Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

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


See full index

Evolution and Ecology > Exam 4 > Flashcards

Exam 4 Flashcards

1
Q

The ability of an ecosystem to return to its equilibrium state after an environmental disturbance is called ________.

A

resilience

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

A re-created ecosystem in a laboratory environment is known as a ________.

A

Microcosm

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

Decomposers are associated with which class of food web?

A

Detrital

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

The primary producers in an ocean grazing food web are usually ________.

A

phytoplankton

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

What term describes the use of mathematical equations in the modeling of linear aspects of ecosystems?

A

analytical modeling

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

The position of an organism along a food chain is known as its ________.

A

Trophic level

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

. The loss of an apex consumer would impact which trophic level of a food web?

A

All of the above

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

A food chain would be a better resource than a food web to answer which question?

A

How does energy move from an organism in one trophic level to an organism on the next trophic level?

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

The weight of living organisms in an ecosystem at a particular point in time is called:

A

biomass

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

Which term describes the process whereby toxic substances increase along trophic levels of an ecosystem?

A

biomagnification

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

Choose the term that encompasses all organisms that can make their own food using inorganic molecules:

A

autotrophs

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

. In the English Channel ecosystem, the number of primary producers is smaller than the number of primary consumers because________.

A

the primary producers have a high turnover rate

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

. What law of chemistry determines how much energy can be transferred when it is converted from one form to another?

A

the second law of thermodynamics

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

The mussels that live at the NW Eifuku volcano are examples of _______.

A

primary consumers

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

The movement of mineral nutrients through organisms and their environment is called a ________ cycle.

A

biogeochemical

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

Carbon is present in the atmosphere as ________.

A

carbon dioxide

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

The majority of water found on Earth is:

A

salt water

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

The average time a molecule spends in its reservoir is known as ________.

A

residence time

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

The process whereby oxygen is depleted by the growth of microorganisms due to excess nutrients in aquatic systems is called ________.

A

eutrophication

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

The process whereby nitrogen is brought into organic molecules is called ________.

A

nitrogen fixation

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

Which of the following approaches would be the most effective way to reduce greenhouse carbon dioxide?

A

Plant more environmentally-suitable plants.

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

How would loss of fungi in a forest effect biogeochemical cycles in the area?

A

Carbon would accumulate in dead organic matter and waste.

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

What is Eutrophication?

A

Eutrophication is a natural process that results from accumulation of nutrients in lakes or other bodies of water.

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

True or False: Eutrophication, climate change, and errosion are natural?

A

True

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

What is Cultural eutrophication?

A

Human Nutrient enrichment

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

Where does Cultural eutrophication usually occur?

A

Often happens in aquatic ecosystems
Cause high growth of algae and high use of oxygen

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

What is the Phosphorus Cycle a result of?

A

Needs to be release from the weathering of rocks
Or the turning of sediments from the ocean

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

True or False: Phosphorus is rare in soil and water

A

True

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

What are the human disruptions of Phosphorus Cycle?

A

mining for phosphate based detergent and for farming fertilizers
Tide used to be like this

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

What does the Eutrophication of nitrogen produce?

A

Smog and Vog
Often in large cities

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

Atmospheric nitrogen is abbreviated as?

A

N2

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

The nitrogen cycle is …..

A

A bacterial driven cycle

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

Explain the role of bacteria in the nitrogen cycle

A

Bacteria that fix nitrogen from the air
Denitrifying bacteria convert nitrogen back into N2

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

What is the biggest reservoir of carbon?

A

The ocean

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

What are the types and percentages of water on Earth?

A

97% salt
3% fresh
2% Glaciers/ deep groundwater
1% available to us

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

What is a point source?

A

Point- you can determine where the pollution comes from

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

What is a non-point source.

A

Nonpoint- you cannot tell where the pollution comes from

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

True or False: Animals decompose faster than plant detritus

A

True

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

What are the steps in vertebrate animal decomposition?

A

Fresh: an animals body will start to decompose right agter death. In this phase, their body chemicals will be responsible for the process
Bloat- In this stafe 4-10 after death. Their body will look swollen and start to give off a foul smeell
Ctive decat: once they pass away after about 10-20 days, this phase will take place. Their body will no shrink from being inflated
Advanced decay: All the fleas will be gone leaving only their hair and bones behind
Dry decay: And the name implies, all that will be left in this phase are their dry bones
Within 3 weeks

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

True or False: High Marsh has a higher decomposition rate because it is not submerged with water all the time

A

False- lower

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

What guilds?

A

animals that use resources in similar way

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

Name the guilds

A

Shredders- chewers and miners
Collectors-filter or suspension feeders
Scrapers-Mineral and Organic feeders
Predators-Swallows, Piecers

43
Q

Which soil type is the most fertile?

A

Grasslands

44
Q

Why is grassland soil the most fertile?

A

Developed by underground root system
Maintained by fire

45
Q

True or False: Soil can be its own ecosystem

A

True

46
Q

What are the three main types of soil?

A

Sand, clayey, loamy

47
Q

Which soil holds the best nutrients?

A

Loamy best at holding nutrients

48
Q

What is the largest particle of soil?

A

sand

49
Q

Discuss sand as a soil

A

2mm to .5 mm in diameter
Large air gaps
Water drains easily, (high permeability)

50
Q

True or False: Rock and gravel are not soil particles as they are too big

A

True

51
Q

Discuss loam as soil

A

0.5- 0.05 mm diameter
Water drains slowly ( standing/ permeable)

52
Q

Discuss clay as soil

A

Smallest soil particles
<0.05 mm
Water does not drain easily ( low permeability)

53
Q

How is soil created?

A

Parent material
Any material from which soil is formed
Usually some type rock
Sand comes from quartz
Eroded Applalachean mountain
Major component of granite
Rock begins to disinter
Rainwater is slightly acidic and breaks rock

54
Q

What is an aquifer?

A

Underground pool of water like a lake

55
Q

What is Saturation?

A

When water moves down.

56
Q

What is Field capacity?

A

Amount of water left in soil after 2 days that has not drained away
Available water for plant growth

57
Q

What is a Wilting Point?

A

No more water is available for plants

58
Q

What is Cation Exchange Capacity

A

The total amount of cation that a soil can retain

59
Q

True or False: The higher the soil CEC the greater ability it has to store plant nutrients

A

True

60
Q

Soil CEC increases as …

A

The amount of clay increases
Good thing at a low level
Detrimental as a high level

The amount of organic matter increases
The soil pH increases
Neutral
Acid
A pH less than 4-5
Low nutrient
Low CEC
More H+
Alkaline
Higher nutrient holding capacity
OH- higher CEC

61
Q

How does soil form?

A

Soil forms in layer that we call horizons

62
Q

Name the horizons

A

O- horizon- organic matter, dead leaves, plant and animal matter
A horizton - topsoil
Minerals soil with nutrient Most plants root here

E-horizton- leaching zone (caliche)
b-HORITZONG (SUBSOIL)- MINeral particles, clays, salts
C- Horizon- weathered and broken parent tock
D- Horizon “bedrock”- solid parent rock
63
Q

What are the Soil Orders and Ecosystems Types?

A

Oxisols (ox)

Spodosols

Aridisols:

Mollisols

Ultrosols

Histosols

64
Q

What are Oxisols and where are they found?

A

Tropics and subtropics

ntensely weathered by all the precipitation
Leaches out all of the good nutrients
Left with iron and aluminum
Won’t support agriculture
Red-red orange soil
Due to iron and iron oxides
Little accumulation of organic matter
Volcanic soils on islands have a similar soil type due to precipitation on one side of the island will form this

65
Q

What are Spodosols and where are they found?

A
  • Cold forested, most regimes

Lack humus and clay in the A- irzon
Whiteish colorad from 0-to 0.9
Iron and alumunim oxides in B horizon
Reddish color above and below 2

66
Q

What are Aridisols and where are they found?

A

Deserts

Pale light color near surface
Long periods of soil moisture deficits
Little if any organic matter
Heigh CEC
Very fertile if add water
Salinization is common
If water is pulled back up it results in a level of salt
Soil becomes very salty
Here the white color is from salts that have precipitate in the soil

67
Q

What are Mollisols and where are they found?

A

Best soil for farming- Grasslands
Richest grassland soils are in the midwest

68
Q

What are Ultrosols and where are they found?

A

Most common soil type in North Carolina
Lost top soil
B-Horizon exposed
Dark orange red horizon
From Deciduous
Most nutrients are in the A horizon
Even fertilization is not able to be well retained
Most youthful are found along creeks, rivers, flood plains
Make most fertile soils for farming

69
Q

What are Histosols and where are they found?

A

Pocosins- NC
The central concept of Histosols is that of soils that are dominantly organic. They are mostly soils that are commonly called bogs and saltmarsh- called peat
A soil is classified as Histosoil is it does not have permafrost and is dominated by organic soil materials.
When fire gets into a histosol it can burn for months

70
Q

True or False: Ecosystems can be defined by the type of soil they overlay

A

TRUE

71
Q

What is Hydrology?

A

Movement of water through the landscape; the heart of wetlands

72
Q

What are the classifications of wetland on the basis of hydrology?

A

Basin Wetland (lentic)
Riverine Wetland
Fringe Wetland

73
Q

Explain the Basin Wetland (lentic).

A

Physical: Water flow is vertical ( precipitation)
Hydroperiod: lone with floods during period of high rainfall

74
Q

Explain the Riverine Wetland.

A

Periodically flooded banks od rivers and streams
Physical: Water is both vertical and horizontal (precipitation and stream/river flow)
Hydroperiod: aHave short periods of flooding with stream/river flow

75
Q

Explain the Fringe Wetland.

A

Coastal areas of large lakes and oceans
Physical: Water flos is both vertical and horizontal ( precipitation and tidal flow)
Hydroperiod: May be short and regular. It is not seasonal like basin wetlands

76
Q

What happens when hydrology is disrupted?

A

Wetland loss occurs

77
Q

What is an Osmoconformer?

A

body is isotonic to surrounding (only works for marine organism in a stable environment)
Maintains its level of water and solutes by its environment
Conforms to its environment

78
Q

What is an Osomoregulator?

A

Regulate the amount of water and solutes
Can maintain a higher water and lower salt concentration to its environment
Control internal osmolarity
Can leave marine environment and can go into a freshwater environment
Bull shark
Blue crab
Flounder
Salmon
Herring
Shad

79
Q

TRUE OR FALSE: Humans are osmoregulators?

A

TRUE

80
Q

Why are fire burns prescribed?

A

To reduce the fuel load and reduce the chance of a destructive fire
Control competing vegetation
Improvement of grazing
Management of wildlife by allowing species that they feed on to grow
Recreation management to maintain a park-like appearance
Thoong os saplings
Control of pest
Fire return intervals

81
Q

What equipment is needed for a prescribed burn?

A

Drip or flame torch
Backpack water tanks
Flapper/swatters
5 gallons bucket of water on hand
Leaf rakes
Fireproof brooms soaked in water

82
Q

What is climate?

A

Long-term weather patterns
Temperature
Precipitation
Humidity
Wind
Factors that effect climate

83
Q

Which factors affect climate?

A

Distance from the sea
Altitude
Proximity to the equator
More consistent weather patterns
Timing of days consistent

84
Q

What are 3 main influences of climate?

A

Latitude
1° F for every 100 miles North
Altitude
Decrease 3°F for every 1000 FT of elevation gained
Oceanic circulation

85
Q

What are other important factors of climate?

A

Atmospheric circulation
Pattern of wind
Solar activity
Volcanic activity
Topography
Temperature
Precipitation
Wind factor
Windward
Tropical rainforest
Leeward
Shrub desert

86
Q

Definition of an ecosystem:

A

All the living ( biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) parts of an environment as well as the interaction among them

87
Q

What are the interactions in an ecosystem?

A

Producers ( obtain energy by making their own food; plant- (photosynthesis)
Consumers ( obtain energy by consuming their food)
Decomposers( get energy by breaking down dead organisms and the wastes of living things); bacteria, fungi, (molds, mushrooms), worms, termites, etc.

88
Q

TRUE OR FALSE: The energy cycle is linear, the nutrient cycle is cyclical

A

TRUE

89
Q

Discuss Primary Productivity.

A

By plants
Net productivity= Gross Productivity- Respiration
Most productive ecosystems have a high net productivity

90
Q

Who are Secondary Productivity?

A

Heterotrophs

91
Q

________ produces 2-3x the amount of biomass via photosynthesis versus the _______

A

Continental Shelf/ open ocean

92
Q

What is produced by secondary consumers is called Secondary Productivity

A

Biomass

93
Q

What is a Grazing Food web?

A

Based on photosynthesis

94
Q

What is a Detrital Food Web?

A

Organisms that feed on decaying organic matter at base

95
Q

How are Terrestrial ecosystems usually described?

A

As a pyramid

96
Q

How are aquatic ecosystem usually described?

A

Bar or inverted pyramid

97
Q

What makes the pyramid inverted?

A

Biomass of a whale makes the pyramid inverted

98
Q

Through the decomposition of ________ the nutrients can be recycled to the producer

A

animal matter

99
Q

True or False: Decomposers don’t get the macromolecules nutrients. They get the lignents

A

True

100
Q

What are the Steps in decomposition?

A

Fragmentation
Breaking a leaf into smaller pieces
_ Leaching
Water soluble materials are removed from the dead plant material
Tea is made by leaching / Coffee too
Brown water streams and black water streams
_Catabolism
Begins the mineral removal process
_Humification
Simplified detritus converted to humus
Humas is a dark, amorphous substance
Highly resistant to microbial action
Undergoes decomposition very slowly
Holds a lot of nutrients which is why it decomposes slowly
Reservoir of nutrients due to colloidal nature
Minerals are removed
_Minteralization
Minerals are released into the environment
Humus is degraded to releases inorganic substances ( CO2, H20, etc) and nutrients

101
Q

Humas acts a lot like clay, why?

A

Clay has negative charges on its surface and will attach to cations
Humas has a similar negative charge and will attach to cations
Pine needles do not make a good humus and do not release a lot of nutrients

102
Q

What are the most Detritivores?

A

Most are invertebrates

103
Q

What are the factors that affect decomposition?

A

Factors Affecting Rate of Decomposition:
Temperature
* microbial activity resspons qxponetilally to increase temperature unil enzymes denature
Moisture
* Mocirobial activer has option moisture
Lowe moisture= dessication, clow diffusion
Hihg mositive= low O2 available
pH
Chemical composition- decomposition rate will be slower when detritus is reich in lgnin and chitin. The rate increase when detritus is rich in nitrogen and water soluble substances like sugars
Climatic conditions- warm and moist environment favour decomposition. Low temperature and anaerobiosis inhibit decomposition
Food Chain: Transfer of energy/ food from the producer through a series of organisms is known as food chain
Food chairs represent energy flow through ecosystems
Different steps in a food chains are called trophic levels

Evolution and Ecology (5 decks)

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