module 5 - ecology Flashcards
1
Q
define ecology
A
the study of interactions among and between organisms & their environment
2
Q
the equator has _____ (direct/indirect) sun exposure
A
direct
3
Q
the northern hemisphere tilts towards the sun during which months?
A
april - september
4
Q
the southern hemisphere tilts towards the sun during which months?
A
september - april
5
Q
at high altitudes, air is _____ (more/less) dense, holds _____ (more/less) water, and is _____ (warmer/cooler)
A
less dense, less water, cooler
6
Q
rotation of air is _____ (faster/slower) at the equator than at the poles
A
faster
7
Q
define prevailing winds
A
winds that move ocean currents
8
Q
water has a _____ (high/low) specific heat
A
high
9
Q
what happens to cells when it is too cold?
A
ice crystals in the cells disrupt membranes
10
Q
what happens to cells when it is too hot?
A
proteins lose structure & enzymes cannot function
11
Q
define adaptations
A
specialized traits that allow an organism to survive otherwise unfavorable conditions
12
Q
define behavioral adaptation
A
altering behavior to survive unfavorable conditions
13
Q
give 3 examples of behavioral adaptations
A
hibernation, burrowing, migration
14
Q
define a biome
A
a regional land area defined by climate and geography and characterized by ecologically similar organisms
15
Q
what is the primary character of a biome?
A
vegetation
16
Q
what 5 things does vegetation in a biome provide?
A
food, habitat, shelter, protection, nesting sites
17
Q
give the 7 biome types
A
tropical rain forest
desert (hot or cold)
temperate hardwood wetlands
temperate grasslands
chaparral
temperate evergreen forest
taiga & tundra
18
Q
what shaped the landscape of tallgrass prairie? explain
A
fire - most trees killed by fires, herbaceous perennials dominate
19
Q
grassland is _____ (drier/wetter) than woodlands
A
drier
20
Q
life zones in aquatic environments are defined by what?
A
illumination (shallow, intermediate, deep water)
21
Q
define estuaries
A
where fresh and saltwater meet
22
Q
what defines biogeographical areas?
A
barriers that prevent dispersal of species
23
Q
wallace’s line is an example of what?
A
a biogeographical barrier where species do not disperse
24
Q
define an area phylogeny
A
a phylogenetic tree created in relation to where species are found, not just what the species is
25
what is the purpose of an area phylogeny?
to see the current geographical distribution of species in relation to other related species to uncover the history of speciation
26
define populations
interacting groups of members of a species
27
define range
the geographical area where a species is likely to be found
28
define an endemic population range
a species limited to a defined location
29
give an example of an endemic species
devil's hole pupfish live in a very tiny geographical area compared to all other species
30
define a cosmopolitan population range
a widely distributed population
31
what are the 3 types of population dispersion?
clumped, regular, and random
32
why would a population have clumped dispersal?
give a species example
when being together is beneficial and the environment is not uniform
ex. killer whales
33
why would a population have regular dispersal?
give a species example
when being together is harmful
ex. ducks in a large group build their nests in a close proximity, but as far away from each other as possible
34
why would a population have random dispersal?
give a species example
when proximity is not important
ex. weeds
35
define a full census
a counted measure of a population size
36
what are 2 ways population size can be measured?
full census
estimation by representative examples
37
what is the purpose of a life table?
it predicts the future for a population - how long is an individual of a given age likely to live?
38
what is the purpose of a fecundity table?
shows how likely an individual of a given age is to produce offspring
39
what characterizes a type 1 survivorship curve?
give a species example
most individuals survive to reproduction
few offspring & long lives
ex. humans
40
what characterizes a type 2 survivorship curve?
give a species example
constant risk of mortality at all ages
ex. most birds
41
what characterizes a type 3 survivorship curve?
give a species example
most individuals die as juveniles
many offspring, low parental care
ex. mollusks & insects
42
what is r=b-d?
the Rate of population growth = the rate of Births - the rate of Deaths
43
does exponential growth of a species exist in real life?
a population can experience a period of exponential growth, but a certain circumstance (like overpopulation & lack of resources) will typically stop it
44
define carrying capacity
the number of organisms in a population that a region can support without environmental degradation
45
as the population size reaches the carrying capacity (K), population growth ______ (speeds up/slows down)
slows down
46
what are the 2 types of population regulation factors?
density dependent (biotic)
density independent (abiotic)
47
what characterizes density dependent (biotic) population regulation (3)
scarce food = slowed birth rate & faster death rate
large pops attract predators
dense populations pass disease quicker
48
what characterizes density independent (abiotic) population regulation (2)
natural disturbances (extreme weather)
reduction of population regardless of density
49
give 4 reasons why a species may be more or less abundant in their habitat
preference of food source
body size
social vs solitary behavior
native vs introduced species
50
define an antagonistic species interaction
one species benefits, one is harmed
51
define a mutualism species interaction
both species benefit
52
define a competition species interaction
neither species benefits
53
define a commensalism species interaction
one species benefits, the other is unaffected
54
define an amensalism species interaction
one species is harmed, the other is unaffected
55
what are 3 types of antagonistic interactions?
predation (predator-prey)
herbivory (herbivore-plant)
parasitism (parasite/pathogen-host)
56
define a species' niche
the set of physical and biological conditions a species requires for survival, growth, and reproduction
57
two species _____ (can/cannot) permanently coexist if their niches are identical
cannot
58
define resource partitioning
a situation in which competing organisms (usually of different species) differ in their use of resources in order to coexist
59
define coevolution
the influence of closely associated species on each other in their evolution - results in an evolutionary "arms race"
60
give 4 characteristics of a predator
fast
strong
sharp claws
teeth
61
give 3 characteristics of prey
big eyes and ears
high rate of reproduction
cryptic coloration
62
what kind of characteristic typically defines an aposematism interaction?
toxic/poisonous prey - predator often killed, but prey is too
63
________ can warn a predator of toxic prey
bright coloration
64
what are 6 plant defenses against herbivory?
toxins
thorns
hairs
waxy cuticle
silica in cell walls
production of attractants for predators of herbivores when attacked
65
define microparasites
bacteria, viruses, or protists that dwell inside a host, reducing vigor
66
define macroparasites
worms, small bugs, parasitic wasps, and some plants can live inside or outside of a host
67
when hosts evolve anti-parasite defenses, the parasite often ______
coevolves
68
what is often a source of competitive interactions?
different species depending on the same prey/resources
69
competition is ______ (stable/unstable)
unstable - one species eventually becomes locally extinct
70
define an ecological community
a group of species that coexist and interact in a defined area
71
define primary producers
convert sunlight into chemical energy and use it to form energy-rich organic compounds
72
primary producers are consumed by _______
heterotrophs
73
define gross primary production
the amount of stored chemical energy from photosynthesis
74
T or F: all GPP made by primary producers is available to the consumers
false - the NET primary production is available to consumers
75
what percentage of energy at one trophic level is transferred to the next?
10%
76
what are 3 reasons why energy is lost when transferred between trophic levels?
heat production
availability - not all is ingestible or harvestable
digestibility - not all parts of all bodies can be digested
77
much of a forest's primary producer biomass _____ (is/is not) digestible. they support ______ (fewer/many) consumers
is not
fewer consumers
78
what limits productivity of a species?
amount of energy (sunlight) available
79
higher productivity supports _____ (higher/lower) diversity of species
higher
80
at very high levels of productivity, diversity _____ (increases/decreases)
decreases
81
define a trophic cascade
the effects of abundances of species at one trophic level on species at other trophic levels
82
define a keystone species
species that have a disproportionate influence of a community - i.e. species richness and # of trophic levels
83
give 2 examples of a keystone species
wolves in yellowstone
sea otters
84
define a diversity index
a quantitative tool used to assess diversity in a specific community
- developed by ecologists to examine the number and density of species in a community
85
a diversity index is based on _____
the predictability of random sampling picking a particular species
86
______ (high/low) diversity is found near the equator and _____ (high/low) diversity is found further from the equator
high, low
87
what are the 3 different patterns of diversity
alpha, beta, and gamma
88
define alpha diversity
a single community can be more or less diverse
89
define beta community
multiple communities near each other can have the same or different diversity
90
define gamma community
many of a region's communities can vary in diversity
91
what 4 factors can determine how diverse a community is?
geographical distance from the equator
energy availability
water availability
size of landmass - continents vs islands
92
what 4 factors vary population size?
birth
death
immigration
emigration
93
define a species pool
a source of new animals living on a land mass
94
______ (smaller/larger) population have higher extinction rates
smaller
95
define species equilibrium
when the number of species ariving equals the number of species going extinct
96
define succession
when a disturbance occurs, especially on a large scale, communities are often able to reassemble themselves
97
define a climax (succession)
succession finally resulting in a stable community - ex. climax forest
98
why are low diversity communities so fragile?
each species is a larger target for a predator or pathogen - increases likelihood of extinction
99
what 2 sets of things are included in an ecosystem?
all organisms within the defined area
physical and chemical factors that influence the organisms
100
what allows for earth's continuous energy input
the sun
101
______ drives processes that move matter around the planet
energy
102
define flux
the rate of energy movement
103
define an energy pool
materials move around at different rates & can stall in one location
104
what are the 4 compartments of the global ecosystem?
atmosphere
oceans
land
fresh water
105
how is energy lost as it moves through ecosystems?
energy is lost as it moves to successive trophic levels
106
what is the significance of the percentage of oxygen in earth's atmosphere?
it all came from photosynthesis - there was no oxygen when life first began
107
what characteristic defines the troposphere?
general air circulation moves air up and down
108
what characteristic defines the stratosphere?
horizontal circulation moves air in horizontal layers
109
what are the 3 greenhouse gases?
CO2
CH4 (methane)
N2O (nitrous oxide)
110
what is the significance of the ozone layer?
it absorbs UV light and protects organisms from excessive UV damage
111
most material that cycles through land, air, and fresh water ends up where?
in oceans
112
define upwelling zones
lower level ocean water is brought up to the surface
113
the global conveyor belt is also known as what?
thermohaline circulation
114
what is the global conveyor belt?
circulation of ocean water in a specific direction
115
what causes the global conveyor belt?
when ice forms at the poles, ice is excluded which makes the rest of the water saltier. the water gets more dense with the salt and sinks to the bottom, which creates these currents
116
how long does it take for a global conveyor belt cycle to complete?
1000 years
117
what is the benefit of the global conveyor belt?
it moderates temperature and distributes nutrients
118
why is the global conveyor belt beginning to slow down
less ice is freezing = less current
119
define lake turnover
in temperate climates, seasonal temp changes result in a mixing of lake components
120
which seasons does lake turnover occur?
spring and fall
121
what fraction of earth's surface is land?
1/4
122
solar energy enters ecosystems through what?
plants, photosynthetic protists, and bacteria
123
net primary production is highest where? why?
closest to the equator because it gets the most direct sun exposure
124
define the biogeochemical cycle
the cycle of essential elements for life through biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem
125
what are the essential elements for life?
carbon
hydrogen
oxygen
phosphorus
potassium
nitrogen
sulfer
calcium
iron
(CHOPKNS CaFe)
126
more than half of the freshwater carried to oceans comes from which 4 rivers?
nile
amazon
mississippi
yangtze
127
how fast does water cycle through rivers?
fast - water moves in and out in 1-2 years
128
fires are responsible for what percentage of carbon flux?
40%
129
how are humans affecting groundwater availability?
irrigation for crops
groundwater is being depleted
some human populations will lose access to drinking water
130
what is the most abundant element in the universe?
hydrogen
131
all important macromolecules in organisms contain what element?
carbon
132
the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is believed to be from where?
volcanic eruptions
133
where to heterotrophs gain carbon from?
by consuming autotrophs and other heterotrophs
134
carbon ____ (can/cannot) be stored in soil
can
135
most carbon on earth is in what places?
in soils, rocks, marine sediments, and dissolved in ocean water
136
why do land plants need carbon?
sugars for metabolism and cellulose for cell walls
137
what is the purpose of lignin?
it makes cell walls very strong and undigestible
138
fossilized remains are carbon _____ (absent/rich)
rich
139
more than half of CO2 from burning fossil fuels ends up where?
dissolved in the ocean
140
how is the increasing carbon in the ocean affecting its pH?
water is becoming more acidic
141
when CO2 levels are low, glaciation is _____ (high/low)
high
142
how do increasing atmospheric CO2 levels affect earth?
increasing temperature
more extreme weather events
outbreaks of disease
affects distribution of interacting species
143
which mineral element most often limits primary production?
nitrogen
144
all protein synthesis requires that organisms have which element?
sulfur
145
most sulfur on earth is where?
in rocks
146
burning fossil fuels releases sulfur into the atmosphere, which has what affect?
increases cloud cover which reduces photosynthetic rate
147
sulfur and nitrogen react with water to form what?
acid rain
148
nucleic acids require what element?
phosphorus
149
define eutrophication
excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen
150
what is the goal of conservation biology?
to protect and manage biological diversity
