Environmental Gold (Q) Unit 2

Question 1

Explain the difference between a species’ fundamental niche and its realized niche

Answer 1

Fundamental Niche

-Range of all the things a species could do
-Larger

Realized Niche
-The actual job species has (with predators, competition, etc.)
-Smaller

Example
-Mr. Cavarllo could be a student, a teacher or a custodian
-He is a teacher and would out compete other people otherwise

Question 2

Relate differences in climate to the formation of different communities of organisms

Answer 2

Different climate, means different limiting factors, which means different adaptations which means different species, therefore different communities

For example because a polar bear lives in a colder climate, it’s restricted to the cold temperature. Thus it has long fur to keep itself warm. you wouldn’t find a polar bear in a desert, nor a penguin.

Question 3

Explain 3 important ecosystem services of mountains

Answer 3

Store water in snow and ice caps (glaciers slow moving rivers)

Purify water as it trickles through the mountain

Influences climate (Global snow caps reflect the solar energy (makes earth cooler), Regional Climate through the rain shadow effect (rain on one side, dry on the other)

Unique habitats (diverse species, a lot of biodiversity)

Question 4

Compare and contrast the ecosystem service of estuaries and inland wetlands such as swamps

Answer 4

Same

-Lost of habitats (much diversity)
-Help purify water
-Help with nutrients cycling(river puts nutrients to estuaries, rain puts a lot of nutrients in inland wetlands
-Both are nurseries and do storm protection, but in a different way

Swamp
-Nursery for local species (water and land species
-Swamp absorbs storm water (Storm protection)
-Helps refill ground water

Estuary
-Nursery for local and ocean species
-Absorbs storm water and storm energy through absorbing waves energy from storm