Midterm #1 Flashcards
What percentage of freshwater is the Laurentian Great Lakes supply the world and North America?
21% for the world
84% for North America
What is the Great Lakes Basin?
The single largest watershed in the world, ranging from Trois-Rivières, Québec to beyond the western point of Lake Superior
What and where are some other great lakes?
African great Lakes, Lake Baikal in Russia,
Direction of flow of Laurentian Great Lakes?
Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-> Lake Huron-> Lake Erie-> Lake Ontario-> St. Lawrence River
Great Lakes In Order by Depth?
Superior
Michigan
Ontario
Huron
Erie
What has changed since the channelization of the Great Lakes?
Created ‘new’ islands at the bottom and submerged dredge spoil
What has caused the Great Lakes to be under stress in recent years?
Aquatic invasive species, habitat loss, biodiversity loss, industrial pollution, climate change, nutrient pollution
What is one of the top 3 stressors of Lake Erie & the Corridor?
Habitat Loss
What percentage of historical wetland coastland of Lake Erie has been destroyed?
More than 80%
What does hardening shorelines prevent?
It prevents property erosion and protects from erosional hazards
What does shoreline hardening structures help/hurt?
They increase water flow
They create poor habitat/structure for fish and their food
what percentage of historical coastal wetland along the Detroit River has been lost to development?
over 95%
St. Clair River and Detroit River are designated as _____ areas of concern
IJC- International Joint Commission
Toxic Contaminants found in water/Great Lakes?
Heavy Metals- Lead (pb) , Cadmium (cd), Zinc (zn), Arsenic (as), Nickel (ni), Cobalt (co), Chromium (cr)
Mercury
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
DDT
What does AIS stand for?
Aquatic Invasive Species
How are AIS introduced to the Great Lakes?
Via Shipping, agricultural, horticultural, pet trade etc.
Why are the Great Lakes Susceptible to Invasions?
A large number of transport vectors, disturbed systems, and establishment of Non Indigenous Species (NIS) predispose systems for more invasion (eg zebra mussel/round goby
What are some impacts of AIS?
Changes in water quality biofouling of intake pipes, changes in community structure, changes in food web energetics/feeding behavior, AIS effects on habitat, predation on sport fish/commercial fish.
What is the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement?
Agreement between Canada and USA of shared commitments to science, governance, and action that will help restore and protect Great Lakes Water quality and Ecosystem health
What do organisms have to compete for?
Food, water, space, shelter, mates, sunlight etc.
Difference between intraspecific and interspecific?
Intra- competition between individuals in a single species
Inter-competition between individuals in different species
What is amensalism? Example?
A competitive relationship where on species is harmed and other is apparently unaffected
Example: cattle trample on ground, grass is destroyed but cattle are unaffected
Fundamental Niche v Realized Niche
Fundamental- Potential idealized ecological niche
Realized- Actual niche organism
Difference between Competitive Exclusion and Resource Partitioning?
Competitive- One species excludes another from a portion of a niche through resource competition
Partitioning- the division of the niche by species to avoid competition for resources Ex Warbler birds divide up tree
What is predation? Example?
one species (predators) capture, kill, and consume individuals of another species (prey)
Ex. Lynx- Hare, Mouse- Eagle
How have species developed defenses against predation?
Evolution has helped plants and animals develop a defense
Examples of animal defenses?
Fleeing or running
Mechanical- quills, shells etc
Chemical- warning colorations/ toxins
Living in groups- herds, flocks
Camouflage- cryptic colouration
What is parasitism?
The relationship where one organism (parasite) depends on another (host) for nourishment or other benefit
Types of parasitism.
Some species live within the host such as protists that cause disease (malaria or tapeworms)
Free-Living- infrequent contact with their hosts (ticks and sea lampreys)
Some cause little harm while other may kill such as the parasitoid wasp
What is coevolution?
Hosts and parasites become locked in a duel of escalating adaptations ‘evolutionary arms race’
Each evolves new responses to the other
What is the exploitation in which animals feed on the tissues of plants?
Herbivory
Defenses against herbivory?
Chemical- toxic or distasteful parts
Physical- thorns spines, or irritating hairs
Other animals- protect the plant
What is mutualism? What can be considered a mutualism relationship?
Two or more species benefit from their interactions
Symbiosis and Pollination can be considered as mutualistic relationships
What is commensalism? Examples?
One species benefits & one is unaffected (neither negatively nor positively)
Ex. Epiphytes use the tree to access sunlight, the tree unaffected
Bird use the tree for a nest/shelter while the tree is unaffected
What is facilitation?
Plants that create shade and leaf litter allow seedlings to grow
What is community and community ecologists?
A community is an assemblage of species living in the same place at the same time
Ecologists are people interested in how species coexist and relate to one another, how communities change and why patterns exist
Ecological communities vary _______ in size and lack precise boundaries. Often nestled within one another and have ________ interactions.
greatly and complicated
Examples of community interaction?
Can be positive and negative feedbacks
Example: oak forest community relationships
Positive- A bumper crop of acorns-> increase in mouse population-> Decrease in gypsy moth pupae-> healthier forest trees
Negative- A bumper crop of acorns-> deer attracted to forest-> increase in tick population-> increased risk of Lyme disease
What is the energy/biomass flow?
What is lost at each level?
Producers-> Primary Consumers-> Secondary Consumers-> Tertiary Consumers-> Decomposers
Energy is lost directly as heat at each level
What are trophic levels/what do they show us?
Trophic levels show the rank in the feeding hierarchy of producers, consumers, and decomposers.
What can be found at the 1st trophic level?
Autotrophs/Producers- organisms that capture solar energy for photosynthesis to produce compounds as energy source
Ex. Green plant, cyanobacteria, algae
What can be found at the 2nd and 3rd trophic levels?
Heterotrophs/Consumer
Organisms that consume producers/consumers- always using energy
2nd Level- Primary consumers- herbivores (deer, grasshoppers)
3rd Level- Secondary Consumers- carnivores (Wolves, rodents)
What can be found at the 4th Trophic level?
Heterotrophs/Tertiary Consumers
carnivores, predators at the highest trophic level, consume secondary consumers (hawks, owls)
What can be found at every level in the Energy transfer process?
Decomposers
Difference between Food chain and web
The chain shows the transfer of energy at different trophic levels
Web shows a map of the feeding relationships and energy flow
What are ecological pyramids?
They show relative energy value of each trophic level by numbers, biomass, energy
What is a keystone species?
A specie that has a strong or far-reaching impact. Ex. removal of wolves from many parts of North America
Resistance vs. Resilience of a community?
Resistance- resists change and remains stable despite the disturbance
Resilience- changes response to disturbance, later returns to the original state.
What process do communities develop? Types?
Succession is the predictable series of changes in a community
Primary- disturbance eliminates all vegetation/soil life
Secondary- disturbance dramatically alters all local organisms but does not destroy
What are techniques to control invasive species?
Remove manually, Toxic chemicals, drying them out, deprived of oxygen, and stressing them (heat, sounds, electricity)
Prevention rather than control is the best policy
What is Allen’s rule?
The principle that animals adapted to cold climates have thicker limbs and bodily appendages than animals adapted to warm climates.
Ex. Rabbits
Arctic hare- short ears, legs, and small face
Jackrabbit- long ears, legs, and face
What is Bergmann’s Ruler?
States that organisms at higher latitudes should be larger and thicker than those closer to the equator to better conserve heat
10 Major Terrestrial Biomes?
Tundra (Territories/North)
Boreal Forest (Canada)
Temperate Deciduous (Eastern USA)
Temperate Grassland (Prairies)
Temperate Rainforest (Northwest North America)
Tropical Rainforest (Central/ South America)
Tropical dry forest (Parts of Africa and Southern America)
Savannah (Africa)
Desert (Australia/Africa)
Mediterranean (Central/Southern California)
Tundra Characteristics-
Where?
Weather/Climate?
Soil Quality?
Species?
-Can be found in Canada/Russia
-Minimal Precipitation
- Permafrost
- Few animals and Vegetation (polar bears)
Boreal Forest Characteristics-
Where?
Weather/Climate?
Soil Quality?
Species?
-Canada/Alaska/Russia
-Cool/dry climate
-Poor and acidic soil
-Few evergreen tree species
-Moose, wolves, bears
Temperate Deciduous Forest Characteristics-
Where?
Weather/Climate?
Soil Quality?
Species?
Deciduous trees lose their leaves each fall!
-Europe/ Eastern North America
-4 Seasons (cold winter/warm summer)
-Fertile soil
-Oak, Beech, Maple Trees
Temperate Grasslands Characteristics-
Where?
Weather/Climate?
Soil Quality?
Species?
- Prairies
- Less precipitation
- Extreme difference between summer and winter
- Much was converted for agriculture
- Bison, prairie dogs, antelope
Temperate Rain Forest Characteristics-
Where?
Weather/Climate?
Soil Quality?
Species?
- Coastal Pacific Region
- A great deal of precipitation
- Fertile soil but susceptible to erosion and landslides
- Moisture-loving animals
Tropical Dry Forest Characteristics-
Where?
Weather/Climate?
Soil Quality?
Species?
- India, Africa, South America
- Wet and dry seasons
- Less rainfall
- Agriculture
- Erosion Prone Soil
- Monkeys, Deer, Large Cats
Savannah Characteristics-
Where?
Weather/Climate?
Soil Quality?
Species?
- Africa, South America, India
- Rainy season
- Water Holes
- Zebras, Gazelles, Giraffes
Desert Characteristics-
Where?
Weather/Climate?
Soil Quality?
Species?
- Minimal Rain
- Temperatures vary wildly
- Saline Soils
- Nocturnal or Nomadic animals
- Plants have thick skins
Mediterranean Characteristics-
Where?
Weather/Climate?
Soil Quality?
Species?
- California, Chile
- High seasonal: Mild wet winters, warm, dry summers
- Frequent Fires
-Densely thicketed, evergreen shrubs - Sheep, Cattle, Wild Goats
What are aquatic systems shaped by?
Water temp., Salinity, Wave action, currents, depth, etc.
What is Natural Selection?
The process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tends to survive and produce more offspring.
Natural Selection is based on what 4 main observations?
- High reproductive capacity
- Heritable variation (genetics)
- Limits on population growth
- Differential Reproductive Success
What are Darwin’s Finches?
A group of 18 species of Finches that showed the diversity in beak form and function.
What is artificial selection/selective breeding?
The process where humans use animal and plant breeding to selectively reproduce a specific outcome of that species. Ex. Dog breeding and creation of broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and cabbage.
Difference between allopatric vs. Sympatric?
Allopatric- Occurs when biological populations become geographically isolated from each other to an extent that prevents or interferes with gene flow
Sympatric- occurs when there are no physical barriers preventing any members of a species from mating with another, and all members are in close proximity to one another.
Types of extinction:
Background vs. Mass
Background- ‘normal’ or typical species loss and the result of natural selection
Mass- ‘Atypical’ species loss and is a sudden loss of large number of species
Levels of ecological organization- Habitat
Biosphere
Ecosystem
Community
Population
Organism
What is an ecological niche?
The totality of an organism’s role in a community/ecosystem.
Accounts for all aspects of an organism’s existence
What is population ecology?
How populations of organisms respond to their environment.
Types of population distribution.
Random- trees
Uniform- seagulls
Clumped- Schools of fish
Characteristics of r- Selected species?
Small size
Fast-development
Short-lived
Reproduction early in life
Variable and unpredictable mortality
Ex. Rodents, insects, and weeds
Characteristics of k- Selected species
Large size,
Slow development
Long-lived
Reproduction later in life
More constant and predictable mortality
Ex. Elephants, Humans, and Bison
What is an Environmental system?
Network of relationships between parts/elements/components that interact and function as a unit
Complex systems have multiple subsystems
Examples of dynamic equilibrium in positive and negative feedback loops.
Negative feedback loops are most common in nature.
Ex. Abundant prey-> Many predators-> few prey->few predators->abundant prey…
Positive feedbacks uncommon
Ex. Cool climate, the sunlight reflects off white surfaces-> climate warms. sunlight is absorbed where dark surfaces are exposed-> light absorption speeds warming, exposing more dark surfaces
What does emergent properties mean? Example?
System characteristics not evident in the components alone- the whole is more than the sum of the parts
Ex. Tree
Components- trunk, branches, water, leaves, etc.
System- Tree
Emergent Properties- Habitat, CO2 sink, element of forest ecosystem
Earth’s 5 major subsystems
Geosphere- ground beneath our feet
Atmosphere- gaseous envelope
Hydrosphere- water
Biosphere- ALL living organisms/organic matter
Anthroposphere- made or modified by humans for use in human activities and human habitats
Geosphere-
What is it?
Layers?
Physical and foundation for life?
-30% of Earth’s surface area
-Rocks, soils, sediments
-Cryosphere (top) and lithosphere (bottom)
-Heat energy, nutrients, moisture retention, mass transfer…
Atmosphere-
What is it?
What does it do?
-Gaseous envelop <100 km thick and mostly N and O
-Supports life
-Provides greenhouse effect
-Mass and energy transport
Hydrosphere-
What is it?
-All water above and below ground, fresh and salt
-Liquid, vapor, and solid
-Mass and energy transport influences productivity and moderates climate
Biosphere-
What is it?
-Where ALL living organisms
-Small part of ‘total’ environment
-At the convergence of other environmental spheres.
Tenuous position- very uncertain/ weak
Anthroposphere-
Quaternary Period
-part of the environment that is made or modified by humans for use in human activities and human habitats
QP- 2.6 million years ago
Ecosystem Ecology
study of energy and material
flow among biotic and abiotic components of
systems Includes abiotic (nonliving) and biotic
(living) components
Ecosystem Inputs
Carbon, Nutrients (N,P,K,Fe,Ca), Water, Energy
Energy is converted to biomass through ______ productivity?
Primary
Primary Production and Gross Primary Production (GPP)
Primary Production- conversion of solar energy to chemical energy by autotrophs
GPP- assimilation of energy by autotrophs
Secondary Production and Net Primary Production (NPP)
Secondary Production- biomass generated by heterotrophs
NPP- Energy remaining after respiration, and is used to generate biomass
Nutrient (biogeochemical) cycle
the movement of
nutrients through ecosystems
Pools (reservoirs)
where nutrients reside for varying
amounts of time
Flux
movement of nutrients among pools, which change
over time and are influenced by human activities
Sinks
Accept more nutrients that they release
Properties of reservoirs?
Source- Material flows out to reservoir
Reservoir
Sink- Material flows in from the reservoir
Movement between Reservoirs?
Controlled by transport mechanisms;
Evaporation and precipitation
What is residence time (RT)?
Average time period a chemical remains in a reservoir
Highly variable and related to chemical reactivity
What are the 5 major biogeochemical cycles?
- Hydrologic (H2O)
- Carbon (C)
- Nitrogen (N)
- Phosphorus (P)
- Sulfur (S)
The hydrologic cycle influences all
other cycles. Water is essential for biochemical reactions and is involved in nearly every environmental system. What are the 3 modes of transportation?
Evaporation- Water moves from aquatic and land systems to air
Transpiration- Release of water vapor by plants
Precipitation- Condensation of water vapor as rain or snow
Water reservoirs gain by _____ and lose by _____. Give exmples.
Inflow- Rain, snow melt, streams
Outflow- Evaporation, streams, infiltration, extraction
What are some ways the hydrologic cycle influences all other cycles?
-Damming rivers increases evaporation and infiltration
-Altering the surface and vegetation increases runoff and erosion
-Most threatening impact is overdrawing groundwater for drinking, irrigation, and industrial use.
The ______ cycle provides the foundation for living organisms. How?
Carbon
-Carbon is found in carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and bones
-Photosynthesis moves carbon from the air to organisms
-Respiration returns carbon to the air and oceans
-The world’s oceans are the second largest reservoir of carbon
Carbon cycles between 4 main reservoirs. What are they?
- Atmosphere
- Oceans
- Land Surface
- Geosphere
Carbon cycles flow between reservoirs by 4 sub cycles. What are they?
- Gas exchange
- Photosynthesis and respiration
- Dissolved organic C
- Weathering, precipitation, & volcanism
What is nitrification?
Bacteria that convert ammonium ions first into nitrite ions then into nitrate ions
Denitrifying bacteria?
Convert nitrates in soil or water to gaseous nitrogen, releasing it back into the atmosphere
What is the Haber-Bosch process? Hint: Nitrogen cycle
Synthetic production of fertilizers by combining nitrogen and hydrogen to synthesize ammonia
What does BOD stand for and what does it do?
Biochemical Oxygen Demand
Reduces dissolved oxygen in water, lead to hypoxia, and impacts organisms.
Human impact on the Nitrogen cycle?
-Emissions/smog
-Fertilizers reduces ecosystem richness
-Runoff causes oxygen depletion
-Groundwater contamination
______ is a key component of cell membranes, DNA, RNA, ATP and ADP.
Phosphorus.
Why is runoff containing phosphorous dangerous?
It causes the Eutrophication of aquatic systems which is the overabundance of nutrients in the water. This deteriorates the water quality and the depletion of oxygen.
What is The Gulf of Mexico’s “Dead Zone” story?
Caused by excess nutrient pollution from human activities in urban and agricultural areas throughout the Mississippi River watershed.
Decreases in fishery catches in Gulf of Mexico, Hypoxia from runoff, Nitrogen and phosphorus main source.
What are the 2 Thermodynamic Laws?
1st Law- Conservation of Matter: Energy cant be created destroyed or created, only transferred from one form to another ex. Photosynthesis
2nd Law- Thermodynamics: The amount of energy available to work in the universe is decreasing with time
What are the most abundant elements in the Earth?
Oxygen, hydrogen, silicon, nitrogen, and carbon
What are the smallest units that still have all of the element’s chemical properties?
Atoms
Atoms of each element are made up of 3 particles. What are they?
-Protons: positively-charged and determine the element’s atomic number
-Neutrons: Have no charge
-Electrons: Negatively-charged
Proton and neutron are found in an atom’s _______. Electrons orbit this.
Nucleus
Atoms of the same element always have the same number of _______. The number of _________ can change, creating ions.
Protons
Electrons
Within an element, the number of _______ may vary creating isotopes.
Neutrons
What are isotopes?
Two or more forms of the same element with equal protons but different neutrons.
What are radioisotopes?
Isotopes that are radioactive meaning they decay and change their identity.
________ are combinations of two or more atoms chemically bonded together, such as O2.
Molecules
If the molecule is made of two or more different elements it is a _______. Such as water H2O, Carbon dioxide CO2.
Compound
When do covalent bonds form?
When electrons are shared between atoms.
What are organic compounds? What is an important class of this compound and why?
Carbon atoms are joined together with covalent bonds.
Hydrocarbons, only contain hydrogen and carbon.
Fossil fuels and petroleum products like plastic are mostly made of hydrocarbons.
Long chains of repeated molecules are ________. This and lipids are referred to as macromolecules because they are so large.
Polymers
Proteins are _____ made of amino acids. Found in skin, hair, muscles etc
Polymers
Hereditary information for organisms is ______ acids. (DNA) and (RNA)
Nucleic
Carbohydrates include ______ and ______ sugars. ______ a diverse group of molecules that do not dissolve in water.
Simple and Complex.
Lipids.
_____ is the capacity to change the position, composition, or temperature of matter.
Energy
What are autotrophs?
Organisms use the sun’s radiation directly to produce their own food.
The Heat from the Earth drives loops of convection currents that cycle material upward and downward. What is this called?
Plate Tectonics
Divergent plate boundaries-
Transform plate boundaries-
Convergent plate boundaries-
-Plates move apart as magma rises to the surface and cools
-Plates slip and grind alongside each other. This causes earthquakes.
-an area on Earth where two or more lithospheric plates collide.
An earthquake is a sudden _____ of ______ at a tectonic plate boundary.
release, energy
True or False: Landslides are a form of mass wasting.
True
True or False: We can worsen of lessen the impacts of natural hazards?
True
Ways we’ve worsened it:
-living in areas prone to hazards
-damming rivers
-human induced climate-change
Difference between environmentalism and environmental science/studies.
Environmentalism- social movement dedicated to protecting the natural world
Studies- focus more on the social sciences aspect
Science- focus on the natural sciences aspect
Negative feedbacks- system response is to _______ change
Counteracts
Positive feedbacks- system response is to _______ change
Intensify
What are the 4 category of environment and resources?
Biotic- living, natural, biosphere
Abiotic- non-living, natural air, water, land, atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere
Built- Man-made, structures
Social- Man-made, governments, institutions etc.
Difference between descriptive vs hypothesis-driven science.
Descriptive- gather basic information about organisms, materials, or systems.
Hypothesis- Construct explanations of how certain phenomena work and why they occur.
What are the 2 Overpopulation types?
- People- too many people/geographic region even at low consumption rates
- Consumption- Too many resources consumed and overwhelm even abundant resources.
What is the triple bottom line?
That social, environmental, and economic goals are ALL met.
What is the tragedy of the commons?
a situation in which individuals with access to a public resource (also called a common) act in their own interest and, in doing so, ultimately deplete the resource. This economic theory was first conceptualized in 1833 by British writer William Forster Lloyd.
