Q

Community

A

association of populations of different species in the same area

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8
Q

Abiotic

A

(Nonliving) physical components of natural system

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9
Q

Biotic

A

living components of natural system

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10
Q

Ecosystem

A

community of organism plus their physical environment

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11
Q

Landscape

A

areas with substantial differences, typically including multiple ecosystem

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12
Q

Biosphere

A

all living organisms on Earth plus the environments in which they live

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13
Q

Evolution

A

Change in genetic characteristics of a population over time

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14
Q

Descent with modification

A

organisms gradually accumulate differences from their ancestors

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15
Q

Producer

A

use energy from an external source (sun) to produce their own food

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16
Q

Consumer

A

get energy by eating other organisms or their remains

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17
Q

Net Primary Production (NPP)

A

Energy captured by producers minus amount lost as heat in cellular respiration

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18
Q

Adaptation

A

characteristic that improves survival or reproduction

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19
Q

Natural Selection

A

individuals with certain adaptations tend to survive and reproduce at a higher rate than other individual

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20
Q

Nutrient Cycle

A

nutrients are continuously recycled from the physical environment to organisms & back again

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21
Q

Climate Change

A

directional change in climate (global warming) that occurs over 30 years or longer

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22
Q

Replication

A

performing each treatment more than once; reduces possibility that results are due to a variable that was not measured or controlled in the study

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23
Q

Scientific Study

A

iterativ & self-correcting process by which scientists learn about the natural world

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24
Q

Anadromous

A

Return to streams from ocean to spawn (salmon)

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25
Q

Weather

A

Current conditions (temp., precipitation, humidity, cloud cover)

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26
Q

Climate

A

Long-term weather, based on averages and variation measured over decades

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27
Q

Latent heat flux

A

Heat loss due to evaporation

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28
Q

Conduction

A

Kinetic energy is transferred by molecules in direct contact with one another

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29
Q

Convection

A

Energy transfer by movements of air or water currents

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30
Q

Sensible heat flux

A

Energy transfer from warm air immediately above the surface to the cooler atmosphere by convection and conduction

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31
Q

Greenhouse gases

A 
Gases that absorb and reradiate the infrared radiation emitted by Earth
Water Vapor (H2O)
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Methane (CH4)
Nitrous oxide (N2O)
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32
Q

Uplift

A

Rising of warm, less dense air

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33
Q

Atmospheric pressure

A

Pressure in the air, decreases with altitude so that the rising air expands and cools

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34
Q

Subsidence

A

High pressure zone at about 30 degrees N and 30 degrees S

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35
Q

Hadley cells

A

Large scale circulation patterns resulting from uplift in the tropics

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36
Q

Polar cells

A

High pressure zones with little precipitation at the North and South poles

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37
Q

Ferrell cells

A

Cells at the mid-latitudes

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38
Q

Coriolis effect

A

Effect when wind is deflected due to the rotation of the Earth

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39
Q

Heat capactiy

A

Can absorb and store more energy without changing temperature

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40
Q

Upwelling

A

Deep ocean water rises to the surface, influence coastal climates

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41
Q

Great ocean conveyor belt

A

Interconnected system of ocean currents that link the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans

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42
Q

Lapse rate

A

Temperature decreases with elevation

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43
Q

Maritime climate

A

Little daily and seasonal variation in temperature, and high humidity

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44
Q

Continental climate

A

Greater variation in daily and seasonal temperatures

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45
Q

Rain shadow effect

A

Windward slope facing the prevailing winds has high precipitation and lush vegetation; leeward slope gets little precipitation

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46
Q

Cordilleras

A

Large mountain chains, can channel movement of air masses

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47
Q

Albedo

A

Amount of solar radiation a surface reflects; light colored surfaces have highest albedo

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48
Q

Evapotranspiration

A

Water loss through transpiration by plants, plus evaporation from the soil

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49
Q

Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

A

Zone of maximum solar radiation and atmospheric uplift

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50
Q

Stratified

A

Warm surface water on top of colder, denser water results in layers that do not mix (determines movement of nutrients and oxygen)

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51
Q

Turnover

A

Complete mixing of water in the spring and fall, when water temperature and density become uniform with depth

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52
Q

El nino southern oscillation (ENSO)

A

Longer scale climate variations that occur every 3 to 8 years, positions of high and low pressure systems over the equatorial Pacific switch

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53
Q

La nina

A

Stronger phases, with high pressure off the coast of South America and low pressure in the Western Pacific (Usually follow El nino, but tend to be less frequent)

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54
Q

North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)

A

Atmospheric pressure ocean current oscillation that affects climate in Europe, Northern Asia, and the eastern coast of North America

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55
Q

Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)

A

Same as NAO but affects climate around the North Pacific

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56
Q

Glacial maxima

A

Formation of glaciers

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57
Q

Interglacial periods

A

Glacial melting

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58
Q

Milankovitch cycles

A

Changes in the shape of Earth’s orbit and the tilt of its axis

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59
Q

Salinity

A

Concentration of dissolved salts in water

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60
Q

Salinization

A

Soils in arid regions become saline when water is brought to the surface by plant roots or irrigation and high rates of evapotranspiration result in salt build up

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61
Q

Acidity

A

Ability of a solution to act as an acid (Gives up H+)

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62
Q

Alkalinity

A

Ability of a solution to act as a base (Takes H+)

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63
Q

Hypoxic

A

Low oxygen conditions can promote formation of toxic chemicals

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64
Q

Megafauna

A

animals larger than 100 lbs

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65
Q

Biosphere

A

Zone of life on Earth, between lithosphere (crust) and troposphere (atmosphere)

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66
Q

Biome

A

Large scale biological communities shaped by physical environment in which they are found

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67
Q

Convergence

A

evolution of similar growth forms among distantly related species in response to similar selection pressures

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68
Q

Deciduousness

A

seasonal shedding of leaves

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69
Q

Succulence

A

development of fleshy water storage tissues

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70
Q

Land use change

A

effects of land conversion and resource extraction by humans are increasingly apparent on the land surface

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71
Q

Savanna

A

communities dominated by grasses with intermixed trees and shrubs

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72
Q

Desertification

A

long-term droughts in association with un sustainable grazing practices can result in loss of plants cover and soil erosion

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73
Q

Climate diagram

A

display characteristic seasonal patterns of air temperature and precipitation at a representative location in that biome

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74
Q

Permafrost

A

subsurface soil layer that remains frozen year round for at least 3 years

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75
Q

Benthic zone

A

Bottom of the stream that is the home to invertebrates (Ex: mayfly and fly)

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76
Q

Detritus

A

Dead organic matter

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77
Q

Hyporheic zone

A

portion of the substrate below and adjacent to a stream bed where water movement still occurs, either from the stream or from groundwater moving into the stream

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78
Q

Macrophytes

A

rooted or floating aquatic vascular plant

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79
Q

Lentic

A

of or referring to still water

80
Q

Pelagic zone

A

the open water column of a lake or ocean

81
Q

Plankton

A

small, often microscopic organisms, that live suspend in water
mobile , none can swim strongly enough to overcome water currents

82
Q

Phytoplankton

A

photosynthetic plankton

83
Q

Photic zone

A

surface layer of a lake or ocean where enough light penetrates to allow photosynthesis

84
Q

Zooplankton

A

non photosynthetic plankton

85
Q

Littoral zone

A

nearshore zone of a lake where the photic zone reaches to the bottom

86
Q

Tides

A

patterns of rising and falling of ocean water generated by the gravitational attraction between earth and the moon and the sun

87
Q

Intertidal

A

referring to the portion of the shoreline that is affected by the rise and fall of the tides

88
Q

Nekton

A

swimming organisms capable of overcoming water currents

89
Q

First order streams

A

smallest streams at the highest elevations in a landscape

90
Q

Riffles

A

fast moving portions of the stream flowing over coarse particles on the stream bed & increase oxygen input into the water

91
Q

Pools

A

deeper portions of the stream where water flows more slowly over a bed of fine sediments

92
Q

River continuum

A

changes in both physical and biological characteristics of a stream

93
Q

Shredders

A

organisms able to tear up and chew leaves

94
Q

Oxbow lake

A

lakes that form when meandering rivers cease to flow through a former channel, leaving this section

95
Q

Estuary

A

junction of a river with the ocean

96
Q

Sessile

A

attached organisms such as barnacles

97
Q

Reefs

A

coral skeletons pile up into massive formations

98
Q

Bleaching

A

changes in ocean temperatures associated with climate change that result in the loss of coral algal partners

99
Q

Sargassum

A

seaweed

100
Q

Tolerance

A

being able to tolerate extreme temperature changes

101
Q

Avoidance

A

avoiding the extreme temperature changes

102
Q

Physiological ecology

A

the examination of the interaction between organisms and the physical environment that influence their survival and persistence

103
Q

Climate envelope

A

a useful tool predicting its response to climate change

104
Q

Stress

A

is the condition in which an environmental change results in a decrease in the rate of an important physiological process

105
Q

Hypoxia

A

amount of oxygen is picked up by the hemoglobin molecules in your blood decreases “altitude sickness”

106
Q

Acclimatization

A

ability to adjust physiology, morphology, or behavior to lessen the effect of an environmental change (short-term and reversible)

107
Q

Adaptation

A

process involving a change that minimizes stress (long-term)

108
Q

Ecotypes

A

populations with adaptations to unique environments

109
Q

Dormacy

A

A state that an organism enters and survive periods of extreme heat or cold; in which there are little or no metabolic activity

110
Q

Enzymes

A

is a protein based molecule that catalyze the biochemical reactions

111
Q

Isozymes

A

species producing different forms of enzymes

112
Q

Conduction

A

the direct transfer of energy from warmer, more rapidly moving molecules to cooler, more slowly moving molecules

113
Q

Convection

A

heat transfer that is carried by cool water and air move across the surface of a warmer body

114
Q

Latent heat transfer

A

State of water from liquid to vapor as it evaporates on the skin’s surface absorbs body heat

115
Q

Radiation

A

mobile animals avoid this by moving to the shade

116
Q

Stomates

A

Pores surrounded by guard cells that control the rate of transpiration

117
Q

Pubescence

A

the presence of light-colored or white hairs on leaf surface

118
Q

Boundary layer

A

Zone of turbulent flow

119
Q

Ectotherms

A

animals that regulate their body temperature primarily through energy exchange with the external environment

120
Q

Endotherms

A

animals that rely on internal heat generation

121
Q

Crypsis

A

the camouflage of an animal to escape detection while basking

122
Q

Basal metabolic rate

A

resting metabolic rate

123
Q

Thermoneutral zone

A

the range of environmental temperatures over which endotherms maintain a constant basal metabolic rate

124
Q

Lower Critical Temperature

A

environmental temperature drops to a point where heat loss is greater than metabolic heat production, the body temperature begins to drop which trigger a higher metabolic heat generation

125
Q

Torpor

A

a state of dormancy in which endotherms drop their lower critical temperature and associated metabolic rate

126
Q

Hibernation

A

Torpor lasting several weeks during winter periods; storing enough energy reserves

127
Q

Hyperosmotic

A

greater amount of solute

128
Q

Hypoosmotic

A

less amount of solute

129
Q

Isomoosmotic

A

equal amount of solute

130
Q

Potential energy

A

(stored energy) following the energy gradient

131
Q

Pressure

A

influence of muscles exerting pressure on the water flow

132
Q

Osmotic Potential

A

energy associate with gravity

133
Q

Pressure (turgor) Potential

A

energy associate with the exertion of pressure

134
Q

Martic Potential

A

energy associated with attractive forces on the surface of large molecules inside cells or on the surface of soil particles

135
Q

Water Potential

A

sum of these energy component within an aqueous system determine its overall water energy status

136
Q

Resistance

A

any forces that impedes the movement or carbon dioxide along an energy gradient

137
Q

Osmotic Adjustment

A

changing of solute concentration

138
Q

Mycorrhizae

A

a fungi that helps plants acquire water from soil through their roots and mutualistic fungi that grow on their root from soil

139
Q

Radiant energy

A

Sunlight

140
Q

Chemical energy

A

Energy stored in the bonds of food molecules

141
Q

Kinetic energy

A

Energy associated with movement of molecules; measured as temperature

142
Q

Autotrophs

A

assimilate energy from sunlight (photosynthesis) or from inorganic compounds (chemosynthesis)

143
Q

Heterotrophs

A

obtain energy by consuming organic compounds from other organisms

144
Q

Detritivores

A

Consume nonliving organic matter

145
Q

Parasites and herbivores

A

Consume live hosts, do not necessarily kill them

146
Q

Predators

A

Capture and consume live prey animals

147
Q

Holoparasites

A

Have no photosynthetic pigments and get energy from other plants

148
Q

Hemiparasite

A

It is photosynthetic but obtains nutrients, water, and some of its energy from the host plant

149
Q

Symbiosis

A

Animals acquire or consume photosynthetic organisms, or live in a close relationship with each other

150
Q

Photosynthesis

A

sunlight provides the energy to take up CO2 & synthesize organic compounds

151
Q

Chemosynthesis (chemolithotrophy)

A

energy from inorganic compounds is used to produce carbohydrates

152
Q

Fixation

A

energy in ATP & NADPH is then used to take up CO2 and make carbohydrates

153
Q

Calvin Cycle

A

Most common biochemical pathway to fix CO2, occurs in both chemosynthetic and photosynthetic organisms

154
Q

Light driven reactions

A

Light energy is harvested and used to split water and provide electrons to make ATP and NADPH

155
Q

Carbon reactions

A

CO2 is fixed in the Calvin cycle, and carbohydrates are synthesized

156
Q

Photons

A

Discrete units of light

157
Q

Light response curve

A

Show relationship between light levels and photosynthetic rate

158
Q

Light compensation point

A

Where CO2 uptake is balanced by CO2 loss by respiration

159
Q

Saturation point

A

When photosynthesis no longer increases as light increases

160
Q

Photorespiration (oxygenase reaction)

A

O2 is taken up, carbon compounds are broken down, and CO2 is released

161
Q

C4 Photosynthetic pathway

A

Reduces photorespiration and evolved independently several times

162
Q

Water use efficiency

A

Most C4 plants have lower rates of transpiration at a given photosynthetic rate

163
Q

Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM)

A

Plants that minimize water loss by opening their stomata at night and when humidity is high, closes them during the day

164
Q

Detritus

A

Organic material derived from dead organisms

165
Q

Fiber

A

A poor energy source because most heterotrophs cannot break it down

166
Q

Bioremediation

A

Fuels, pesticides, sewage, and other toxic wastes are cleaned up by using microorganisms that can break down the chemicals.

167
Q

Corophagy

A

When an animal reingests their feces to enhance digestion

168
Q

Ruminants

A

Animals with a specialized stomach compartment (rumen) in which large populations of bacteria facilitate the breakdown of cellulose

169
Q

Rumination (cude chewing)

A

Regurgitation of material from a forestomach for additional chewing

170
Q

Omnivores

A

Can adjust their digestive morphologies (consume plants and animals) and produce different digestive enzymes

171
Q

Alleles

A

Inherited genetic code, one from mom and one from dad

172
Q

Genotype

A

Genetic makeup of an individual

173
Q

Evolution

A

Change in allele frequencies in a population over time

174
Q

Descent with modifications

A

As a population accumulates differences over time and a new species forms, it is different from its ancestors, but species has many of the same characteristics as its ancestors and resembles them

175
Q

Natural selection

A

Individuals with certain heritable traits survive and reproduce more successfully than other individuals

176
Q

Phenotype

A

Observable characteristics that are influenced by the genotype

177
Q

Mutation

A

A change in DNA

178
Q

Recombination

A

Produces different genotypes within a population

179
Q

Directional selection

A

Individuals at one phenotypic extremes are favored

180
Q

Stabilizing selection

A

Individuals with an intermediate phenotype are favored

181
Q

Disruptive selection

A

Individuals at both phenotypic extremes are favored

182
Q

Fixation

A

When 100% of population have the favored allele

183
Q

Genetic drift

A

Chance events determine which alleles are passed to the next generation

184
Q

Gene flow

A

Alleles move between populations via movement of individuals or gametes

185
Q

Adaptations

A

Features of organisms that improve their ability to survive and reproduce

186
Q

Adaptive evolution

A

Traits that confer advantages tend to increase in frequency over time

187
Q

Clines

A

Patterns of change in a characteristic over a geographic region

188
Q

Phenotypic plasticity

A

One genotype produces different phenotypes in different environments

189
Q

Ecological trade offs

A

Ability to perform one function may reduce the ability to perform another function

190
Q

Species

A

Group of organisms whose members have similar characteristics and can interbreed

191
Q

Speciation

A

Process by which one species splits into two or more species

192
Q

Evolutionary tree

A

A branching diagram that represents the evolutionary history of a group

193
Q

Tetrapods

A

Vertebrates with four limbs

194
Q

Mass extinction

A

When large proportions of Earth’s species went extinct in a relatively short time

195
Q

Adaptive radiation

A

Increased diversity of the surviving groups

196
Q

Arms Race

A

Predators evolved adaptations to capture prey, and prey evolved adaptations to avoid being eaten

197
Q

Coevolution

A

Reciprocal evolutionary change in interacting species

Ecology Exam (1 decks)

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