ecology & geology

Question 1

What are species?

Answer 1

Individuals capable of interbreeding

Question 2

What is a community?

Answer 2

Populations of different species living in same area

Question 3

What are ecosystems?

Answer 3

An ecological community and its nonliving environment in which energy flows and chemicals (such as nutrients and water) cycle

Question 4

What are keystone species?

Answer 4

Two or more organisms that interact in complex ways to
affect other organisms in an ecosystem (ex. wolves and elk)

Question 5

What are climax communities?

Answer 5

The “endpoint” of succession within the context of a particular climate and geography

Question 6

What are strategies for restoring the Kissimmee River and are they working?

Answer 6

• Restore historic biological diversity and ecosystem function
• Re-create the historic pattern of wetland plant communities
• Reestablish the historic hydrologic conditions with pro- longed flooding of the floodplain
• Re-create the historic river floodplain environment and its connection to the main river

Question 7

Why is biodiversity important?

Answer 7

Geology influences biodiversity from the smallest scale on a hill slope to continental-scale features such as a mountain range

Question 8

What are threats to biodiversity?

Answer 8

• Extremes in the environment
• Fragmentation by land use transformation
• Intrusion of invasive exotic species
• Habitat simplification or migration barriers

Question 9

What are indigenous species?

Answer 9

Species found in the area where they evolved

Question 10

What are exotic species?

Answer 10

Species brought into an area or region by humans, purposely, or accidentally

Question 11

What are invasive species?

Answer 11

exotic species that compete with indigenous species to displace them

Question 12

What are ecological niches?

Answer 12

The match of a species to a specific environmental condition
It describes how an organism or population responds to the distribution of resources and competitors and how it in turn alters those same factors

Question 13

What is a riparian zone?

Answer 13

Critical interface between soil and stream

Question 14

Why/how were riparian zones impaired in Yellowstone park after top predators were removed?

Answer 14

After the wolves were exterminated, elks over-browsed riparian vegetation, which degraded the stream ecosystem

Question 15

What are some factors that control biodiversity?

Answer 15

• Presence of a diverse habitat
• Presence of harsh environments
• Moderate amounts of disturbance
• An environment that is highly modified by life

Question 16

What are wetlands and how are they defined?

Answer 16

A distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water
Defined as:
- Natural kidneys of landscape (detoxifies)
- They store materials and some contaminants combine to mud
- Plants take up contaminants
- Microbes in soils help break down contaminants
- Uptake and transformation of pollutants

Question 17

Why are riparian zones important for water quality?

Answer 17

• Demonstrated ability to prevent pollutant movement from upland land uses into streams and coastal waters
• Removal of groundwater nitrate in agricultural watersheds

Question 18

Why are streams and rivers being restored and how?

Answer 18

Why: To figure out ways to boost the biological function of the stream to help filter out pollution, re-establish indigenous historical ecosystems
How: Took dirt and created flood planes, dam removal

Question 19

What is the process of denitrification?

Answer 19

NO3- → NO2- → NO, N2O → N2
anaerobic
heterotrophic (required organic C)

Question 20

How is denitrification used in improving water quality?

Answer 20

Converts nitrate to nitrogen gas by bacteria under low oxygen conditions, resulting in a complete elimination of nitrate