study guide one

Question 1

Put these terms in order from most broad to most specific: phylum, species, kingdom, class, family, order, genus

Answer 1

kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species

Question 2

compare and contrast species richness and species evenness

Answer 2

-species richness: counts how many species are in a habitat

-species evenness: shows how balanced the numbers of individuals from each species are

-together: measure overall species diversity; more species and balance higher diversity

Question 3

what process drives the difference in vegetation between western- and eastern- facing slopes of the sierra nevada mountains?

Answer 3

the rainshadow effect: air rises over mountains(sierra nevada), causing rain on the windward (west) side. as air descends on the leeward (east) side, it dries out, leading to less rain and more drought-tolerant plants on the east side

Question 4

how does the tilt of the earth’s axis drive seasons?

Answer 4

the earth’s tilt causes uneven solar energy between hemispheres. from march to September, the north hemisphere tilts towards the sun, making it warmer , while the southern hemisphere is cooler. from September to march, the southern hemisphere tilts toward the sun, making it warmer, and northern hemisphere cooler.

Question 5

how do current concentrations of greenhouse gasses (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) compare to historic levels?

Answer 5

greenhouse gasses have risen since direct measurments began (1970s-1990). ice core data shows that current CO2 levels (over 420 ppm) are much higher than past levels from the last 800,000 years, which ranged from 180 to 300 ppm

Question 6

using the principle of allocation, explain the concept of a trade off.

Answer 6

states that organisms have limited energy for life functions so energy spent on one function (growth) cannot be used for another (preproduction) this creates trade-offs where increasing investment in one area requires reduced investment in others, leading to benefits and cost for each decision

Question 7

give an example of a trade off involving adaptations or strategies for: resource acquisition

Answer 7

root:shoot ratios, optimal foraging theory, and photosynthetic pathways

Question 8

give an example of a trade off involving adaptations or strategies for: reproduction

Answer 8

semelpartiy vs iteroparity and the trade off between offspring size and number (bigger size smaller # offspring)(smaller size higher # offspring)

Question 9

compare and contrast the following terms: evolution and ecology

Answer 9

evolution: involves genetic changes in population over time

ecology: focuses on species interactions with each other and the environment.

-ecological interactions can drive evolution, and genetic changes can influence ecological relationships

Question 10

compare and contrast the following terms: species richness, species evenness, and species diversity

Answer 10

species richness: the number of different species present in an ecosystem

species evenness: the similarity in the relative abundance of each species in an ecosystem

species diversity(D value): a metric for comparing diversity across ecosystems, calculated using species richness and species evenness

Question 11

compare and contrast the following terms: endotherm and ectotherm

Answer 11

endotherm: regulate body temperature metabolically

ectotherm: regulate body temperature through behavior, relying on the environment

-some organisms exist on a continuum, doing both to some degree

Question 12

compare and contrast the following terms: weather and climate

Answer 12

weather: short term atmospheric conditions

climate: long-term average of weather patterns

Question 13

compare and contrast the following terms: rhizobia and mycorrhizae

Answer 13

rhizobia: bacteria (work with legumes) and only provides nitrogen

mycorrhizae: are fungi (work with all plants)

-both form mutualisms with plant roots, exchanging nutrients for sugars

Question 14

compare and contrast the following terms: fundamental niche and realized niche

Answer 14

fundamental niche: all abiotic conditions an organism can tolerate

realized niche: where the organism is actually found, considering biotic interactions like competition and predation.

Question 15

compare and contrast the following terms: r-selected traits/organisms and k-selected traits/organisms

Answer 15

r-selected traits/organisms: fast growth, many offspring

k-selected traits/organisms: slow growth, few offspring

-some species show traits from both categories

Question 16

compare and contrast the following terms: hypertonic, hypotonic, isotonic

Answer 16

hypertonic: solution with more solutes than another

hypotonic: fewer solutes than another

isotonic: equal solute concentration

ex: ocean is hypertonic to marine animals’ hypotonic bodies

Question 17

compare and contrast the following terms: bergmann’s rule and allen’s rule

Answer 17

bergmann’s rule: animals in cold environments tend to be larger than those in warmer environments (within species)

allen’s rule: animals in warmer environments have longer limbs, while those in cold environments have shorter limbs to minimize heat loss

Question 18

using your understanding of osmoregulation, explain why the hawaiian islands have no native amphibians

Answer 18

amphibians have permeable skin, making them sensitive to osmoregulation, so they only live in freshwater or low-salt environments. they cant travel across oceans on their own. amphibians in places like the hawaiian islands were brought by humans.

Question 19

compare and contrast C3, C4, and CAM photosynthesis

Answer 19

C3: most energy efficient but least water efficient; most photorespiration (windward sierra nevadas)

C4: separates CO2 uptake and sugar production in different cells, more water efficient but costs 2 extra ATP (central valley)

CAM: CO2 uptake at night, sugar production during the day; most water efficient but slows growth and costs two extra ATP (great basin)

Question 20

which photosynthesis pathway would be most beneficial for a plant growing in the sierra nevada mountains?

Answer 20

C3

Question 21

which photosynthesis pathway would be most beneficial for a plant growing in the central valley?

Answer 21

C4

Question 22

which photosynthesis pathway would be most beneficial for a plant growing in the great basin of nevada?

Answer 22

CAM

Question 23

as CO2 began to rise, there was a hypothesis that plants would photosynthesize more, removing the additional CO2 from the air. use your knowledge of plant resource acquisition to propose an explanation for why increased CO2 in the atmosphere might not significantly increase photosynthesis rates in plants.

Answer 23

increased plant growth occurs only if the added resource is the limiting one. the law assumes CO2 is the limiting resource for plants, if it isn’t, adding more CO2 won’t boost growth

Question 24

humans have a fondness for sugary and fatty foods. how does optimal foraging theory explain the evolution of this preference? given our current ecological conditions, what are the consequences of this preference?

Answer 24

sugars and fats provide high energy returns, supporting optimal foraging theory. historically, high-fat and high-sugar foods were rare, making preference for them beneficial. today, these foods are common and a diet high in sugar and fat can lead to health risks

Question 25

imagine you are doing research on plant population at jepson prairie. how would you determine what resources limit plant growth in this environment?

Answer 25

to find the limiting resource, add different nutrients to separate plots and track plant growth. include plot for a baseline comparison (control). the nutrient that shows the largest growth increase compared to the control is the limiting nutrient