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BIOL 208 > Landscape Ecology > Flashcards

Landscape Ecology Flashcards

1
Q

What is a landscape?

A

A heterogeneous area consisting of distinct patches
These patches are known as landscape elements and are organized in a mosaic-like pattern

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2
Q

What are examples of landscape elements?

A

Mountains
Grasslands
Streams
Parks
Residential
Industrial

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3
Q

What is landscape ecology?

A

The study of the relationship between spatial pattern and ecological processes over a range of scales

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4
Q

Why is landscape ecology different?

A

Involves knowledge from multiple disciplines
Can use multiple scales
Often focused on humans and human influence

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5
Q

What factors shape landscapes?

A

Geological processes
Climate
Organisms
Fire

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6
Q

What are glacial ages?

A

Periods of variable cool and warm global temperatures that can last for millions of years

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7
Q

What are glaciations?

A

Cold periods of about 60000-90000 years within a glacial age

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8
Q

What is an interglacial period?

A

Relatively short warm periods (10000-40000 years) between glaciations in a glacial age

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9
Q

What is a glacier?

A

A body of dense ice that can move under its own weight

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10
Q

What is a continental glacier?

A

Covers large parts of a continent

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11
Q

What do glaciers create?

A

U-shaped valleys

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12
Q

What do streams create?

A

Runoff from glaciers created V-shaped valleys downstream

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13
Q

What do glaciers move?

A

Coarse and fine rocks

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14
Q

What is talus?

A

Large rock piles pushed aside and left behind by glaciers

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15
Q

What is glacial till?

A

Mixed rock material left by glaciers

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16
Q

What types of topography do glaciers create?

A

Moraine
Drumlin
Eskers
Kettle

17
Q

What is a moraine?

A

Piles of till either pushed aside or left behind by glaciers

18
Q

What is a drumlin?

A

Hills creates when glaciers pass over moraines

19
Q

What are eskers?

A

Narrow ridges of debris left behind by glacial streams

20
Q

What are kettles?

A

Lakes created by a piece of detached glacier melting into a depression

21
Q

What does glacial retreat lead to?

A

Primary succession

22
Q

What is glacial refugia?

A

Regions that occurred adjacent to the extent of the glacial landscape and remained unglaciated

23
Q

What is a nunatak?

A

A type of glacial refugia, in which a mountain peak is surrounded but not covered by glaciers

24
Q

What are the characteristics of nunataks?

A

Mountain peaks surrounded by ice
Organisms are spatially isolated
Unique flora and fauna

25
Q

What does fire suppression lead to?

A

Burns that tend to affect larger areas, possibly due to a build-up of more biomass resulting from fire suppression

26
Q

What is landscape structure?

A

Describes the size, shape, composition, number, and position of patches in a landscape

27
Q

What is a patch?

A

A relatively homogenous area that differs from its surroundings

28
Q

What is a matrix?

A

Most spatially continuous land cover type

29
Q

What does landscape structure influence?

A

Influences processes such as the flow of energy, materials, and species distributions across a landscape

30
Q

What does patch shape influence?

A

It influences the edge effect

31
Q

What are edge effects?

A

Impacts on the adjacent ecosystem caused by changes in the physical environment along its edge = reduced habitat area, change in abiotic and biotic properties, decrease in isolation

32
Q

What are edge effects on the Amazon rainforest?

A

Environment along forest edges hotter and drier, with higher intensity of solar radiation
Tree mortality higher at edges and overstorey decreases while understory vegetation increases
Decreased diversity of many animal groups

33
Q

What is habitat fragmentation?

A

The division of previously intact habitat into several isolated patches, typically due to human development and resource extraction

34
Q

What happens to animals in larger patches?

A

Stayed in the patch more and moved less = lower mortality risk

35
Q

What happens to animals in smaller patches?

A

Moved more between patches = higher mortality risk

36
Q

What are corridors?

A

Some sort of strip habitat connecting similar habitat types patches across a landscape
Such corridors help mitigate the effects of habitat fragmentation

BIOL 208 (32 decks)

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