Otter Study Guide Flashcards
definition: a condition of balance & equilibrium within an internal environment
homeostasis
definition: conditions vary around a central tendency but NEVER a constant condition
dynamic equilibrium
Is there a point or an acceptable range for homeostasis and dynamic equilibrium?
an acceptable range
_______ keep their internal conditions constant.
regulators
______ match their internal environment to their external environment.
conformers
What are the benefits of regulators?
-can live in a wide range of habitats
-enzymes are always functioning optimally
What are the benefits of conformers?
-don’t have to use as much energy or eat as much
What are the costs of regulators?
-takes a lot of energy to maintain their temperature
What are the costs of conformers?
-enzymes might not always act optimally
-limited environment range; very narrow range of habitats
Graph of internal vs external environment for conformers?
positive/negative sloped line
Graph of internal vs external environment for regulators?
line with 0 slope
What can temperature control range from?
thermoregulator to thermoconformer (most species are in between these 2)
What is the significance of temperature and enzyme function in an organism?
certain chemical reactions can only take place if at a certain temperature
_________: temperature can be controlled by biochemical processes like METABOLISM
endotherm
_______: heat source is primarily from the environment
ectotherm
What are common examples of endotherms?
birds and mammals
How does metabolic rate changes outside of the therm-neutral zone?
increases
Who has a higher metabolic rate, endotherms or ectotherms?
endotherms
Why do endotherms have higher metabolic rates?
they have to burn large quantities of fuel (food) to maintain their internal body temperature
Do larger or smaller organisms have higher metabolic rates?
larger
Do larger or smaller organisms have higher metabolic rates PER KG?
smaller
Why do smaller organisms have higher metabolic rates PER KG?
they have a higher ratio of surface area to volume; smaller organisms lose body heat faster than large organisms
Can ectotherms alter their metabolic rate?
no, but they can do lots of other things to help regulate temperature
What are common examples of ectotherms?
reptiles and amphibians
What is the most common example of an organism between endo and ectotherm?
insects that heat up parts of the body and muscle actions move
________: an animal that maintains a constant internal body temperature, usually within a narrow range of temperatures
homeotherm
________: an organism with a variable body temperature that tends to fluctuate with or is similar to the temperature of its environment
poikilotherm
What are adaptations to regulate temperature if its too HOT?
sweat, dilation of blood vessels (vasodilation), panting, shedding, burrowing, large ears (dissipate heat), go to shade, swimming, light colored skin, nocturnal
What are adaptations to regulate temperature if its too COLD?
blubber, hibernation, snuggle, shivering, constriction of blood vessels (vasoconstriction), increase metabolic rate, goosebumps, limit blood flow to extremes
What adaptations do otters have to keep themselves warm?
-thick fur (dense and water resistant)
-high caloric requirements / high metabolic rate
Why do otters have such high caloric requirements?
to generate body heat and keep themselves warm in the exceptionally cold waters
Are organisms either a regulator or conformer? Can they exist in the middle?
yes, can exist in between
Regulator and Conformer can also be used to describe other biological variables, such as?
water concentration/salinity (osmoregulator/osmoconformer)
What is the main reason thermoregulation is so important?
enzymes
______ feedback: a disturbance that promotes change that leads back towards equilibrium
negative
______ feedback: a disturbance that promotes further change towards an extreme
positive
What is a common example of a negative feedback?
predator/prey cycles (overshoot, undershoot, overshoot)
What is a common example of a positive feedback?
hormones in labor (child birth), avalanche, climate change (build, build, build, CRASH)
What law says that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but it can be converted into different forms?
first law of thermodynamics
What law says that the state of entropy of the entire universe, as an isolated system, will always increase over time?
second law of thermodynamics
Why is there low energy transfer between trophic levels?
only 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next, the rest (90%) is mostly lost through metabolic processes as heat (2nd law of thermodynamics)
What does every chemical reaction lose energy to?
heat
If a molecule has MORE bonds and is therefore larger, then it will have more what?
total energy
How does the 1st law of thermodynamics explain human metabolism?
the conversion of food into energy that is used by the body to perform activities
How do the laws of thermodynamics apply to cells and cellular functions?
while cells are ordered, the processes performed to maintain that order result in an increase in the entropy in the cell’s/organism’s surroundings
What are some abiotic characteristics of the Kelp Forest?
-cold water all year round (Northern CA)
-high dissolved nutrients in water –> result of upwelling
-high O2
Biotic characteristics of kelp forest?
-phytoplankton
-zooplankton
-marine invertebrates & mammals
Kelp is a species of macro algae (micro algae = phytoplankton), but is it classified as a plant?
no, its a brown alga part of the Protista kingdom
definition: this theory favors foraging strategies that balance the benefits of a particular food, such as energy and nutrients, with the cost of obtaining it, such as energy expenditure and risk of predation (maximize benefits & minimize costs)
optimal foraging theory
What should predators do when high quality foods become more difficult to acquire?
they should incorporate more suboptimal prey into their diet (prey swtiching)
How do you calculate preferred prey order?
net energy gain = calories gain - calories spent (want the highest energy gain!)
What kinds of things contribute to calories spent by predators when trying to attain prey?
-how hard it is to open/eat
-how deep underwater it is
-how much energy does it take to get the prey item
Order of top 4 prey items for otters?
(1) Cancer crab
(2) abalone
(3) Red Sea urchin
(4) kelp crab
What is the position of an organism in the food chain called?
trophic level
Where does most of the energy go among the trophic levels?
PRODUCERRS–>the bottom & largest level of the pyramid
In most ecosystems, where can the largest energy level and largest biomass be found? Why?
producers because they obtain their energy directly from the sun, which is the most available resource
Biotic characteristics of an urchin barren?
-drift kelp is sparse
-sea urchins are poorly nourished
-low biodiversity
Abiotic characteristics of an urchin barren?
-extremely warm water
-absence of urchin predators (ex: sea otters)
-extensive purple urchin recruitment
_____-______ regulation of food webs: size of the producer level is determined by higher trophic levels
top-down
Is the kelp forest ecosystem top-down or bottom-up control?
top-down (sea otters determine if kelp is present or not)
_____-_______ regulation: higher trophic levels are limited by primary producers
bottom-up
Is the Sonoran reset top-down or bottom-up?
bottom-up due to limiting resources in the soil/sand (no water)
In the Pacific Coast food web, which organisms would decrease with the removal of otters?
-kelp & other algae
-smaller herbivorous fishes & invertebrates
-abalones
-sessile invertebrates
-smaller predatory fishes & invertebrates
-larger crabs
-larger fishes & octopuses
In the Pacific Coast food web, which organisms would increase/not be affected with the removal of otters?
increase: sea stars & sea urchins, dead animals
no effect: drift algae, planktonic invertebrates, & planktonic algae
definition: an ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal of top predators often resulting in dramatic changes in ecosystem structure and nutrient cycling
trophic cascade (Kelp forest without otters)
What are advantages of a Kelp forest vs an urchin barren?
-harboring endangered or commercially important species
-sequestering carbon
-prevention of shoreline erosion
-Oxygen production
definition: top predator that doesn’t have anything else that eats it
apex predator
definition: an organism that defines an entire ecosystem & is important to the ecosystem relative to its population size
keystone species
In kelp forests, what are the keystone species?
sea otters
What caused orca whales to start feeding on sea otters, declining their population greatly?
seals and sea lions were in short supply in the North Pacific (no preferred prey available)
What are two types of trophic cascades?
top-down and bottom-up
Timeline of Kelp Forests pre-1800-CURRENT:
______: Kelp Forest
______: urchin barren due to hunting
______: recovery of Kelp Forest
______: urchin barren due to killer whales/orcas
pre-19th century
19th century
1990s
2010s
How much energy is lost at each level of the energy pyramid?
90% of the energy is lost as heat
What is the main role of a primary producer?
synthesizing organic compounds from Carbon Dioxide through the process of photosynthesis
What is the role of a primary consumer?
they are herbivores and work to keep the primary producer (plant and algae) population in check
What is the role for a secondary consumer?
work to keep the primary consumer population in check
What are the 5 things that move through food webs?
(1) energy
(2) Carbon
(3) toxins
(4) pollutants
(5) biomass
definition: when a pollutant, like mercury, increases in concentration within an organism over time
bioaccumulation
definition: concentration of toxins in an organism as a result of its ingesting of other plants and animals
biomagnification
Higher up on the food chain, are pesticides more or less concentrated?
more
Bioaccumulation involves ____ species while biomagnification involves ______ species.
one; multiple
What is the main cause of eutrophication?
an overabundance of nutrients, primarily Nitrogen and Phosphorus, in water
What are the 8 steps of eutrophication?
(1) Runoff of excess nutrients from farms and yards (N&P)
(2) pulse of nutrients causes aquatic plants and algae to grow
(3) Oxygen is released (dO2 increases, dCO2 decreases)
(4) resources become limited and algae reach carrying capacity
(5) algae begin to die & decompose
(6) Oxygen is consumed in decomposition (dO2 decreases, dCO2 increases)
(7) hypoxia (Oxygen levels are shockingly low) or anoxia (Oxygen levels at 0)
(8) animals leave or die
When aquatic life uses _____ in the water for their respiration, they exhale _____ which goes into the water.
Oxygen; CO2
definition: occurs when the environment becomes enriched with nutrients, increasing the amount of plant and algae growth
eutrophication
Endotherm or ectotherm? their internal temperature can be controlled by altering metabolic rate (birds and mammals)
endotherm
What is the relationship between endotherms and metabolic rate?
endotherms INCREASE their metabolic rate because of increased activity to stay warm
Endotherm or ectotherm? body temperature is NOT controlled by metabolism but by other things instead
ecotherm
What is the relationship between ectotherms and metabolic rate?
no relationship
Do endo or ectotherms have lower standard metabolic rates and energy requirements?
ectotherms
Why do smaller organisms lose more heat than larger organisms?
smaller organisms have a greater surface area for their mass than larger organisms & therefore they lose heat at a faster rate (high surface area to volume ratio)
What are the tradeoffs of abalone as a sea otter prey even though they provide a lot of energy/calories?
they take very long to find and are difficult to eat (lots of energy spent)
What determines the strategy that an animal might take to find food?
optimal foraging theory
definition: frequency-dependent predation where the predator preferentially consumes the most common type of prey
prey switching
What are adaptations that sea otters use to survive in cold waters?
-thick fur
-fast metabolism (thermogenesis)
Why have orcas started eating otters?
the great whales they used to eat were wiped out by whaling back in the 1950s, so they had to prey switch
What is climate change doing to the temperatures of oceans?
warming
Why is decreased pH in ocean water bad?
shells and skeletons can begin to dissolve
What is causing decreased pH in ocean waters?
increased levels of CO2 in the atmosphere
How do marine organisms respond to decreased pH in ocean water?
makes it more difficult for some marine organisms, such as coral and some plankton, to form their skeletons & existing shells may begin to dissolve
What impacts does ocean acidification have on ecosystems / trophic cascades?
-decreased storm protection from reefs
-changes in habitat quality
-disruption of nutrient cycling
-decrease in tourism
-less fish for fisheries
What impact does ocean acidification have on kelp forests?
-reduced growth rate for kelp
-negatively effects swimming speeds of some rockfish species
-interferes with urchins ability to transform calcium from seawater into their shells
-oysters, crabs, clams, & mollusks can also be affected
-sea otter pop may decline since it depends on urchins
_____ law of thermodynamics: energy can be transferred or transformed but NOT created nor destroyed
first
______ law of thermodynamics: entropy (heat) of the universe increases with every energy transfer or transformation
second
How do the laws of thermodynamics relate to trophic levels and where energy is “lost” from food chains?
whenever energy transformations take place, some part of it is degraded by heat
(in food webs the efficiency is only 10% and the rest is lost as heat to the environment)
What are 3 main ways that energy can be “lost” from food chains?
(1) heat released during respiration
(2) through movement
(3) in materials that the consumer does not digest (transferred to decomposers)
When are GHG the highest? Why?
April/May; time when things start to heat up & decompose releasing CO2 and CH4 into the atmosphere
When are GHG the lowest? Why?
September: throughout the summer, photosynthesis gradually declines CO2 levels so by the end of summer they are at their lowest amount
What causes annual cycles in GHG?
There is a decrease in CO2 levels that begins every year in May. Once winter arrives, plants save energy by decreasing photosynthesis.
What causes dissolved O2 to decrease in the eutrophication process?
algae death and decomposition require dissolved O2
What causes dissolved O2 to increase during eutrophication?
the algal bloom initially increases photosynthesis which produces lots of Oxygen
What is the result of eutrophication?
(1) harmful algal blooms
(2) dead zones
(3) fish mortality
______ refers to short-term changes in the atmosphere. _____ describes what the ______ is like over a long period of time in a specific area.
weather; climate; weather
In the Greenhouse effect, what are 3 options for light energy coming in?
(1) absorption
(2) reflection
(3) refraction
How do greenhouse gases contribute to the greenhouse effect?
GHG trap heat that would otherwise escape from the atmosphere
What can change the input of sun intensity?
milankovitch cycles
GWP of CO2?
1
GWP of nitrous oxide?
298
GWP of methane?
21
GWP of fluorinated gases?
about 7000
What 2 factors need to be taken into account for the contribution to climate change by GHGs?
(1) GWP
(2) abundance of emission
Why is the impact of a GHG on warming different than their relative GWPs?
depends on the quantity of gas available as well
What was the current concentration of CO2 measured in January 2023?
419 ppm
What are natural sources of CO2?
fires, decay, volcanos, respiration
What are natural sources of Nitrous Oxide?
N-cycle, fires
What are natural sources of Fluorinated compounds?
NONE
What are natural sources of water vapor?
transpiration, evaporation
What are anthropogenic sources of CO2?
fossil fuel burning, land use change, cement
What are anthropogenic sources of Nitrous oxide?
gasoline burning, fires, excess agricultural fertilization
What are anthropogenic sources of Fluorinated compounds?
coolants
What are anthropogenic sources of water vapors?
NONE
What are the 4 positive feedbacks?
(1) water vapor feedback
(2) ocean CO2 feedback
(3) albedo feedback
(4) methane-permafrost feedback
How do rising temperature affect the water cycle?
warmer air can hold more water vapor which can lead to stronger, more intense storms
Basics of the water vapor feedback.
(1) anthropogenic emissions of CO2 and methane are warming the Earth
(2) rising average temperature increases evaporation rates and atmospheric water vapor concentrations
(3) increased water vapor in the atmosphere amplifies the warming caused by other GHGs
What is the ocean CO2 feedback affected by?
increasing atmospheric CO2 leading to increased dissolved bicarbonate ion in the ocean
Ocean as a source or sink for CO2?
sink
What happens when Carbon Dioxide is absorbed by oceans?
it dissolves to form carbonic acid
How does temperature impact CO2 in the oceans?
absorption of CO2 decreases as temperature increases; COLD water is better at dissolving and absorbing gasses
Basics of Ocean CO2 feedback.
(1) CO2 increases warming potential of atmosphere
(2) air temperatures warm ocean temperatures
(3) oceans release CO2 back into atmosphere
Basics of albedo feedback.
(1) melting of sea ice
(2) lowers the albedo, as darker ocean water is revealed
(3) increased absorption of sunlight by ocean, which leads to the melting of more ice
What is a natural cause of changes in albedo?
amount of ice covering the planet is dropping as a result of increased temperatures
Albedo and methane-permafrost feedback is a cause of ____ warming.
arctic
definition: a permanently frozen layer on or under Earth’s surface–usually consists of soil, gravel, sand and is bound together by ice
permafrost
Why is methane release worse than co2 even though methane has a shorter atmospheric lifetime?
methane is a much stronger/more potent GHG that absorbs much more energy in the atmosphere
Basics of Methane-permafrost feedback.
(1) temperature rises
(2) permafrost thaws
(3) carbon dioxide and methane is released into atmosphere further warming temperature
Anthropogenic gases that accelerate climate change include?
CO2, nitrous oxide, and methane
Nonanthropogenic gases that accelerate climate change include?
water vapor
definition: a component of the climate system that has the capacity to store, accumulate, or release Carbon
Carbon pool
What are the six pools for Carbon?
atmosphere
ocean (surface & deep)
fossil fuels/rocks
biomass
soil
How does C move from the soil to atmosphere?
soil respiration by bacteria and microorganisms
How does C move from rocks & fossil fuels to the atmosphere?
combustion
What are two ways in which C moves from biomass to the atmosphere?
(1) respiration
(2) decay & decomposition
How does C move from atmosphere into biomass?
photosynthesis
How does C move from atmosphere into the surface ocean? deep ocean?
surface ocean: diffusion & photosynthesis
deep ocean: sedimentation
How does C move from the ocean to the atmosphere?
diffusion
What affects the annual cycle of CO2 in the atmosphere?
the role of plants
How does temperature impact aspects of the Carbon cycle?
-warmer temperatures increase the rate of decomposition which increases the rate of Carbon transfer to the soil by decomposers
-as oceans warm, they release CO2 into the atmosphere
Short term inputs of atmospheric CO2?
organisms respirating or decomposing, forest fires, volcanoes
Long term inputs of atmospheric CO2?
burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil
How does the Carbon cycle related to climate change but also successions and ecosystems?
plants and animals are a critical part of the C cycle, so as ecosystems change the C cycle will also change
How does C move from the atmosphere into the long-term cycle (rocks)?
when animals die, their body decays leaving C in the ground & is buried and will become fossil fuels eventually
definition: reduction in the pH of water caused primarily by an uptake of CO2 from the atmosphere
ocean acidification
