ecology rwe Flashcards
selective breeding animal eg
wild chickens vs domesticated chickens
selective breeding plants eg
wild corn vs crop corn
wild ancestor- teosinte to domesticated maize
homologous structure eg
pentadactyl limbs in amphibians, mammals, reptiles and birds
speciation eg
bonobos and chimpanzees from congo apes
adaptive radiation eg
galapagos finches
preventing hybrids eg
mule with 63 chromosomes
failure to prevent hydribs eg
native hawaiian duck forming hybrids with non-native mallards
polyploidy eg
smart weed
anthropogenic species extinction [3]
north island giant moas
caribbean monk seals
steller’s sea cow
ecosystem loss due to anthropogenic activities eg
mixed dipterocarp forest in southeast asia
species protected by in situ conservation
leatherback sea turtles in the great barrier reef
species protected by ex situ conservation
koalas in australia zoo
program that focuses on endangered species
edge of existence programme
marine ecosystem + conditions required
coral reef formation
depth- less than 50 meters of water so there is enough light for photosynthesis
pH- above 7.8 to allow calcium carbonate to deposit and form the skeleton of the hard coral (rocky part of the reef)
salinity- between 32 and 42 parts per thousands of dissolved ions to avoid osmotic problems
clarity- clear water to allow light to penetrate for photosynthesis
temperature- 23-29 degrees celcius so both the coral and zooxanthellae remain healthy
similar biomes around the world leading to evolve similar adaptations
tropical rainforest biome can be found in south america, africa and southeast asia, despite these regions being reparated by vast distances
plants adapted to sand dunes
lyme grass
how are plants adapted to sand dunes [6]
- water and Nutrient Absorption- xerophytic adaptations
- robust root system, highly salt tolerant
plant anchoring against wind exposure: - thick, shiny leaves that can curl
- drought and Salinity Tolerance:
psammophile plant (thrives in sandy areas) - narrow leaf structure, extensive root system
- organic litter production moderates temp
can tolerate a range of pH levels
plant adapted to mangrove swamps
mangrove tree
how are plants adapted to mangrove swamps [3]
root- filter water to prevent salt from entering + robust root system + aerial roots for stability (tides)
leaves- stores and accumulates salt + thick, waxy cuticles that help produce water loss against the extreme heat + gradually adapt to extreme temperatures
trunks: store water → used during hot periods to maintain hydration
plant adapted to hot deserts
saguaro cactus
how are plants adapted to hot deserts
Roots- Wide-spreading root system to collect water up to 20-30 m away + deep ‘tap roots’ to access water table
Spines- reducing surface area so less water leaves during transpiration + predation
CAM metabolism: Only open stomata at night when temperature is cooler
Stems- Thick spongy stems to conserve water after rain
animal adapted to hot deserts
kangaroo mouse
how are animals adapted to hot deserts
kidneys- concentrate their urine to an almost crystal-like consistency, so that very little water is lost through waste.
Diet- consist of dry seeds, almost no need for liquid water
only active during cool desert nights
Sharp claws for digging burrows to live underground
Small front feet for cracking open nuts and seeds available in the desert
dust bath by rolling around in the sand
plant adaptations to tropical forests
yellow meranti
how are plants adapted to tropical forests
Tallest tree species → utilizes height to access sunlight above the dense canopy → allows it to photosynthesize efficiently → optimal growth and compete for light with surrounding vegetation
Thick and straight trunk supports height → withstand strong winds
Buttress root → anchorage for large trees in shallow rainforest soils
Waxy leaves with drip tips → shed excess water so that the process of photosynthesis is not affected
Face horizontally towards the sun to capture more light for photosynthesis
animal adapted to tropical rainforest
jaguars
how are animals adapted to tropical rainforest
Camouflage- blend into the rainforest, allowing it to prey without being seen
Large claws- climb small trees to catch their prey
Padded paws- can move stealthily along the forest floor
Long tail- improve balance when it has to climb trees and drop onto its prey
Fur- thick and water resistant so can maintain body temperature in the environment
Enhanced vision- adapted for low-light environments
Small stature- allows them to be agile and efficient when they are hunting
Behavioural adaptations
Nocturnal- stalk and ambush prey at night (instead of chasing prey)
Good swimmers- hunt in water and catch aquatic prey, food source
Opportunistic hunters- willing to hunt any animal they come across
Hunt near water bodies- catch fish or ambush animals who are drinking water
obligate aerobes
all animals and plants
obligate anaerobes
tetanus bacteria
facultative anaerobes
yeast
facultative mixotrophic
eugiena gracillis
detrivore eg
earthworms
physical adaptation of predators
vampire bats- large incisors and canines on their upper jaw- used to pierce prey so they can feed on the blood
chemical adaptation of predators
black mambas- produces venom that paralyses prey so can just swallow it whole
behavioural adaptation of predators
grizzly bears- learn ambush strategies to catch migrating salmon
- by trial and error or by copying others
physical adaptation of preys
buff-tip moths- camouflage
chemical adaptation of preys
caterpillar- have toxins and colours to warn predators
behavioural adaptation of preys
mackerel- swim in a tight group- schooling behaviour reduces the change of predation bc threats are more likely to be detected and its difficult for a predator to catch any one individual
animal with piercings mouthparts
aphids
chewing mouthparts
beetles
physical plant adaptations from herbivory [2]
raphides- cause tiny wounds in mouths so entry points for toxins
mimosa plant- receptors to touch- so folds and shrunken looks less appealing and scare small animals
physical plants adaptations from herbivory
stings on tree nettle endemic to New Zealand
plants adaptations to harvest light
lianas climb through different trees and use them as support so they dont need to build strong xylem in their stems
epiphytes grow on tree trunks and branches to receive more light than they would have at the forest floor
strangler epiphytes climb up the tree trunks and outgrow their branches. this will shade the leaves, eventually killing the tree inside
invasive species eg
eurasian collared bird- invasive species from asia then got to europe and america
competitive interactions
competition for light in plants- leaves of wild garlic become crowded so not all leaves obtain enough light
cooperation interaction eg
mackerels form bait ball against sea lions
tightly packed and fast moving so much harder to catch
local invasive species + solutions
house crow
originated in the Indian subcontinent
Department has been monitoring the number and distribution of house crow and carrying out nest removal as well as capture operations to control its numbers and minimise its impact on local ecology.
photoautotrophy eg
plant
chemoautotrophy
deep-sea chemosynthetic bacteria
mate selection eg
peacocks
natural selection study mate preference
john endler and guppies
- colouration good for mating
eg genes
alcohol dehydrogenase breaks down alcohol (ethanol) in the liver
linked with rice cultivation and sake production
- deficient in asians
- cultivated rice and fermented them
directional selection
beak of galapagos
stabilising selection eg
human birth weight
disruptive selection eg
salmon
large fish advantage- stronger so can fight better (hooknoses)
small fish advantage- can sneak in when the large fish are fighting (jack)
medium fish lose bc not small enough to sneak in the not large enough to win fights
middle of mean goes down
sustainable ecosystem [2]
daintree rainforest in northern austrailia
amazon rainforest
keystone species [2]
sea otters in kelp forests
a dominant predator of sea urchins that maintains the balance of kelp forest ecosystems by controlling populations of sea urchins, which are voracious kelp grazers
maintain and restore kelp forests
grey wolves in yellowstone national park
top predators, grey wolves profoundly impact their environment by controlling herbivore populations and affecting vegetation growth and diversity
contributed to bringing elk numbers down from 17,000 in 1995 to just 4,000 today
resource harvesting sustainability plant + solution
brazil nuts in the amazon rainforest
implementation of harvest quotas agreed via international collaboration
resource harvesting sustainability animal + solution
north atlantic cod collapse in 1990s
eg. between norway and britain for norther atlantic cod
natural regeneration eg
hinewai reserve case study research
natural regeneration approach
gorse as nurse plants
native forest recovery
biodiversity improvements
cyclical succesion eg
chaparral ecosystem in california
chaparral biome- mild winters and hot, dry summers
characterised by drought-tolerant, woody shrubs
plagioclimax [2]
grazing
drainage of wetlands
tipping points eg
boreal forest (snow forest)
transition form carbon sink (net carbon accumulation) to carbon source (net loss)
increased temperature and reduced snowfall increase chance of drought and frequency and intensity of forest fires
contributes to carbon combustion
habitat transformation eg
polar habitat
loss of landfast ice (frozen seawater attached to the shore in antarctic
emperor penguin colonies face 90% extinction risk by 2100 due to loss of breeding grounds
pacific walrus forced to swim further and haul out (congregate in large groups) on land due to the loss arctic sea ice (frozen seawater)
keystone species in arctic marine ecosystems
species range shifts [2]
new guinea montane birds moving upslope to higher attitudes (cooler)
north american tree species shifting northward (cooler)
phenological disruption
- reindeers and artic mouse-ear chickweed
- great tits and caterpillars
- insect life cycle changes- spurce bark beetle
- owls
details of reindeers and artic mouse ear chickweed
artic mouse-ear chickweed and other artic plants form the reindeer’s diet
uses temperature (affected by climate change) asa cue to grow quickly in spring
misalignment in the reindeer’s arrival and food availability affects the reindeer’s breeding as they could not nurse their calves
day length is not affected by climate change
so reindeer migration not affected
mismatch- reindeers dont arrive when plants are growing at their fastest
details of great tits and caterpillars
great tits rely on caterpillars to feed their young in north european forests
caterpillar peak biomass has shifted earlier due to warmer weather in spring, which caused the caterpillars to hatch earlier
great tits therefore have problems finding sufficient food for their young
reduced breeding success in mistimed populations
recent evidence shows that the great tits are now hatching a month earlier than they did 75 years ago to match
details of insect life cycle changes
spruce bark beetle generations doubled(two generations per year instead of one in norway)
bc can find enough food (conditions are good enough)
expanded range of activity into higher latitudes
increased spruce mortality rates due to the pest infestation
causing significant ecological damage to the ecosystem
owls phenological disruption details
tawny owl (brown) vs grey morphs
tawny owl brown morphs increasing over the grey colour
reduced snow cover favours darker plumage (feathers)
natural selection in action
