Populations and Ecosystems

Question 1

Eukaryote

Answer 1

Organism with enclosed nucleus and other complex organelles.

Question 2

Prokaryote

Answer 2

Organism without enclosed nucleus and other complex organelles.

Question 3

Within an ecosystem, there exist…

Answer 3

individuals –> populations –> communities

Question 4

Individuals are classified as species if they…

Answer 4

1. have shared characteristics

2. produce fertile offspring

Question 5

To be classified as a populations, three factors must exist…

Answer 5

1. number of same species
2. in the same place
3. at the same time

Question 6

What determines the number of individuals in a given area?

Answer 6

abiotic and biotic factors

Question 7

What does it mean that “an ecosystem is dynamic”

Answer 7

There exist changing biotic factors in response to changing abiotic factors

Question 8

Taxonomy

Answer 8

the classifying of organisms which is understood around the world

Question 9

Order of Classification

Answer 9

domain
kingdom
phylum
class
order
family
genus
species

Question 10

How is the order of classification determined?

Answer 10

organized according to shared physical characteristics from the broadest similarities to the most specific, where all individuals in that classification share all the same physical characteristics.

Question 11

Dichotomous key

Answer 11

a series of steps classifying organisms. Each step offering two options to move from step to step until the organisms are separated into distinct groupings.

Question 12

How to label a Genus species

Answer 12

• both are always italicized
• Genus is always capitalized
• species is always lower case
• referred to as bionomial nomenclature

Question 13

Four zones of a lake or pond:

Answer 13

1. Littoral
2. Limnetic
3. Profundal
4. Benthos

Question 14

Littoral

Answer 14

• area nearest the shore which is warm and shallow

- high biodiversity due to greater abundance of a variety of plants

Question 15

Limnetic

Answer 15

• open water near the surface and home to phytoplankton and zooplankton (feeds off phytoplankton) and fish that are top feeders.

Question 16

Profundal

Answer 16

• deep region of lake below the limnetic zone

- darker with less sun penetration where floating dead matter is found

Question 17

Benthos

Answer 17

• bottom of the lake

Question 18

Estuary

Answer 18

• where salt and freshwater biomes meet

- aquatic biome with the greatest biodiverstiy

Question 19

Two types of lakes:

Answer 19

1. Oligotrophic lakes

2. Eutrophic lakes

Question 20

Oligotrophic lakes

Answer 20

• deep and cold

- change little over time and have low nutrient levels

Question 21

Eutrophic lakes

Answer 21

• shallow and warm and high nutrient levels due to high abundance of photosynthetic organisms (including algae)
• undergo eutrophication - the build up of matter on the bottom of the lake, causing the lake to fill and become even more shallow
• eventually the lake disappears (natural succession of lake to meadow)

Question 22

Terrestrial Biomes

Answer 22

1. Tundra
2. Taiga
3. Temperate deciduous
4. Temperate grassland
5. Tropical grassland/ Savanna
6. Tropical rainforest
7. Desert

Question 23

Desert

Answer 23

can be hot or cold. area with very little precipitation, therefore low vegetation

Question 24

Tropical rainforest

Answer 24

The tropical rainforest is a hot, moist biome found near Earth’s equator. Low light penetration.

Question 25

Tropical Grassland AKA SAVANNA

Answer 25

A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of grasses.

Question 26

Temeprate grassland

Answer 26

Temperate grasslands are characterized as having grasses as the dominant vegetation. Trees and large shrubs are absent. Temperatures vary more from summer to winter, and the amount of rainfall is less in temperate grasslands than in savannas.

Question 27

Temperate deciduous

Answer 27

Temperate deciduous or temperate broad-leaf forests are a variety of temperate forest ‘dominated’ by trees that lose their leaves each year. They are found in areas with warm moist summers and cool winters.

Question 28

Taigai (boreal forest)

Answer 28

Taiga, generally referred to in North America as boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces, and larches. The taiga or boreal forest is the world’s largest land biome.

Question 29

Tundra

Answer 29

Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes. It is noted for its frost-molded landscapes, extremely low temperatures, little precipitation, poor nutrients, and short growing seasons. Dead organic material functions as a nutrient pool.

Question 30

Ecotone

Answer 30

transition zone between biomes

Question 31

ecological niche

Answer 31

role organisms play in its ecosystem

Question 32

habitat

Answer 32

area where an organism carries out its daily function

Question 33

range

Answer 33

area where individuals of a species can be found

Question 34

limiting factors

Answer 34

abiotic and biotic factors which limit the number of individuals in population

1. abiotic limiting factors
   - aquatic: temp., pH, O2 concentration
   - terrestrial: temp., wind, moisture, pH of soil, fire, altitude.
2. biotic limiting factors: competition, predator prey, parasites, etc.

Question 35

Symbiotic relationships

Answer 35

• parasitism - one benefits, the other loses
• commensalism - one benefits, the other neither benefits nor loses
• mutualism - both benefit

Question 36

Biome

Answer 36

community of flora and fauna and anamalia that have common characteristics for the environment they exist in.

Question 37

Succesion

Answer 37

gradual change in vegetation of an area as it develops toward a final stable community; the climax community is the final dominant vegetation found in the area.

Question 38

Primary succesion

Answer 38

occurs when no community existed before

Question 39

Secondary succesion

Answer 39

follows parietal or complete destruction of a community

Question 40

Pioneer community

Answer 40

first plant and animals that appear

Question 41

Climax community

Answer 41

final stable domination plant and animals comunities

Question 42

Two factors of introduced species

Answer 42

a. no predators in new area

b. outcompete native species

Question 43

Population estimation methods

Answer 43

1. quadrat method
2. line transect
3. aerial survey - for large bird populations
4. mark and recapture

Question 44

4 Factors reducing biodiversity

Answer 44

1. invasive species
2. habitat loss
3. competition for resources
4. damage to environment

Question 45

Why do economics and ecological demands conflict?

Answer 45

For example, for St. Albert to expand, we must destroy land to build cities. The pros, are that we would have more people paying taxes. Costco is on the best land to plant crops in the province, but the farmer sold it to make money, etc.