Patterns of Distribution

Question 1

t/f

some cosmopolitan species (such as humans) can be found everywhere on earth

Answer 1

false

no single organism can live in every single place on earth (even widespread ones); no one species could be adapted to everything

Question 2

At a global scale, we see characteristic assemblages of organisms, as per ___ Law

Answer 2

Buffon’s

Question 3

The effects of physical factors can be studied at various scales. What are these 3 scales?

Answer 3

• Ecophysiology: scale of individual organ or organism
• Phytosociology/ community ecology= community scale (interactions at local or regional scale)
• Phytogeography/ biogeography= biomes at scale of the world

Question 4

The ___ template is the foundation for the distribution of life

Answer 4

geographic

Question 5

The idea behind the geographic template is you first have the ___ and then you add ____

_____ ______ are species who can alter the geographic template

Answer 5

land
species

ecosystem engineers

Question 6

Give an example of a temporal dynamic of the geographic template

Answer 6

land bridges
eg Beringia: collected Siberia + N. America, important dispersal corridor

Changed over time- eventually disappeared

Question 7

Vicariance=

What is it driven by?

Answer 7

geographic separation of a population, typically by a physical barrier, resulting in a pair of closely related species

barrier prevents these species from reproducing together so they’re different

driven by plate tectonics

Question 8

How do Milankovitch cycles change the geographic template?

Answer 8

they drive glacial-interglacial cycles
- landscape changes dramatically b/w the two
- only organisms suited to survive cold/ ice will live= barrier

Question 9

glacial advances occur when N hemi insolation is at a ____ and retreat when N hemi insolation is at a ___

Answer 9

advance= minimum

retreat= maximum insolation

Question 10

Eccentricity=

Give cycle length

Answer 10

shape of orbit

100,000 yrs

Question 11

Tilt/ obliquity cycle length

Answer 11

41,000 yrs

Question 12

Precession=

Give cycle length

Answer 12

orientation of spin axis

23,000yrs

Question 13

What spatial factors influence the geographic template for:
A) Terrestrial enviros (3)
B) aquatic enviros (4)

Answer 13

A)
climate (temp)
moisture
soil type

B)
water temp
salinity
light
pressure

Question 14

similar types of vegetation in different regions may lead to the evolution of similar types of ___ in each area

Answer 14

animals