ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGY Flashcards by Ateeya Cali

is a large area characterized by its vegetation, soil, climate, and wildlife.

biome

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five major types of biomes

aquatic, grassland, forest, desert, and tundra.

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are bodies of water surrounded by
land—such as ponds, rivers, and lakes—that have a salt
content of less than one percent.

Freshwater biomes

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the study of inland waters

Limnology

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inland waters

⦁ lakes (both freshwater and saline)
⦁ reservoirs
⦁ streams
⦁ wetlands
⦁ groundwater

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The limnological discipline integrates the _________, _____, ____, and _____ with ___ and describes and evaluates how ___, ___, and ________________.

functional relationships of growth, adaptation, nutrient cycles, and biological productivity with species composition,

how physical, chemical, and biological environments regulate these relationships.

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The word limnology is derived from the Greek word _____ and _______.

limne (marsh, pond)
limnaea (a thing pertaining to a marsh).

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the study of the structure, function, and change of organisms in freshwaters as affected by their dynamic physical, chemical, and biotic environments.

a subset to Earth’s aquatic ecosystems

Freshwater Ecology

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freshwater includes

⦁ lakes and ponds
⦁ rivers
⦁ streams
⦁ springs
⦁ bogs
⦁ wetlands

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Freshwater habitats can by classified by different factors:

⦁ temperature
⦁ light penetration
⦁ nutrients
⦁ vegetation

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Freshwater ecosystems can be divided into:

⦁ Lentic Ecosystems (still water)
⦁ Lotic Ecosystems (flowing water)

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Importance of Freshwater Ecosystem

⦁ flood control
⦁ water purification
⦁ shoreline stabilization
⦁ sequestration of carbon dioxide

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Freshwater Ecosystems (vegetated wetlands) play an important role in _______.

mitigation against climate variability

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Freshwater Ecosystem Examples

⦁ Streams
⦁ Rivers
⦁ Lakes
⦁ Marsh

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largest lake in the PH

Laguna Lake

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second largest lake in the PH

Lake Lanao

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deepest lake in the PH

Lake Mainit

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example of marsh in PH

Agusan Marsh

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supplies many kinds of habitats that support marine life

marine environment

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supplies many kinds of habitats that support marine life

marine environment

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Marine biomes include:

the ocean
coral reefs
estuaries

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are habitats that support marine life

Marine habitats

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Marine life depends in some way on the ____ that is in the sea.

saltwater

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the term marine comes from the Latin word

mare (sea or ocean)

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Marine habitats can be divided into

Coastal Habitats, Open Ocean Habitats

⦁ found in the area that extends from as far as the tide comes in on the shoreline out to the edge of the continental shelf. ⦁ most marine life is found in _____, even though the shelf area occupies only seven percent of the total ocean area.

Coastal Habitats

found in the deep ocean beyond the edge of the continental shelf.

Open Ocean Habitats

the lowest ecological zone in a water body, and usually involves the sediments at the seafloor.

benthic zone

Mangrove Ecosystem Services (the benefits people derive from mangroves)

- Wood - Livelihoods - Climate Regulation - Fisheries - Tourism - Water Filtration - Coastal Protection

a transitional area of vegetation between two different plant communities

Ecotone

support thousands of marine species, store carbon, improve water quality, protect coastlines, cycle nutrients, and create habitat corridors between coral reefs and mangroves.

seagrass beds

Seagrass services

- Biodiversity - Food - Oxygen - Nutrient Cycling - Water Quality - Habitat Corridors - Climate Resilience - Carbon Storage - Livelihoods - Shelter

⦁ provide nearly $400 billion a year to millions of people in economic goods and ecosystem services ⦁ found in over 100 countries ⦁ act as homes and nurseries for 25% of all marine life ⦁ Though they cover less than 1% of the ocean floor, _________ provide habitats for 250,000 known species, including more than 4,000 species of fish and 700 species of coral.

Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are created by many tiny animals called______

coral polyps

build up over time, forming the base of the complex reef habitat that supports the world’s highest level of marine biodiversity.

coral polyps' limestone skeletons

Corals Reefs Services

- Food and Fishing - Tourism and Recreation - Medicine - Coastal Protection

⦁a 13-million-hectare underwater plateau located near Aurora. It is larger than Luzon, the Philippines’ biggest island, and is considered part of the Philippines’ continental shelf.

Benham Rise

⦁ a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams into it, and with a free connection to the open sea.

Estuary

form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environments known as ecotone.

Estuaries

The mixing of seawater and freshwater provides ____________ both in the water column and in sediment, making estuaries among the most productive natural habitats in the world..

high levels of nutrients

⦁ Estuaries are incredibly dynamic systems, where ____, ____, ____, ___, and ____ all change daily in response to the tides. ⦁ This dynamism makes estuaries _____, but also make it _____.

temperature, salinity, turbidity, depth, and flow highly productive habitats, difficult for many species to survive year-round

Estuaries provide _____ habitats to a variety of species that rely on estuaries for life-cycle

critical habitats;

_______ is known to lay their eggs in estuaries and bays, ________ give birth in estuaries, _______ and _____ migrate to estuaries to rear, and _________ and ______ use estuaries as migration corridors.

Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii), surfperch, juvenile flatfish and rockfish, anadromous salmonids, and lampreys

⦁ a habitat that is found predominantly on land ⦁ are spread out across a large range of environments such as caves, deserts, farms, forests, grasslands, shorelines, wetlands, etc.

Terrestrial Habitat

____ habitats such as national parks or biosphere reserves also constitute to terrestrial habitats.

Semi-natural or man-made habitats

Types of Terrestrial Habitats

⦁ Forests ⦁ Deserts ⦁ Mountains ⦁ Grasslands

⦁ nearly cover 40 million square kilometers of the Earth’s surface or 31% of the total land surface. ⦁ an essential for the existence of life on Earth as it serves as a natural habitat for a vast range of plants and animals. ⦁ Currently, over 300 million species of plants and animals live in _____.

Forests

The forest ecosystem is divided into four different subgroups:

⦁ Tropical Forest ⦁ Temperate Forest ⦁ Boreal Forest ⦁ Plantation Forest

Layers of a Rainforest

- Emergent Layer - Canopy Layer - Understory Layer - Forest Floor

have the highest species diversity. This type of forest is usually located around the equator in South Africa and Southeast Asia. The characteristic feature of these regions is the humidity and excessive rainfall.

Tropical Forests

⦁ similar to temperate forests but have a much harsher temperature. ⦁ also called Taiga and is the largest land biome. ⦁ Winters are long and extremely cold, for instance, Verkhoyansk, a town in Russia has recorded temperatures well below -50°C.

Boreal Forests

⦁ cultivated for the purpose of commercialization. ⦁ only one or two species of trees are cultivated. ⦁ genetically altered to provide better resistance against diseases and commercial viability (more plant material).

Plantation Forests

⦁ areas where the most dominant type of vegetation is grasses. These types of environments occur naturally throughout the world (with the exception of Antarctica).

Grasslands

Grasslands are home for a wide diversity of animal species, such as:

⦁ Elephants ⦁ Giraffes ⦁ Hyenas ⦁ Jackrabbits ⦁ Lions ⦁ Rhinos ⦁ Warthogs ⦁ Zebras

Grasslands are subdivided into:

⦁ Tropical Grasslands ⦁ Temperate Grasslands

⦁ also known as the Savanna or savannah. ⦁ characterized by a combination of widely spaced grassy fields and woodlands where sufficient light reaches the ground. ⦁ Annually, such areas receive 30 to 50 inches of rain every year, which is then followed by a dry season

Tropical Grasslands

⦁ similar to tropical grasslands, except it has warm summers followed by cold winters. ⦁ average annual rainfall ranges between 30 to 35 inches.

Temperate Grasslands

Temperate Grasslands are further categorized into:

Steppes and Prairies

grasslands with relatively short grasses

Steppes

grasslands with tall grasses

Prairies

Major grasslands include the ___ and ____

Great Plains of the Midwest Palouse Prairie (America)

defined as biomes that receive less than 10 inches of rainfall annually.

Deserts

is regarded as a desert as annual precipitation is less than 2 inches (interior parts).

Antarctica

In deserts, animals have adapted to the heat by ___. Other animals have adopted a _____, where they stay underground during the heat of the day and hunt food in the relative coolness of the night.

by burrowing or living in caves. nocturnal lifestyle

Common terrestrial animals found in desert habitats include:

⦁ antelopes ⦁ camels ⦁ different species of foxes ⦁ gazelles ⦁ goats, etc.

Also found in deserts are endangered species such as:

cheetahs, African wild dogs, lizards, hyraxes, North African ostriches, and desert crocodiles.

⦁ an effect whereby a mass moving in a rotating system experiences a force (_____) acting perpendicular to the direction of motion and to the axis of rotation. On the Earth, the effect tends to deflect moving objects to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern and is important in the formation of cyclonic weather systems.

Coriolis Effect; the Coriolis force

is classified as a polar desert. Measuring 5.5 million square miles, it is the largest desert in the world.

Antarctic

is the largest subtropical desert in the world, clocking in at 3.5 million square miles.

Sahara

At 0.19 million square miles (0.49 million sq. km), the _____ is one of the “big four” deserts in North America. is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets, in North America.

The Great Basin

⦁ large landforms that rise above the surrounding surface. ⦁ _________ regions have colder climates due to high elevations. ⦁ plants and animals residing in these regions have special adaptations to cope up with the environment.

Mountains

Mountain fauna includes:

⦁ bighorn sheep ⦁ brown and black bears ⦁ grizzly bears ⦁ mountain goats ⦁ mountain lions ⦁ antelopes (not found in the same region)

are present in moderate elevations in mountains, but become increasingly sparse as the elevation increases.

forests

highest mountain in earth

Mount Everest; 8848.86 m

highest mountain in PH

Mount Apo

highest mountain in solar system

Olympus Mons

species that rely on estuaries for life cycle competion

⦁ Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii), surfperch, juvenile flatfish and rockfish, anadromous salmonids and lamprey ⦁ Migratory Bird Populations (black-tailed godwit)