Exam I Flashcards
Observation and Monitoring
benefits: observe organisms in natural ecosystem
limitations: lacks control; multiple factors considered
Natural Experiment
benefits: natural spatial/temporal scale
limitations: lack of replication/control; lucky data
Manipulative Field Experiment
benefits: direct test of predictions; natural ecosystem
limitations: altering natural ecosystem; lack of replication
Manipulative Artificial Experiment
benefits: well controlled, replicable; tests magnitude
limitations: not real ecosystem; temporal/spatial limitations
Conceptual Modeling
benefits: qualitative
limitations: reduces complexity; not real ecosystem
Mathematical Modeling
benefits: quantitative
limitations: reduces complexity; not real system
What 4 things determine global climate?
Tilt, Orbit, Rotation, and Shape
Earth is tilted at a ___° angle.
23.5°
Energy from the sun is most intense at the ______.
equator
Where are Hadley cells found?
Between 0° and 30°
Where are Ferrel cells found?
Between 30° and 60°
Where are Polar cells found?
Between 60° and the poles
Which direction does water flow in the northern hemisphere?
Clockwise
Which direction does water flow in the southern hemisphere?
counter-clockwise
What % of water is in the oceans?
97
What % of water is in the ice caps?
2
What % of water is freshwater?
1
What is the turnover time of water in the atmosphere?
9 days
What is the turnover time of water in the rivers?
12-20 days
What is the turnover time of water in the oceans?
3,100 years
Air masses in the northern hemisphere tend to deflect toward the _____.
Right
Air masses in the southern hemisphere tend to deflect toward the _____.
Left
Biomes
repeatable patterns of climate and vegetation type
Anthromes
repeatable patterns of human land use
Euphotic Zone
Up to 200 m depth; Most life
Dyphotic Zone
200m-1000m; no plants
Aphotic Zone
1000m- ; No light
Thermocline
Steep change in temperature marked by a layer above and below.
Chemosynthesis
synthesis of organic materials using energy from inorganic chemicals. Feeds most deep sea food webs
Estuaries
transition region between seas and rivers
Freshwater wetlands
transition regions between land and freshwater
Salt Marshes
transition region between land and sea
Mangrove Forest
transition region between land and sea or land and river
Basin
Area that is drained by a river
Flow is _____ in tropical/arid rivers and _____ in temperate forests.
variable; constant
[Oxygen] is highest in ____(warm/cold) water.
cold
Lake
depression in a landscape caused by glaciers, volcanoes, or tectonics and filled with water.
Epilimnion
top layer of a lake where most light is visible
Metalimnion
Middle layer of a lake. Often where the thermocline is
Hypolimnion
Bottom layer of a lake. Dark, cold.
Oligotrophic
Low levels of nutrients and relatively unproductive
Eutrophic
High levels of nutrients, very productive. May often be low in Oxygen
Adaptation
When an organism or species becomes better at dealing with their environment
Evolution
Development and diversification of species over time.
Mutation
a random change in the base sequence of the genetic material
Genetic Drift
change in allele frequency within a population from chance events.
Gene Flow
succesful movement of alleles from one population to another.
Directional Selection
when natural selection favors the evolution of one extreme phenotype, such that the mean phenotype shifts in one direction along a range of phenotypes.
Heritability
the proportion of the variation in that trait that is due to genetic variation
