Handout 2 Flashcards
non-living referring to the physical and chemical properties of an environment
abiotic
the bottom surface of an aquatic environment
benthic zone
the communities of organisms living in the benthic zone of an aquatic biome
benthos
any of the worlds major ecosystem types, often classifies according to the predominant vegetation for terrestrial forms and the physical environment for aquatic forms and characterized by adaptations of organisms to that particular environment
biome
pertaining to the living factors- the organisms- in an environment
biotic
a scrubland of dense, spiny evergreen shrubs found at mid-latitudes along coasts where cold ocean currents circulate offshore; characterized by mild, rainy winters and long, hot, dry summers
chaparral
a plot of the temperature and precipitation in a particular region
climograph
the study of how interactions between species affect community structure and organization
community ecology
typically a warm-water, tropical ecosystem dominated by secreted hard skeletal structures; some also exist in cold,deep waters
coral reef
a dark, hot, oxygen-deficient environment associated with volcanic activity on or near the seafloor; producers in such a community are chemoautotrophic prokaryotes
deep-see hydrothermal vent
a terrestrial biome characterized by very low precipitation
desert
dead organic matter
detritus
the movement of individuals or gametes away from their present location; this movement sometimes expands the geographic range of a population or species
dispersal
a natural or human-caused event that changes a biological community and usually removes organisms from it; events such as fire and storms, play a pivotal role in structuring many communities
disturbance
the study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment
ecology
the study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment
ecosystem ecology
the area where a freshwater stream or river merges with the ocean
estuary
the study of how the functioning and distribution of organisms across the biosphere and how the function of energy and materials affects them
global ecology
the shallow zone of the ocean adjacent to land and between the high and low tides
intertidal zone
the study of how the spatial arrangement of habitat types affects the distribution and abundance of organisms and ecosystem processes
landscape ecology
large-scale patterns in climate; the climate of an entire region
macroclimate
the ocean floor
marine benthic zone
climate patterns on a very fine scale, such as the specific climate conditions underneath a log
microclimate
the shallow region of the ocean overlying the contintental shelf
neritic zone
a terrestrial biome characterized by long, cold winters and dominated by cone-bearing trees
northern coniferous forest
most of the oceans waters far from shore, constantly mixed by ocean currents
ocean pelagic zone
the branch of ecology concerned with the morphological, physiological, and behavioural ways in which individual organisms meet the challenges posed by their biotic and abiotic environments
organismal ecology
the open water component of aquatic biomes
pelagic zone
the study of populations in relation to their environment including environmental influences on density, distribution, age structure ad variations in size
population ecology
a tropical grassland with scattered individual trees and large herbivores and maintained by occasional fires and drought
savannah
a biome located throughout mid-lattitude regions where there is sufficeint moisture to support the growth of large, broadleaf deciduous trees
temperate broadleaf forest
exists at mid-lattitude terrestrial regions and is dominated by grasses and forbs
temperate grassland
a terrestrial biome characterized by relatively high temperatures and precipitation overall but with a pronounced dry season
tropical dry forest
a terrestrial biome characterixzd by relatively high precipitation and temperatures year-round
tropical rain forest
at the extreme limits of terrestrial plant growth; at the northernmost limits it is arctic variant, and at high altitudes, where plant forms are limited to low shrubby or mat-like vegetation it is alpine varient
tundra
a habitat that is inundated by water at least some of the time and that supports plants adapted to water-saturated soil
wetland
the mixing of waters as a result of changing water- temperature profiles in a lake
turnover
A habitat that is inundated by water at least some of the time and that
supports plants adapted to water-saturated soil
wetland
concept 13.1
earths climate varies by latitude and season and is changing rapidly
concept 13.2
the structure and distribution of terrestrial biomes are controlled by climate and disturbance
concept 13.3
aquatic biomes are diverse and dynamic systems that cover most of earth
concept 13.4
interactions between organisms and the environment limit and the distribution systems of species
Which of the following levels of organization is arranged in the correct sequence from most to least inclusive?
B. ecosystem, community, population, individual
You are working for the Environmental Protection Agency and researching the effect of a potentially toxic chemical in drinking water. There is no documented scientific evidence showing that the chemical is toxic, but many suspect it to be a health hazard. Using the precautionary principle, what would be a reasonable
environmental policy?
B. Set the acceptable levels of the chemical conservatively low, and keep them there unless future studies show that they can be safely raised.
Studying species transplants is a way that ecologists
D. determine if dispersal is a key factor in limiting distribution of organisms.
Which of the following are important biotic factors that can affect the structure and organization of biological communities?
C. predation, competition.
Which of the following abiotic factors has the greatest influence on the metabolic
rates of plants and animals?
C. temperature.
Which of the following statements about light in aquatic environments is correct?
A. Water selectively reflects and absorbs certain wavelengths of light
In mountainous areas of western North America, north-facing slopes would be
expected to
E. support biological communities similar to those found at higher elevations
on similar south-facing slopes.
Coral reefs can be found on the southern east coast of the United States but not at similar latitudes on the southern west coast. Differences in which of the following most likely account for this?
D. ocean currents
Deserts typically occur in a band at 30 degrees north and south latitude because
A. descending air masses tend to be cool and dry
Turnover of water in temperate lakes during the spring and fall is made possible by which of the following?
D. the density of water changes as seasonal temperatures change
Which of the following is responsible for the summer and winter stratification of
deep temperate lakes?
A. Water is densest at 4°C
Generally speaking, deserts are located in places where air masses are usually
D. descending
Which of the following causes Earth’s seasons?
E. the tilt of Earth’s axis.
Imagine some cosmic catastrophe jolts Earth so that its axis is perpendicular to the orbital plane between Earth and the sun. The most obvious effect of this change would be
E. the elimination of seasonal variation.
The main reason polar regions are cooler than the equator is because
B. sunlight strikes the poles at a lower angle
Which of the following environmental features might influence microclimates?
A. a discarded soft-drink can.
B. a tree.
C. a fallen log.
D. a stone.
E. all of the above
The success with which plants extend their range northward following glacial retreat is best determined by
C. their seed dispersal rate
As climate changes because of global warming, speciesʹ ranges in the northern
hemisphere may move northward. The trees that are most likely to avoid extinction in such an environment are those that
A. have seeds that are easily dispersed by wind or animals
Which of the examples below provides appropriate abiotic and biotic factors that might determine the distribution of the species in question?
B. The number of frost-free days and competition between species of
introduced grasses and native alpine grasses.
Species introduced to new geographic locations
D. can out-compete and displace native species for biotic and abiotic
resources.
A certain species of pine tree survives only in scattered locations at elevations above 2,800 m in the western United States. To understand why this tree grows only in
these specific places an ecologist should
C. investigate the various biotic and abiotic factors that are unique to high
altitude.
Which of the following organisms is the most likely candidate for geographic
isolation?
E. land snail
Generalized global air circulation and precipitation patterns are caused by
A. rising, warm, moist air masses cool and release precipitation as they rise and
then at high altitude, cool and sink back to the surface as dry air masses
after moving north or south of the tropics
Which marine zone would have the lowest rates of primary productivity
(photosynthesis)?
B. abyssal
Where would an ecologist find the most phytoplankton in a lake?
C. photic zone
You are planning a dive in a lake, and are eager to observe not many underwater
organisms but be able to observe them both close up and far away. You would do well to choose
A. an oligotrophic lake
You are interested in studying how organisms react to a gradient of a variety of abiotic conditions and how they coexist in this gradient. The best location in which to conduct such a study is
B. an intertidal zone
Which of the following statements about the ocean pelagic biome is true?
D. Pelagic ocean photosynthetic activity is disproportionately low in relation to
the size of the biome.
Which of the following is not true about estuaries?
D. Estuaries usually contain no or few producers
Probably the most important factor(s) affecting the distribution of biomes is (are)
D. climate
In the development of terrestrial biomes, which factor is most dependent on all the others?
A. the species of colonizing animals
An area in which different terrestrial biomes grade into each other is known as a(n)
C. ecotone.
Fire suppression by humans
B. can change the species composition within biological communities
Which biome is able to support many large animals despite receiving moderate amounts of rainfall?
E. savannah.
Which type of biome would most likely occur in a climate with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers?
D. chaparral
In which community would organisms most likely have adaptations enabling them to respond to different photoperiods?
D. temperate forest
The growing season would generally be shortest in which of the following biomes?
E. coniferous forest.
Trees are not usually found in the tundra biome because of
E. permafrost
If global warming continues at its present rate, which biomes will likely take the place of the coniferous forest (taiga)?
B. temperate broadleaf forest and grassland.
