Modules 6-17 Test Flashcards
What are some common impacts of humans on ecosystems?
Converting land from its natural state to urban , suburban, and agricultural areas.
Changing the chemistry of the air, water, and soil both intentionally - by adding fertilizers - and unintentionally - human activities that generate pollution. Deforestation.
percentage of incoming sunlight reflected from a surface - the higher ________ of a surface, the more solar energy it reflects and less it absorbs.
albedo
Which would have more albedo - NYC or the North Pole?
North Pole
What is the equation for photosynthesis?
H2O+CO2+Sunlight (Energy) = O2 + C6H12O6
the process by which producers use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose
photosynthesis
What are the 3 names for the cycle that turns carbon dioxide into sugar?
Calvin Cycle, Krebs Cycle, Dark Cycle
GPP and NPP
gross and net primary productivity
the total amount of solar energy that producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time.
GPP
What percent of sunlight actually goes to GPP?
1% of the original 100%
What percent of sunlight actually goes to NPP?
1% of the original 100%, and 40% of that 1%
What is the equation for NPP?
GPP-respiration
the energy captured by producers in an ecosystem minus the producers respire
NPP
term for low oxygen
hypoxic
zone of open water in lakes and ponds, middle zone
limnetic
describes a lake with a low level of productivity
oligotrophic
describes a lake with a moderate level of productivity
mesotrophic
describes a lake with a high level of productivity
eutrophic
the movement of N around the biosphere
Nitrogen Cycle
the conversion of Ammonia (NH4+) into Nitrite (NO2 -) and then into Nitrate (No3-).
Nitrification
the conversion of nitrate into a series of steps into the gases nitrous oxide (N2O) and eventually N gas (N2) which is emitted into the atmosphere.
Denitrification
the process by which producers incorporate elements into their tissues.
Assimilation
the nitrogen that converts nitrogen gas in the atmosphere (N2), into forms of N that producers can use
Nitrogen fixation
the process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic matter found in dead bodies and waste products and convert it into organic compounds
Mineralization
Which cycle has no gas phase?
Phosphorpous
what is resilience
the rate at which an ecosystem returns to its original capacity after a disturbance
what is resistance
a measure of how much a disturbance can affect flows of energy and matter in an ecosystem
properties that determine how air circulates:
1st property: density
2nd property: temperature
3rd property: pressure
4th property: water vapor
3 reasons why the amount of solar energy varies:
1st reason - the angle the sun’s rays strike the earth
2nd reason - variation in the amount of surface area which the sun’s rays are distributed
3rd reason - some areas of earth reflect more solar energy than others
Earth’s ______ Causes Seasonal Changes
Tilt
the cooling effect of reduced pressure on air as it rises higher in the atmosphere and expands
Adiabatic cooling
the heating effect of increased pressure on air as it sinks toward the surface of the earth and decreases in volume.
Adiabatic heating
the release of energy when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into liquid water.
latent heat release
Describe a rain shadow in detail.
a region with dry conditions found on the leeward side of a mountain range as a result of humid winds from the ocean causing precipitation on the windward side. So basically, one side is rained on, and the other side is completely dry. Cold air does not hold moisture.
Adiabatic cooling, latent heat release
the deflection of an object’s path due to the rotation of the earth. This is why winds do not flow directly North to South
Coriolis Effect
The Coriolis Effect helps us to understand ______________________________________.
prevailing wind directions in the polar regions
the upward movement of ocean water toward the surface as a result of diverging currents. The deep waters bring nutrients from the bottom of the ocean that support large populations of producers.
upwelling
a large-scale pattern of water circulation that moves clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
gyre
Gyres…
affect the temperature of coastal areas, redistribute heat in the ocean, and are a result of the Coriolis Effect.
a reversal of wind and water currents in the South Pacific
El nino - southern oscillation
When does El Nino usually happen, and how often?
Around Christmas, every 3-7 years
an oceanic circulation pattern that drives the mixing of surface water and deep water.
thermohaline circulation
What phenomenon could potentially disrupt thermohaline circulation?
global warming
the upper layer of ocean water in the ocean that receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis.
photic zone
- a region of water where sunlight does not reach, below the limnetic zone is very deep lakes.
profundal zone
muddy bottom of a lake, ocean, or pond
benthic zone
the deeper layer of ocean water that lacks sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis.
aphotic zone
the part of the year during which rainfall and temperature allow plants to grow.
growing season
a geographic region categorized by a particular combination of average annual temperature, annual precipitation, and distinctive plant growth forms on land.
terrestrial biomes
How many terrestrial biomes are there?
9
What are the 9 terrestrial biomes?
Tundra, Boreal Forest, Temperate Rain forest, Temperate Seasonal Forest, Woodland/Shrubland, Temperate Grassland/Cold Desert, Tropical Rain forest, Tropical seasonal/savanna, Subtropical desert
a cold and treeless biome with low-growing vegetation; permafrost
tundra
cold winters and short growing seasons.
boreal forest
logged heavily soil decomposition is slow due to cold temps
temperate rainforest
a biome with warm summers and cold winters with over 1m (39in) of precipitation annually
temperate seasonal forest
The hot dry summers for the natural occurrence of wildfires, plants are well adapted to both fire and drought
woodland/shrubland
a biome characterized by cold, harsh winters, and hot, dry summers.
temperate grassland/cold desert
a warm and wet biome found between 20° N and 20° S of the equator, with little seasonal temperature variation and high precipitation. AVERAGE ANNUAL TEMPS EXCEED 68 DEGREES.
tropical rainforest
a biome marked by warm temperatures and distinct wet and dry seasons.
tropical seasonal forest/savanna
biome prevailing at approximately 30 N and 30 S, with hot temperatures, extremely dry conditions, and sparse vegetation
subtropical desert
a physical location on the chromosomes within each cell of an organism, DNA CODES FOR TRAITS
genes
Humans have long influenced evolution by breeding plants and animals for desirable traits.When humans determine which individuals to breed, typically with preconceived set of traits in mind we call this process evolution by …
artificial selection
a random change in the genetic code produced by a mistake in the copying process
mutation
a reduction in the genetic diversity of a population caused by a reduction in its size
bottleneck effect
a change in the genetic composition of a population as a result of descending from a small number of colonizing individuals
founder effect
the evolution of one species into two, without geographic isolation
sympatric speciation
the number of species in a given area
species richness
the relative proportion of individuals within the different species in a given area
species evenness
the range of abiotic and biotic conditions under which a species actually lives.
realized niche
living
biotic
nonliving
abiotic
a physical law which states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed but can change from one form to another
first law of thermodynamics
the physical law stating that when energy is transformed, the quality of energy remains the same, but its ability to do work diminishes
second law of thermodynamics
In evolution through _______ ___________, the environment determines which individuals survive and reproduce
natural selection
Members of a population naturally vary in their traits, and certain combinations of those traits make individuals better able to _________ and __________.
survive, reproduce
an individual’s ability to survive and reproduce
fitness
the successive levels of organisms consuming one another
trophic level
a convection current in the atmosphere that cycles between the equator and 30° N and 30° S
Hadley cells
a convection current in the atmosphere that lies between Hadley cells and polar cells
Ferrell cells
a convection current in the atmosphere, formed by air that rises at 60°N and 60°S and sinks at the poles 90°N and 90°S
Polar cells
an objective method to explore the natural world, draw inferences from it, and predict the outcome of certain events, processes or changes.
Scientific Method
What are the steps of the Scientific Method?
- Observation
- Hypothesis
- Experiment
- Analyze
- Test Results
any Chemical reaction in which NH2 Groups are converted into ammonia or its ionic form ammonium (NH4+) as an end product.
ammonification
Which step in the nitrogen cycle happens in order 1-4:
nitrogen fixation
nitrification
ammonification
also assimilation/mineralization
denitrification
What is thermohaline circulation driven by?
salinity
lowest level of water where sunlight does not reach
profundal zone
chemeostasis happens here
aphotic zone
Human involvement
artificial selection
True or False: All mutations are lethal
False; random mutations are not lethal.
caused by inbreeding
bottleneck effect
no humans, survival of the fittest
natural selection
no new genes
recombination
means the most fit will survive
fittest
90 degrees N and 90 degrees S
polar cells
the maximum amount of water vapor in the air at a given temperature.
saturation point
If a primary consumer eats a producer, what are the inputs and outputs of the primary consumer?
Sun, H20, Producer produce food and CO2 + C6H12O6; Those input into primary consumers
A tornado comes through and wipes out all the trees in an area. The forest takes 45 years to bounce back:
low resistance, low resiliance
Place that receives the most direct sunlight
ITCZ (intertropical convergence zone)
2 things that determine a growing season AND limiting factors in biomes:
precipitation and temperature
While collecting data firm a lake researchers find that the lake is hypoxic in places and has a shallow limnetic zone based on this information the lake in likely:
Oligotrophic
the proportion of consumed energy that can be passed from one trophic level to another.
ecological efficiency
What are the factors that cause the unequal heating of the earth?
TILT
evolution below the species level
microevolution
evolution above the species level
macroevolution
difference between genotype and phenotype:
geno - genetic coding (genetic reasoning behind brown hair, green eyes)
pheno - expressed type (appearance, brown hair, green eyes)
What factors come to play in range of tolerance?
Habitats, rainfall, humidity, salinity, ph level
