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ECOLOGY > MIDTERMS > Flashcards

MIDTERMS Flashcards

1
Q

a large area characterized by its vegetation, soil, climate, and wildlife

A

Biome

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2
Q

bodies of water surrounded by land

A

freshwater biomes

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3
Q

salt content of freshwater biomes

A

less than one percent

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4
Q

ponds
rivers
lakes
streams
springs
bogs
wetlands

A

freshwater

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5
Q

the study of inland waters

A

limnology

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6
Q

lakes (both freshwater and saline)
reservoirs
streams
wetlands
groundwater

A

inland waters

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7
Q

integrates the functional relationships of growth, adaptation, nutrient cycles, and biological productivity with species composition, and describes and evaluates how the physical, chemical, and biological environments regulate these relationships

A

limnological discipline

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8
Q

the word “limnology” comes from the Greek words ___ and___

A

limne (marsh, pond) and limnaea (a thing pertaining to a marsh)

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9
Q

the study of the structure, function, and change of organisms in freshwaters as affected by their physical, chemical, and biotic environments

A

freshwater ecology

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10
Q

a subset to Earth’s aquatic ecosystems

A

freshwater ecology

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11
Q

freshwater ecosystem (still water)

A

lentic ecosystems

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12
Q

freshwater ecosystem (flowing water)

A

lotic ecosystems

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13
Q

freshwater ecosystems are also called

A

vegetated wetlands

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14
Q

freshwater ecosystems play an important role in

A

mitigation against climate variability

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15
Q

the largest lake in the Philippines

A

Laguna Lake

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16
Q

the second largest lake in the Philippines

A

Lake Lanao

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17
Q

the deepest lake in the Philippines

A

Lake Mainit

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18
Q

habitats that support marine life

A

marine habitats

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19
Q

what biome is composed of:
the ocean
coral reefs
estuaries

A

marine biomes

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20
Q

the term marine comes from the Latin word ___

A

mare (sea or ocean)

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21
Q

marine habitats can be divided into (2)

A

coastal habitats
open ocean habitats

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22
Q

found in the area that extends from as far as the tide comes in on the shoreline to the edge of the continental shelf

A

coastal habitats

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23
Q

the shelf area occupies ___ percent of the total ocean area

A

seven

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24
Q

found in the deep ocean beyond the edge of the continental shelf

A

open ocean habitats

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25
Q

a transitional area of vegetation between two different plant communities

A

ecotone

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26
Q

support thousands of marine species, store carbon, improve water quality, protect coastlines, cycle nutrients, and create habitat corridors between coral reefs and mangroves

A

seagrasses/seagrass beds

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27
Q

created by tiny animals “coral polyps”
act as homes or nurseries for 25% of all marine life
found in over 100 countries

A

coral reefs

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28
Q

tiny animals that create coral reefs

A

coral polyps

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29
Q

the coral polyps’ ___ build up over time, forming the base of the ___ habitat that supports the world’s ___

A

limestone skeletons, complex reef, highest level of marine biodiversity

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30
Q

13m hectare underwater plateau near Aurora. the Philippines’ biggest island, considered part of the Philippines continental shelf

A

Benham Rise

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31
Q

partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more streams into it, and with a free connection to the open sea

A

estuary

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32
Q

estuaries form a ___ between river environments and maritime environments known as ___

A

transition zone, ecotone

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33
Q

estuaries are subject to both (2)

A

marine influences: tides, waves, and influx of saline water

riverine influences: flows of freshwater and sediment

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34
Q

the mixing of seawater and freshwater provides ___ both in the ___ and ___, making estuaries among the ___ in the world

A

high levels of nutrients, water column and in sediment, most productive natural habitats

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35
Q

estuaries are incredibly dynamic systems, where ___, ___, ___, ___, and ___ all change daily in response to the tides (5)

A

temperature
salinity
turbidity
depth
flow

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36
Q

this dynamism makes estuaries ___ habitats, but also makes it difficult for many species to ___

A

highly productive, survive year-round

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37
Q

estuaries provide ___ to a variety of species that rely on estuaries for life-cycle completion

A

critical habitats

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38
Q

species known to lay their eggs in estuaries and bays

A

Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii)

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39
Q

species that give birth in estuaries

A

surfperch

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40
Q

species that migrate to estuaries to rear

A

juvenile flatfish and rockfish

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41
Q

species that use estuaries as migration corridors

A

anadromous salmonids and lampreys

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42
Q

migratory bird population - relies on estuaries

A

black-tailed godwit

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43
Q

habitat that is found predominantly on land

A

terrestrial habitat

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44
Q

terrestrial habitats are spread out across a large range of environments such as (7)

A

caves
deserts
farms
forests
grasslands
shorelines
wetlands

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45
Q

___ or ___ habitats such as ___ or ___ also constitute to terrestrial habitats

A

semi-natural or man-made, national parks or biosphere reserves

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46
Q

types of terrestrial habitats (4)

A

forests
deserts
mountains
grasslands

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47
Q

an essential for the existence of life on Earth as it served as a natural habitat for a vast range of plants and animals

A

forests

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48
Q

covers nearly ___ square km of the Earth’s surface or ___ of the total land surface

A

40m, 31%

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49
Q

forest ecosystem is divided into four different subgroups (4)

A

tropical forest
temperature forest
boreal forest
plantation forest

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50
Q

layers of rainforest (4)

A

forest floor
understory layer
canopy layer
emergent layer

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51
Q

have the highest species diversity
usually located around the equator in the South Africa and Southeast Asia

A

tropical forests

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52
Q

tropical forests are characterized by (2)

A

humidity
excessive rainfall

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53
Q

similar to temperate forests but have a much harsher temperature

A

boreal forests

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54
Q

boreal forests are also called ___ and are the ___

A

Taiga, largest land biome

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55
Q

cultivated for the purpose of commercialization
only one or two species of trees are cultivated
genetically altered to provide better resistance against disaster and commercial viability

A

plantation forests

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56
Q

areas where the most dominant type of vegetation is gasses
these types of environments occur naturally throughout the world

A

grasslands

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57
Q

grasslands can be subdivided into (2)

A

tropical grasslands
temperate grasslands

58
Q

tropical grasslands are also called

A

Savanna or Savannah

59
Q

characterized by a combination of widely spaced grassy fields and woodlands where sufficient light reaches the ground

A

tropical grasslands

60
Q

tropical grasslands receive ___ of rain every year, which is then followed by a ___

A

30 to 50in, dry season

61
Q

similar to tropical grasslands except it has warmer summers followed by cold winters

A

temperate grasslands

62
Q

average annual rainfall of temperate grasslands

A

30-35 in

63
Q

temperate grasslands can be categorized into (2)

A

steppes (short grasses)
prairies (tall grasses)

64
Q

examples of major grasslands (2)

A

Great Plains of the Midwest
Palouse Prairie (America)

65
Q

biomes that receive less than 10in of rainfall anually

A

deserts

66
Q

regarded as a desert as annual precipitation is less than 2in (interior parts)

A

Antarctica

67
Q

animals have adapted to the heat by ___ or ___

A

burrowing or living in caves

68
Q

in deserts, animals have adopted a ___

A

nocturnal lifestyle

69
Q

the effect of Earth’s rotation on the direction of winds and current

an effect whereby a mass moving in a rotating system experiences a force (the Coriolis force) acting perpendicular to the direction of motion and to the axis of rotation. On the Earth, the effect tends to deflect moving objects to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern and is important in the formation of cyclonic weather systems.

A

Coriolis Effect

70
Q

classified as a polar desert
largest desert in the world

A

Antarctic

71
Q

largest subtropical desert

A

Sahara

72
Q

one of the “big four” deserts in North America
largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets, in North America

A

The Great Basin

73
Q

large landform that rise above the surrounding surface

A

mountains

74
Q

mountain regions have ___ due to ___

A

colder climates, high elevations

75
Q

plants and animals residing in these regions (mountains) have ___ to cope up with the environment

A

special adaptations

76
Q

forests are present in ___ but become increasingly sparse as the ___

A

moderate elevation, elevation increases

77
Q

height/elevation of Mt. Everest

A

8,848.86m

78
Q

height/elevation of Mt. Apo

A

2,954m

79
Q

A community’s structure can be described by its ______.

is the total number of different species in the community

the number of species present

A

species richness

80
Q

is a measure of both species richness and species evenness (relative numbers)

A

species diversity

81
Q

Community structure is influenced by many factors, including:

A

abiotic factors, species interactions, level of disturbance, and chance events.

82
Q

play particularly important roles in determining their communities’

A

foundation species and keystone species

83
Q

is the feeding relationships between organisms in a community

It is a key factor in community dynamics

A

Trophic structure

84
Q

link trophic levels from producers to top carnivores

A

food chains

85
Q

is a branching food chain with complex trophic interactions

A

Foods Webs

86
Q

Food webs can be simplified by

A

Grouping species with similar trophic relationships into broad functional groups

Isolating a portion of a community that interacts very little with the rest of the community

87
Q

Each food chain in a food web is usually only

A

a few links long

88
Q

Two hypotheses attempt to explain food chain length

A

the energetic hypothesis and the dynamic stability hypothesis

89
Q

suggests that length is limited by inefficient energy transfer.

For example, a producer level consisting of 100 kg of plant material can support about 10 kg of herbivore biomass.

most data support this hypothesis

A

energetic hypothesis

90
Q

the total mass of all individuals in a population

A

biomass

91
Q

proposes that long food chains are less stable than short ones

A

dynamic stability hypothesis

92
Q

highly abundant or play a pivotal role in community dynamics

A

Species with a Large Impact

93
Q

are those that are most abundant or have the highest biomass

One hypothesis suggests that ______ are most competitive in exploiting resources

Another hypothesis is that ______ are most successful at avoiding predators

A

Dominant Species

94
Q

_______ exert powerful control over the occurrence and distribution of other species

For example, _______ have a major impact on shading and soil nutrient availability in eastern North America; this affects the distribution of other plant species

A

Dominant Species; sugar maples

95
Q

typically introduced to a new environment by humans, often lack predators or disease

organisms that become established outside their native range

A

Invasive species

96
Q

exert strong control on a community by their ecological roles, or niches

In contrast to dominant species, they are not necessarily abundant in a community

A

Keystone Species

97
Q

Field studies of _____ illustrate their role as a keystone species in intertidal communities

A

sea stars

98
Q

Is an event that changes a community

Removes organisms from a community

Alters resource availability

A

A disturbance

99
Q

Is a significant disturbance in most terrestrial ecosystems

Is often a necessity in some communities

A

Fire disturbance

100
Q

Suggests that moderate levels of disturbance can foster higher species diversity than low levels of disturbance

A

The intermediate disturbance hypothesis

101
Q

Demonstrated that communities can often respond very rapidly to a massive disturbance

A

The large-scale fire in Yellowstone National Park in 1988

102
Q

Are the most widespread agents of disturbance

A

Humans

103
Q

Usually reduces species diversity

A

Human disturbance to communities

104
Q

also prevent some naturally occurring disturbances.

Which can be important to community structure

A

humans

105
Q

Is the sequence of community and ecosystem changes after a disturbance

A

ecological succession

106
Q

Occurs where no soil exists when succession begins

started by pioneer species

A

primary succession

107
Q

Begins in an area where soil remains after a disturbance

started by remaining species

A

Secondary succession

108
Q

May facilitate the appearance of later species by making the environment more favorable

May inhibit establishment of later species

May tolerate later species but have no impact on their establishment

A

Early-arriving species

109
Q

Provide a valuable field-research opportunity on succession

A

Retreating glaciers

110
Q

Follows a predictable pattern of change in vegetation and soil characteristics

A

Succession on the moraines in Glacier Bay, Alaska

A. Pioneer stage, with fireweed dominant
B. Dryas stage
C. Spruce stage
D. Nitrogen fixation by Dryas and alder increases the soil nitrogen content.

111
Q

Biogeographic factors affect

A

community diversity

112
Q

Two key factors correlated with a community’s species diversity are

A

its geographic location and its size

113
Q

The two key factors in equatorial-polar gradients of species richness

A

Are probably evolutionary history and climate

114
Q

generally declines along an equatorial-polar gradient

And is especially great in the tropics

A

species richness

115
Q

May account for the greater species richness

A

The greater age of tropical environments

116
Q

Is likely the primary cause of the latitudinal gradient in biodiversity

A

climate

117
Q

The two main climatic factors correlated with biodiversity

A

Are solar energy input and water availability

118
Q

_________ quantifies the idea that
all other factors being equal, the larger the geographic area of a community, the greater the number of species.

A ________ supports this idea

A

species-area curve;
species-area curve of North American breeding birds

119
Q

Habitat and Niche Key Concept:

A

Every organism has a habitat and a niche.

120
Q

differs from a niche.

is all aspects of the area in which an organism lives. (biotic factors and abiotic factors)

A

habitat

121
Q

includes all of the factors that a species needs to survive, stay healthy, and reproduce.
(food, abiotic conditions, behavior)

A

ecological niche

122
Q

Resource availability gives structure to a

A

community

123
Q

Species can share habitats and resources. (T or F)

A

T

124
Q

occurs when two species use resources in the same way.

A

competition

125
Q

keeps two species from occupying the same niche.

has different outcomes.
One species is better suited to the niche and the other will either be pushed out or become extinct.
The niche will be divided.
The two species will further diverge.

A

Competitive exclusion

126
Q

are species that occupy similar niches but live in different geographical regions.

A

ecological equivalents

127
Q

is the variety of organisms that make up the community

A

Species diversity of a community

128
Q

two components of species diversity

A

species richness and relative abundance

(Two communities can have the same species richness but a different relative abundance )

129
Q

is the proportion each species represents of the total individuals in the community

A

Relative abundance

130
Q

Diversity can be compared using a

A

diversity index (Shannon diversity index (H))

131
Q

H = – (pA ln pA + pB ln pB + pC ln pC + …)

where A, B, C . . . are the species, p is the relative abundance of each species, and ln is the natural logarithm

A

Shannon diversity index (H)

132
Q

can be used to help determine microbial diversity

A

molecular tools

133
Q

Ecologists manipulate diversity in experimental communities to study the _______.

For example, plant diversity has been manipulated at _______________.

A

potential benefits of diversity;

Cedar Creek Natural History Area in Minnesota for two decades

134
Q

Communities with higher diversity are More productive and more stable in their productivity

Better able to withstand and recover from environmental stresses

More resistant to invasive species

T or F

A

T

135
Q

Ecological Succession Key Concept:

A

Ecological succession is a process of change in the species that make up a community.

136
Q

occurs following a disturbance in an ecosystem.

regenerates or creates a community after a disturbance.
- a sequence of biotic changes
- damaged communities are regenerated
- new communities arise in previously uninhabited areas

A

Succession

137
Q

two types of succession.

A

primary succession
secondary succession

138
Q

secondary natural succession

A

autoregeneration

139
Q

Why does change or succession occur?

A

It occurs as the result of either autogenic processes (associated with the living community) or allogenic processes (associated with the physical environment).

140
Q

result of three major biotic mechanisms:

  1. Colonization
  2. Alteration of the physical characteristics of the site
  3. Displacement of species by competition or antibiosis.
A

Autogenic succession

ECOLOGY (4 decks)

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