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Geography 2 Terms Flashcards

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1
Q

Taxonomy

A

The sub discipline of biology concerned with the classification and naming of organisms. The main goal is to determine the evolutionary relationship between groups of organisms. This is also known as systematics.

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2
Q

Taxa/Taxon

A

Group(s) taxonomists develop for classification.

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3
Q

Species

A

Groups of taxonomically similar individuals. In biology, species are defined as organisms that can produce viable and fertile offspring.

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4
Q

Genera/Genus

A

Grouped organisms that are generally, but not exactly, similar to each other.

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5
Q

Families

A

Genera that are morphologically similar and likely possess evolutionary linkages are grouped together.

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6
Q

Orders

A

Families that are related are grouped together.

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7
Q

Classes

A

Orders are grouped together.

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8
Q

Phyla/Phylum

A

Classes are grouped together.

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9
Q

Kingdoms

A

Phyla are grouped together into 5 categories. The highest level of Taxonomy.

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10
Q

Population

A

All individuals of a given species in a prescribed area.

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11
Q

Metapopulations

A

Interbreeding and other interactions between these separated populations of the same species may only occur relatively frequently or extremely infrequently.

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12
Q

Community

A

population with all the other species of organisms in its environment.

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13
Q

Autecology

A

Ecological research that focuses on one species

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14
Q

Synecology

A

research that focuses on the interactions between species in communities

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15
Q

Ecosystem

A

the relationship between the species of our community
and the physical factors of the environment, particularly when we examine flows of energy and matter through this biophysical system

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16
Q

Biomes

A

Very large areas of the earth’s surface that have a similar climate and vegetation

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17
Q

Biosphere

A

all of life on the planet

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18
Q

Trophic Levels

A

The various levels through which energy flows from its initial capture by the biosphere until its dissipation as waste heat

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19
Q

Photosynthesis

A

6CO2 + 12H2O -> (Light) -> C6H12O6 + 6H2O + 6O2

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20
Q

Stomata

A

C02 enters the leaves of plants through openings created by specialized sets of cells; also allow the release of oxygen and water vapor from the interior of the leaf

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21
Q

C3 Pathway

A

the C02 from the atmosphere is converted into a 3-carbon molecule called 3-phosphoglyceric acid.

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22
Q

C4 Pathway

A

converts C02 into two 4-carbon molecules: malic and aspartic acid.

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23
Q

CAM Pathway

A

C02 is absorbed at night and stored as malic acid. During the light of day, photosynthesis is conducted by the C3 pathway

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24
Q

Autotrophs

A

Organisms that are able to fix energy through photosynthesis rather than derive it from the consumption of other organisms. (i.e. plants, also known as phototrophs)

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25
Q

Heterotrophs

A

Organisms that rely on other organisms to provide energy

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26
Q

Respiration

A

the oxidative reaction that breaks the high-energy bounds of carbohydrates to release energy for the organism’s metabolism. Thus, respiration is the reverse of the process of photosynthesis, with metabolic energy being produced.

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27
Q

Troposphere

A

all life exists in the lowest level of the atmosphere

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28
Q

Tropical Rainy Climates

A

found in the equatorial regions. This zone has monthly average temperatures of 18° Cor higher, with little seasonal variation. Rainfall is abundant throughout the year and always exceeds evaporation.

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29
Q

Dry Climates

A

found mainly in the subtropical zone. Temperatures are generally warm, and evaporation exceeds precipitation throughout all or most of the year.

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30
Q

Mild Humid Climates

A

found in the midlatitudes. The temperature of the
coldest month falls between 18° C and - 3° C, with a clear difference in winter and summer seasons. Precipitation exceeds evaporation.

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31
Q

Snowy Climates

A

found in the mid- to high latitudes. The coldest month has an average temperature below -3° C, but the average for the warmest month is greater than 10° C. Precipitation exceeds evaporation.

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32
Q

Polar Climates

A

found in the polar regions. The average temperature of the warmest month is less than 10° C. Precipitation is low, but evaporation is very limited.

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33
Q

Heliophytes

A

Plants that grow best in full sunglight

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34
Q

Sciophytes

A

Plants that grow best in shade

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35
Q

Perennials

A

Plants that live for more than one year

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36
Q

Annuals

A

plants which must germinate from seed, grow, flower, and produce seed within a single year

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37
Q

Phenology

A

the timing of changes in the growth of the plant

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38
Q

Poikilotherms

A

Organisms that assume the temperature of their environment

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39
Q

Deciduous

A

Plants that lose their frost-sensitive leaves during the cold winter season

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40
Q

Dimorphic

A

An interesting adaptation to high temperatures in dry
regions. In hot and dry periods, these plants are typified by small leaves, while in the cool season, they support larger leaves.

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41
Q

Homeotherms

A

Organisms maintain a relatively steady body temperature through the metabolic generation of heat

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42
Q

Eurythermic

A

Species that can tolerate a wide range of temperature

conditions

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43
Q

Stenothermic

A

Species with restricted temperature ranges

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44
Q

Allen’s Rule

A

Animals that live in cold environments have shorter extremities, such as limbs or ears, than related forms in warm environments. The shorter the extremities are relative to body mass, the lower the rate of heat loss.

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45
Q

Xerophytes

A

Plants that can exist in dry environments

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46
Q

Meophytes

A

Plants that require moderately moist conditions

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47
Q

Hydrophytes

A

Plants found growing in water or very wet soils

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48
Q

Xylem

A

The specialized vascular tissues that conduct water

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49
Q

Phloem

A

The specialized vascular tissues that transfer nutrients

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50
Q

Transpiration

A

The release of water to the atmosphere by plants

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51
Q

Evapotranspiration

A

The loss of water to the air through transpiration is much greater than the amount of water lost through direct evaporation from the soil surface

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52
Q

Sclerophyllous leaves

A

leaves in the dry season which often have hard and waxy cuticles that decrease moisture loss

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53
Q

Euryhaline

A

These species have a special capacity to regulate their

cellular chemistry and avoid the development of lethal osmotic pressure gradients.

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54
Q

Density

A

Measure of population abundance per unit of area and
is often reported as the number of individuals per square meter or hectare on land and the number of individuals per cubic meter in aquatic systems

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55
Q

Carrying Capacity

A

The number of individuals that the environment can support per meter or hectare

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56
Q

Niche

A

This two-dimensional representation of the environment in which the species can survive

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57
Q

Habitat

A

explicit spatial environment in which species can be found

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58
Q

Generalists

A

Species, which can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions, have wide ranges of tolerances on environmental gradients and wide niche breadths

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59
Q

Specialists

A

Species, which have very narrow environmental

tolerances, have more restricted gradient distributions and niche breadths

60
Q

Predation

A

one organism consumes another

61
Q

Stenophagous

A

Predators that have a very narrow range of prey

species; selective predators

62
Q

Euryphagous

A

using many different plant species for food

63
Q

Optimal Foraging Theory

A

First, it benefits predators to focus on prey species that provide the highest ratio of food energy relative to the energy required for foraging.

64
Q

Keystone species

A

predators that significantly influence the whole composition of ecosystems by controlling the population sizes of prey species.

65
Q

Interspecific Competition

A

the interaction between individuals of two or more species in which the growth and/or fertility is decreased or the mortality is increased for both species.

66
Q

Intraspecific Competition

A

competing individuals are within the same species

67
Q

Allelopathy

A

In some competitive interactions, one organism exudes a chemical that is deleterious to another organism.

68
Q

Mutualism

A

Different species may interact closely with each other in a manner that benefits both species

69
Q

Commensalism

A

benefits one species and has no impact on the other

70
Q

Parasitism

A

one species benefits at the expense of the other.

71
Q

Parasites

A

organisms that are wholly dependent on other organisms

for nutrients and, in many cases, microhabitat.

72
Q

Muellerian mimicry

A

species that is poisonous or unpalatable to predators possesses the same coloring or shape as another species that is also poisonous or unpalatable.

73
Q

Batesian mimicry

A

occurs when one species that is not poisonous or unpalatable has the same coloring or shape as a species that is poisonous or unpalatable

74
Q

Fundamental Niche

A

The broad niche of a species in the absence of competition

75
Q

Realized Niche

A

The more restricted niche that occurs if competition excludes the species from certain portions of niche space

76
Q

Competitive Exclusion Principle

A

In theory, no two species should have completely overlapping niches.

77
Q

ecotone

A

The spatial boundary between adjacent communities

78
Q

community type

A

a group of species that is typically found in a specific type of habitat.

79
Q

association

A

groups of plant species commonly found in similar habitats

80
Q

stands

A

Forest plant ecologists generally refer to the individual sites as…

81
Q

dominance types

A

To simplify descriptions, plant biogeographers and foresters often describe associations in terms of the dominant plant species and call such associations…

82
Q

species evenness

A

the degree to which the number of individual organisms are evenly divided between the different species
of the community

83
Q

Superorganism community concept

A

Clements argued that because of interactions between
species during the climax phase of succession and because of facilitation during seral stages, plants and animals are bound together into tight communities that
behave like superorganisms. In this view, all of the species in a community are like the different organs of a larger organism. All the species depend on the functioning of the other species in the community and cannot persist outside of this
association.

84
Q

Individualistic community concept

A

Gleason argued that what we perceive
as biological communities are simply areas of similar habitat where species coexist because they have somewhat comparable environmental tolerances and
resource demands. Gleason went on to argue that each of these species has its own individual sets of tolerances and demands and do not always occur together. Since the species do not always have to occur together, communities cannot be thought of as superorganisms.

85
Q

ordination analysis

A

The examination of the distribution of species and communities relative to environmental conditions and along environmental gradients

86
Q

releve approach

A

Using this approach, the researcher makes a number of qualitative observations on the species observed in the community.

87
Q

formations

A

Units that are defined on the basis of similar vegetation structure

88
Q

Phanerophytes

A

Perennial land plants that are trees and very large shrubs with persistent above-ground stems and buds. These plants do not require protected microsites in order to grow or shield buds during cold winters or other dormant periods.

89
Q

Chamaephytes

A

Perennial land plants that grow as small shrubs. They hay·
persistent above-ground stems and buds. These plants do depend on protected microsites to protect buds in winter or during dormant periods.

90
Q

Hemicryptophytes

A

Perennial land plants that are small shrubs and herbs. They have persistent stems and buds located at the soil surface.

91
Q

Cryptophytes

A

Perennial land plants that are small shrubs and herbs. They depend on subsurface organs such as bulbs and corms to survive winter or dormant periods.

92
Q

Therophytes

A

Annual land plants that survive winter or other periods, such as summer drought, as seeds only.

93
Q

Hydrophytes

A

Water plants

94
Q

Megatherms

A

Plants that require high temperatures and abundant moisture.

95
Q

Xerophiles

A

Plants that require high temperatures and tolerate drought.

96
Q

Mesotherms

A

Plants that require moderate temperatures and moisture

availability.

97
Q

Microtherms

A

Plant that have relatively low heat and moisture requirements.

98
Q

Hekistotherms

A

Plants that tolerate extremely cold conditions.

99
Q

Forest

A

Sites dominated by trees and a generally continuous canopy.

100
Q

Woodland

A

Sites typified by widely spaced trees allowing for substantial areas
dominated by shrubs, grasses, or herbs.

101
Q

Shrubland

A

Sites dominated by a relatively continuous cover of shrubs.

102
Q

Grassland

A

Sites dominated by grasses and herbs.

103
Q

Scrub

A

Sites dominated by widely spaced shrubs.

104
Q

Desert

A

Sites dominated by sparse xerophytic plant cover with mostly bare
ground.

105
Q

ecological equivalents

A

widely separated, but physiognomically and structurally similar, species and vegetation formations

106
Q

convective precipitation

A

precipitation which occurs when the warming of air at the
surface causes the air to rise until it becomes cool enough for precipitation to occur. This phenomenon causes the thunderstorms and rain showers typical of
summer weather in many parts of the world, particularly the tropics.

107
Q

frontal precipitation

A

precipitation which occurs when warm air masses rise up and over denser masses of cool air. An example of this phenomenon are the winter storms that occur in the middle latitude regions

108
Q

orographic precipitation

A

precipitation that is generated when air is forced to rise when it encounters physical barriers such as mountains

109
Q

Euphotic Zone

A

The portion of the lake water column that receives sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis; plants can only live in this area

110
Q

Disphotic zone

A

Depths beneath this that receive enough light for fish and other organisms to see, but not enough for sustained photosynthesis

111
Q

Aphotic Zone

A

Depths that are totally dark

112
Q

Littoral zone

A

The shallow margins of the Jake where plants can root and receive adequate light for photosynthesis

113
Q

Profundal zone

A

the deep dark portion where rooted plants cannot exist

114
Q

thermocline

A

there is a gradient of decreasing temperature below the surface of the lake

115
Q

Epilimnion

A

high enough temperature, shallow (productive zone)

116
Q

Metalimnion

A

O2 levels declining, less light, drop in temperature

117
Q

Hypolimnion

A

approaching or at profundal zone

118
Q

Evergreen

A

plants that never lose their leaves

119
Q

glycol

A

a chemical that can lower a plant’s freezing temperature

120
Q

krummholtz

A

trees growing low on the ground; light energy is intercepted by surface, ground is warmer, high enough temperature for photosynthesis

121
Q

Baobab tree (genus: Adansonia)

A

Trees with enlarged trunks that can hold up to 120kL of water

122
Q

saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea)

A

this distinctive and widely recognized plant is actually only found in the Sonoran Desert of California, Arizona, and adjacent Mexico. This cactus is damaged or killed if exposed to prolonged freezing temperatures. Young saguaro that survive are found sheltered beneath more frost-tolerant desert shrubs. The cover of these shrubs acts as a thermal blanket, capturing heat radiated from the ground and keeping the microclimate of the small saguaro warm at night. As the cactus grows, it eventually rises above the cover of the protective shrub. The range of the saguaro is restricted to areas that do not experience more than about 12 to 24 continuous hours of air temperatures below 0 C.

123
Q

eastern phoebe (Sayormis phoebe)

A

Its northern range in eastern North America corresponds
fairly well with the -4° C isotherm for average minimum January temperatures. Temperatures lower than this likely require increased metabolic rates that cannot be met by the feeding rates of this bird at its northern limits.

124
Q

lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush)

A

species that is driven towards extinction in lakes that contain lampreys (Petromyzon marinus). The introduction of a generalist predator by humans has led to the extinction or near extinction of prey species (due to the building of shipping canals).

125
Q

kangaroo rats (Genus: Dipodomys)

A

same genus but different species share similarities for food and habitat. sharp boundaries, competitive exclusion, possible divergence; complete competitors cannot coexist. When species are closely competing, one is excluded

126
Q

Interference competition

A

actively pushing competitors out

127
Q

Resource competition

A

competing for for resources, indirectly pushing out competitors

128
Q

Lotka-Volterra Model

A

This concept of linked oscillations in predator-prey populations. It is a simple and elegant model
that explains why selective predators can cause changes in prey population size but are less likely to cause extinction. When the prey population size gets too low,
the predator population size crashes.

129
Q

snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus)

A

An example of the Lotka-Volterra model; the lynx populations (Lynx canadensis) do indeed follow the increases and decreases in the hare population size.

130
Q

Chipmunk competition

A

E. dorsalis very aggressive in physically excluding other chipmunks within its range. This strategy is particularly effective in the open and scattered woods of lower elevations. At higher elevations, E. dorsalis expends much energy trying to defend habitat in relatively continuous forest. In contrast, the two species E. umbrinus and E. quadrivitattus do not waste as much energy in defending territory in the closed forest, and this gives them a survival advantage over E. dorsalis. The species E. minimus is less aggressive and behaviorally subordinate to all of the other species.

131
Q

Humboldt (1800s)

A

The scientist who observed climate tends to be the distributor of plants around the globe

132
Q

Merriam (19th century, 1800s)

A

Mapped out vegetation by location and elevation; He used the term life zones to refer to these elevational
and latitudinal bands of similar climate and vegetation

133
Q

Whittaker

A

In 1975, the American ecologist who published a classification of global vegetation formations and their relationship to mean annual precipitation and mean annual temperature

134
Q

Permafrost soil

A

Soil never completely thaws out during summer, stays below freezing, groundwater on top of soil

135
Q

Alfred Wegener

A

Proposed the theory of continental drift (1912-1929)

136
Q

theory of continental drift

A
  1. continents look like puzzle pieces
  2. similarities in geology and fossils in different continents
  3. Greenland was moving in reference to other continents
  4. Continental masses are lighter than oceanic rock
137
Q

Pangaea (250 mya)

A

Supercontinent that was thought to have existed until the Permian-Pennsylvanian period

138
Q

Gondwanaland (150 mya)

A

The southern portion of Pangaea, which included modern South America,
Africa, Australia, Antarctica and India

139
Q

Laurasia (150 mya)

A

the northern area comprised of North America, Europe, and most of Asia

140
Q

Parangea

A

land between Asia and N. America during the ice age

141
Q

Dropstones

A

Icebergs melt, stone underneath drops into ocean

142
Q

Greenhouse Gases

A

molecules such as C02, methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N20) which absorb long-wave radiation (heat) in the atmosphere rather than allowing it to escape into space. Increasing the amount of greenhouse gasses does not slow the flow of light energy from the sun to the earth’s surface, but it does slow the radiation of heat to space and this warms the planet.

143
Q

Tree-Ring Analysis

A

one of the most important tools used by biogeographers to reconstruct recent past climatic changes

144
Q

Paleomagetism

A

important geophysical technique that was developed in the postwar period and has been applied to both marine and terrestrial geology.
When igneous rocks that contain elements such as iron or titanium cool, the earth’s magnetic field causes mineral grains to become oriented to the magnetic field. Once the rocks have solidified, this orientation is locked in.

145
Q

plate tectonics

A

Geophysicists now believe that the movement of the continents is ultimately driven by the dynamics of the inner earth.

146
Q

Glaciation

A

A period of regional or global development and expansion of glaciers.

147
Q

Charles Keeling (late 1950s)

A

developed a technique to measure the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. Remote sites are used for such measurements because they do not have an influence from local burning of fossil fuels.

Geography 2 Terms (2 decks)

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