Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Ecology > Ecosystem Structure, Change & People > Flashcards

Ecosystem Structure, Change & People Flashcards

1
Q

Why are some species rare?

A

Apex predators

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
1
Q

Energy flowing TO and FROM the Earth is a ___ system.

A

open

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Energy flowing WITHIN the Earth is a ___ system.

A

closed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Free exchange of energy, always more energy arriving at Earth

A

Open energy exchange

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Energy quantities are conserved, limited amounts can change or be reused

A

Closed energy exchange

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Energy for most life on earth comes from…

A

the sun

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the First Law of Thermodynamics?

A

energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only change form

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is photosynthesis?

A

heat and light energy converted to chemical energy (glucose)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How much sunlight is absorbed by plants?

A

~1%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

_____ are the foundation of any trophic system

A

Producers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Producers are organisms that…

A

capture sunlight energy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

How do heterotrophs get their energy?

A

consuming other organisms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Heterotrophs include… (5)

A

herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, detritivores, and decomposers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Organisms that DECOMPOSE nutrients on a molecular level are…

A

Decomposers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Organisms that CONSUME material to break it down are called…

A

Detritivores

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Tertiary consumers are usually

A

carnivorous apex predators (can also be omnivores)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Secondary consumers are ____ but can be ____ at the 3rd level

A

carnivores, omnivores

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Primary consumers eat ___ and are the ___ level

A

plants, second

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Organisms in the 1st trophic level get energy from…

A

the sun and sequester C

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Organisms in the 2nd trophic level get energy from

A

plants

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Organisms in the 3rd trophic level are carnivores/omnivores that eat

A

herbivores

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Organisms in the 4th trophic level usually eat other

A

carnivores, but can be omnivore

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

A food chain shows

A

who consumes who and the species occupying each trophic level

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is “productivity”?

A

the rate at which energy is added to the bodies of a group of organisms as biomass

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Is productivity efficient?

A

No

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What is GPP (Gross Primary Productivity)?

A

overall rate of energy (~1% actually absorbed)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Does cellular respiration require energy?

A

yes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Where is most of the 1% light energy absorbed by plants used?

A

respiration

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What is NPP (Net Primary Productivity)?

A

the remainder of the ~1% light energy absorbed that wasn’t used in respiration

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What does the energy measured by NPP usually get used for?

A

metabolism and maintenance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

NPP is always ___ (greater/less) than GPP.

A

less

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

Approximately what % of energy absorbed goes to the next trophic level?

A

~10%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Energy that is transferred from one trophic level to the next of called…

A

Ecological efficiency

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

Energy transfer among trophic levels is ____

A

Inefficient

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

“Ecosystem” describes the…

A

flow of energy and matter

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

“Biosphere” describes the…

A

sum of all ecosystems

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

“Community” describes the…

A

interactions among species

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

“Population” describes the…

A

population dynamics - unit of evolution

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

A species may have many different ___ around the world in different areas

A

populations

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

T/F: A population only consist of members of one species, but it doesn’t have to consist of ALL member of that species.

A

True

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

Populations together in one place are called

A

community

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

The approach that identifies species niches and determines how individuals interact and utilize their niche is called…

A

the individual approach

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

The population approach studies…

A

distribution and density of populations

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

The community approach studies…

A

presence of species, diversity of populations

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

The community approach evaluates how different species ____ and ____ for resources

A

engage, compete

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

The approach the considers organisms, their environment, food webs, trophic levels, and energy flow is the _____ approach.

A

Ecosystem

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

Physical characteristics of a community describe

A

the environment (wetland/desert)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

Biological characteristics of a community describe

A

dominant species (animal/plant)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
48
Q

What does community structure describe?

A

the types and numbers of species (or subsets) present

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
49
Q

What does community change describe?

A

dynamic fluctuations of communities over times

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
50
Q

What is taxonomic affinity?

A

groups or organisms with a resemblance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
51
Q

What is a guild?

A

a group of species that use the same resources

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
52
Q

A functional group is species with a _____ but do NOT use the same ____.

A

function, resources

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
53
Q

A foundation species causes _____ in the environment that affects other species.

A

physical or chemical changes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
54
Q

Keystone species control _____.

A

distribution/abundance of other species

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
55
Q

Dominant species are the _____ in either number or biomass.

A

most abundant

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
56
Q

The number of different species in a community is called…

A

species richness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
57
Q

The relative abundance of a species compared with another is called…

A

species evenness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
58
Q

Species richness and species evenness combines is known as..

A

species diversity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
59
Q

What does a Species Richness Curve estimate?

A

when enough species have been observed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
60
Q

Significant changes due to climate patterns include:

A

survival rates, shift distributions, destabilize food webs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
61
Q

What influences community structure?

A

climate, geography, heterogeneity, disturbances, and interactions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
62
Q

What is succession?

A

the changes in species over time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
63
Q

What does the “super organism” hypothesis state?

A

groups of species working together towards some deterministic end

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
64
Q

What does the “individualist” hypothesis state?

A

fluctuating environmental conditions acting on individual species

65
Q

Why is succession not an easy path?

A

species replace each other

66
Q

primary succession occurs when…

A

bare land is settled for the first time by living organisms

67
Q

secondary succession occurs where…

A

life existed earlier but many species were destroyed

68
Q

development of biotic community in primary succession is… (slow/fast)

A

slow

69
Q

development of biotic community is secondary succession is… (slow/fast)

A

fast

69
Q

what species replaced saplings and herbaceous plants?

A

larger, woody species

70
Q

If an area is left undisturbed, it will support a

A

climax community

71
Q

What is a climax community?

A

“final” stage of succession - stable

72
Q

does a climax community change?

A

yes, in small ways but mostly remains the same

73
Q

how do you describe climax communities in practice?

A

patchy, unpredictable, dynamic

74
Q

late successional ecosystems are _____ of developmental stages

A

mosaics

75
Q

Pioneer species are..

A

the first to colonize early in succession

76
Q

pioneer species have _____ seeds

A

many, small

77
Q

pioneer species have a ___ life cycle, ____ growth rate, and are ___ in size

A

short, fast, smaller

78
Q

how are pioneer species pollinated?

A

by wind

79
Q

pioneer species reproduce

A

asexually

80
Q

T/F: pioneer species can adapt to harsh environments

A

true

81
Q

pioneer species require ___ light levels

A

high

82
Q

pioneer species are eventually ___ by other species

A

replaced

83
Q

late successional species colonize…

A

after pioneer species

84
Q

late successional species have ___ seeds

A

fewer, larger

85
Q

late successional species have ____ life cycles, ____ growth rate, and are ____ in size

A

longer, slow, larger

86
Q

how are late successional species pollinated?

A

by animals

87
Q

late successional species have a ___ life cycle

A

sexual

88
Q

T/F: late successional species require high levels of light

A

False

89
Q

facilitating a colonization is to

A

make the habitat more suitable

90
Q

inhibiting a colonization is to

A

make the habitat less suitable

91
Q

to tolerate a colonization is to

A

have no impact on their establishment

92
Q

nitrogen fixing species ___ colonization of other species

A

facilitate

93
Q

what is “stress” for a community?

A

a factor that reduces growth or reproduction

94
Q

what is “disturbance” for a community?

A

a large event that injures or kills individuals

95
Q

T/F: Stressors and disturbances can be biotic or abiotic

A

True

96
Q

What are examples of abiotic disturbances?

A

hurricanes, eruptions, fires

97
Q

What are examples of biotic disturbances?

A

insect infestations, grazing

98
Q

What does the intermediate disturbance hypothesis state?

A

species richness and diversity at the local scale peaks at intermediate

99
Q

when people increase the frequency and magnitude of disturbances areas become dominated by ____ species

A

early successional

100
Q

When people increase the frequency and magnitude of disturbances areas become depleted of

A

biomass, soil organics, nutrients pool

101
Q

When people decrease the frequency and magnitude of disturbances areas become dominated by ___ species.

A

late successional

102
Q

When people decrease the frequency and magnitude of disturbances areas become more susceptible to…

A

catastrophic disturbance

103
Q

the quaternary time scale includes

A

last 2.8 millions years

104
Q

the deep-time scale includes

A

pre-quaternary

105
Q

what is the purpose of paleoenvironmental reconstruction

A

attempts to characterize past environments

106
Q

Paleoecology studies

A

relationships between plants/animals and their environments using fossils

107
Q

Paleobotany studies

A

evolutionary history of terrestrial/aquatic fossilized plants

108
Q

Paleolimnology studies

A

past environments of ancient lakes from sediments

109
Q

paleoclimatology studies

A

past climates using isotopes

110
Q

“Modern” ecology is described as a

A

“snapshot” of modern time

111
Q

Paleoecology is described as

A

history of change

112
Q

layers that accumulate overtime are considered

A

closed systems

113
Q

Modern ecology design is spread over ____.

A

space

114
Q

Paleoecology design is spread over ___.

A

time

115
Q

what is a paleoecological proxy?

A

material preserved within the geologic record

116
Q

A proxy is also known as a ____ of the past

A

imprint

117
Q

Pollen, spores, macrofossils, charcoal, and coral are all examples of what kind of proxy?

A

terrestrial/aquatic

118
Q

tree rings are an example of a proxy that can be ___ to create climate records

A

combined

119
Q

T/F: Deeper sediments = older sediments

A

True

120
Q

the basis behind the qualitative approach suggests a

A

space for time substitution

121
Q

Atoms are the

A

basic fundemental unit of all matter

122
Q

isotopes are atoms of the same element that have a different number of

A

neurons

123
Q

the isotope carbon-12 is

A

stable

124
Q

the isotope carbon-12 will continue to exist as carbon even

A

after death of an organsism

125
Q

the isotope carbon-14 is

A

unstable

126
Q

the isotope carbon-14 will at some point

A

decay after death of an organism

127
Q

carbon-14 exists naturally in the atmosphere at a _____ to carbon-12

A

nearly constant ratio

128
Q

Measuring carbon decay measures

A

time elapsed since it was alive and in equilibrium with the atmosphere

129
Q

Evergreen species pollen prefer a ____ climate

A

cooler, dry

130
Q

Deciduous species pollen prefer a ____ climate

A

warmer, wetter

131
Q

There are _ naturally occuring isotopes

A

3

132
Q

What carbon isotopes are used in CO2

A

Carbon-14 and carbon 12

133
Q

organisms ____ all carbon at time of death

A

stop accumulating

134
Q

older remains have less ____ than younger remains

A

carbon 14

135
Q

What epoch are we officially in?

A

Holocene

136
Q

the term Anthropocene was introduced in

A

2000

137
Q

T/F: In the Holocene epoch, scientists agree on the impact of humans

A

True

138
Q

T/F: In the Holocene epoch, scientists agree on when Anthropocene started.

A

False

139
Q

Divisions in geological time usually represent

A

global events

140
Q

Temperature fluctuates _____ throughout geological time

A

regularly

141
Q

Boundaries between stratigraphic units are called

A

golden spikes

142
Q

Golden spikes are usually defined by changes in

A

fossil record, rock, atoms gases, temp

143
Q

The first large global event that took place was

A

european colonization

144
Q

Scientists agree that temperature is changing ____ than in past events

A

fasterha

145
Q

changes to the water cycle and rainfall patterns include

A

more intense rainfall, flooding, intense drought,

146
Q

changes to coastal areas include

A

sea level rise, coastal flooding, coastal erosions

147
Q

changes to arctic regions include

A

warming, thawing, loss of snow cover, melting of glaciers

148
Q

changes to the ocean include

A

warming, marines heatwaves, acidification, reduced O2

149
Q

changes to cities include

A

urban heat island effect, flooding, sea level rise in coastal cites

150
Q

we could see the same transition from the last ice age within the next ____ years

A

100

151
Q

T/F: some species adapt to warming changes faster than others

A

True

152
Q

Conservation consists of ______ of the natural environment and wildlife

A

preservation, protections, and restorations

153
Q

What are some examples of marine conservation?

A

manage industrial fishing, improve agricultural practices and waste disposal

154
Q

What are ways of environmental conservation?

A

protect habitats, increase sustainability and biodiversity

155
Q

what are ways of animal conservation?

A

survival in sanctuaries, improve agricultural practice, protect pollinators

156
Q

Ecological restoration aims to

A

recreate, initiate, or accelerate the recovery of an ecosystem

157
Q

the typical trajectory of restoration is

A

Evaluate -> research -> restore

158
Q

the adaptive restoration approach is based on

A

learning while restoring

Ecology (3 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions