Global Patterns Used in Ecology

Question 1

Organismal

Answer 1

Morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations
How they interact with surroundings
Interactions with other organisms
Which females and males are most successful in that location

Question 2

Population

Answer 2

How the number of individuals in a population change over time
Mathematical models are used to determine how the surroundings effect population size
Predictions can be made

Question 3

Community

Answer 3

Nature of interactions and the consequences of those interactions
Predation, parasitism, competition

Question 4

Ecosystem

Answer 4

How energy and nutrients flow through the system
Public policy implications

Question 5

Turnover

Answer 5

Spring and Fall.

Causes a thermocline
Density changes lead to turnovers

Question 6

Littoral

Answer 6

shoreline and shallow waters

Question 7

Limnetic

Answer 7

offshore areas with photosynthesis

Question 8

Benthic

Answer 8

substrate

Question 9

Aphotic

Answer 9

area with no light

Question 10

Fresh water enviorments

Answer 10

Movement is determined by wind and temperature
Littoral and limnetic: warmer more oxygen
Benthic: nutrient rich
Plankton and some rooted plants are in the photic zone
Animals and invertebrates live in the benthic zone and consume detritus

Question 11

Wetlands

Answer 11

Soil is saturated with water for at least part of the year
Are identified via indicator plants
Shallow water only
Emergent vegetation
Bogs: form in depressions, Anoxic, nutrient poor, nitrogen low, Unproductive
Swamps: trees shrubs, slow and steady flow of water
Marshes: slow and steady flow, grasses and reeds

Question 12

Streams

Answer 12

Move constantly in one direction
Creeks = small, rivers = large
Shallow all photic
Origin is typically cold narrow and fast
As it flows tributaries join up warming the water and slowing it down
Colder and faster = more oxygen
Slow = more nutrients

Question 13

Estuaries

Answer 13

Are not just fresh water
Rivers meet the ocean
Salinity changes constantly
Water depth changes mostly photic
Nutrient rich
Very productive and full of young fish

Question 14

The ocean

Answer 14

Chemical composition uniform
Salt water
Intertidal: sondy, rocky or muddy beach partially exposed
Neritic: 200 meters past the intertidal, contenintal shelf,
Oceanic: open ocean, deep water region
Benthic: bottom

Question 15

Water movement

Answer 15

Near the shore: tides and waves
Neritic: upwellings
There are large scale currents throughout the ocean
These dictate nutrient availability
Oceanic or pelagic zone is typically nutrient deficient

Question 16

Organisms

Answer 16

Each zone has different species
Intertaidal: waves. Sun, heat, lack of water
Neritic zone: where most fisheries occur less stress than intertidal with nutrients available
Neritic tropical zone: coral reefs
Oceanic and aphotic: unproductive

Question 17

Biome

Answer 17

major groupings of plant and animal communities defined by the dominant vegetation type

Determined by climate
Climate: the prevailing long term conditions of the area
Weather: specific short term atmospheric conditions

Question 18

Four weather conditions

Answer 18

Temperatures: enzymes only work in specific ranges, moisture availability
Moisture: evaporation and transpiration
Sunlight: essential for photosynthesis
Wind: exacerbates heat loss, and water loss physical impacts