Environmental (B) Qs Unit 2 Flashcards
Describe what makes up an ecosystem
An ecosystem is made up of all the living and nonliving things in a particular environment and the interactions that occur among them
Describe how the abiotic environment interacts w/ the biotic environment
Abiotic environment provides the materials and physical conditions a organism (which is a part of the biotic environment) needs to survive. Additionally it may limit where said organism can live
Explain how nutrients flow through the biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem
Nutrients flow from the sun to the tissues of organisms (so plants absorb the sun, then the animal eats the plant). Which then get recycled back into the abiotic environment (so when a animal poops the nutrients go back into the soil and rock)
Describe how long it takes for evolution through natural selection to occur
Millions of years, happens very gradually
Explain how gardeners and farmers develop special kinds of plants and animals
They did this by selecting and breeding organisms that had desired traits.
Describe some struggles organisms must overcome to survive
-Over population which causes
Competition for resources
-Predators that eat them
-Unfavorable weather
-Environmental conditions Rocky terrain, you need to be good at climbing
Explain how some members of a population live longer and produce more offspring than other members of the same population
Some members have more favorable traits that help them survive longer and reproduce, while other members have less favorable ones that get them killed
Thus, through natural selection, the bad traits die out, while the better ones live
Explain how unfavorable traits are eventually eliminated from a population
Members of a certain population with unfavorable traits are less likely to survive or reproduce, thus few to know of the offspring they do produce will survive. On the other hand the member’s offspring with favorable traits have a greater chance of survival.
Phytoplankton
Tiny bits of algae and plants that drifting in the water
Limiting Factors (Growth of population)
Temperature
Light
Water and food
pH
Producers, consumers, and decomposers (relationship)
Producers makes food, Consumers eat said food, Decomposers eat both producers, consumers, and other decomposers. Then nutrients from the decomposers’ food is absorbed by the producers.
Preventing erosion of top soil (Why should you?)
If the top soil erodes away, plants won’t grow. If plants don’t regrow, we won’t be able to survive.
Important because it has the materials that plants need to grow, and the layer underneath it, does not
Weather vs. Climate
Weather
(Current condition in an area)
Climate
(Avg condition over time in a area) (maybe leave out last part)
What determines climate?
Average Temperature
Average precipitation
Climate that makes forest (What type?)
Get enough rain (precipitation) through out the year
Different Ecosystems on Mountains (Why?)
Temp change (between top and bottom)
Precipitation change (between front side to back side)
Describe a estuary
Where Fresh water and Salt water mix (ocean and lake)
Where do streams, rivers, and lakes get their nutrients?
From their watershed
Urban Forests
Densely wooded area within the city
Sheep (Eat the invasive species, so they don’t have to use chemicals to get rid of them)
Tree’s roots (Holds soil in place and prevents erosion)
Mountain Magic
Landform that is much taller than the surrounding area (has bogs, rivers, forest, etc.)
Moss (Helps keep bog plats wet and moist during dry seasons)
Beavers (help create and maintain the bog through their dams
Okefenokee (swamp)
Wide grassy area that’s covered with shallow water
Pete (dead and dying vegetation which eventually turns into coal)
Alligator (Apex predator which keeps populations small, and makes a big whole as their nest which serves a habitat for other species)
The Golden Coast
Land surrounded by water, estuary, beaches, (they absorb storms)
Salt Marsh Grass
(Helps keep the land from being washed away. Their roots hold the soil)
Lemur (conservation on Island)
Whimbrel (feed on crab (predator))
Intertidal
Area btw high and low tides where the ocean and land meet
Seaweed: Mucus layer (stops seaweed from drying out when exposed to sun)
Sea Stars: Spines (protects them from predators)
Caves
The environment typically very humid and has very consistent temperature throughout the year
Blind cave fish: No eyes (Allows them to put more energy into their other senses)
Lichens: Dormancy (can survive long periods of drought or extreme cold by going dormant)
Forest
Dense community of trees and other organisms
Vines: Twinging Stems (Help it wrap their stems around other organisms to get more sunlight)
Barn Owl: Silent flight (Soft body feathers that muffle sound which allows them to surprise their prey)
Mountains
(Rocky hilly, densely, forested area)
Pine tree: Waxy Coating (Waxy coating on pine needles prevents moisture loss in dry air)
Get shorter as they go up the mountain
Mountain Goat: Strong Muscles (help the climb and dig through snow)
Estuary
Mangrove Tree: Buttressed trunks (provides stability for the tree (stops it from tipping)
Fish: Have salt glands which help them move salt from their bodies (this is important because salt can make them become
Lake
\A large body of water surrounded by land
Turtle: Shell (protects them from predators)
Lily Pads: Floating Leaves (Maximize sunlight for photosynthesis)
Swamp
Cypress tree: Shallow roots (allow them to access nutrients near the surface)
Frog: Webbed Feet (helps them swim faster and longer)
River
Torpedo shape
Helps them move against current
Strong roots
Plants have strong roots to keep them in place and bending stems
