study guide one Flashcards
Put these terms in order from most broad to most specific: phylum, species, kingdom, class, family, order, genus
kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species
compare and contrast species richness and species evenness
-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
what process drives the difference in vegetation between western- and eastern- facing slopes of the sierra nevada mountains?
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
how does the tilt of the earth’s axis drive seasons?
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.
how do current concentrations of greenhouse gasses (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) compare to historic levels?
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
using the principle of allocation, explain the concept of a trade off.
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
give an example of a trade off involving adaptations or strategies for: resource acquisition
root:shoot ratios, optimal foraging theory, and photosynthetic pathways
give an example of a trade off involving adaptations or strategies for: reproduction
semelpartiy vs iteroparity and the trade off between offspring size and number (bigger size smaller # offspring)(smaller size higher # offspring)
compare and contrast the following terms: evolution and ecology
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
compare and contrast the following terms: species richness, species evenness, and species diversity
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
compare and contrast the following terms: endotherm and ectotherm
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
compare and contrast the following terms: weather and climate
weather: short term atmospheric conditions
climate: long-term average of weather patterns
compare and contrast the following terms: rhizobia and mycorrhizae
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
compare and contrast the following terms: fundamental niche and realized niche
fundamental niche: all abiotic conditions an organism can tolerate
realized niche: where the organism is actually found, considering biotic interactions like competition and predation.
compare and contrast the following terms: r-selected traits/organisms and k-selected traits/organisms
r-selected traits/organisms: fast growth, many offspring
k-selected traits/organisms: slow growth, few offspring
-some species show traits from both categories
compare and contrast the following terms: hypertonic, hypotonic, isotonic
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
compare and contrast the following terms: bergmann’s rule and allen’s rule
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
using your understanding of osmoregulation, explain why the hawaiian islands have no native amphibians
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.
compare and contrast C3, C4, and CAM photosynthesis
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)
which photosynthesis pathway would be most beneficial for a plant growing in the sierra nevada mountains?
C3
which photosynthesis pathway would be most beneficial for a plant growing in the central valley?
C4
which photosynthesis pathway would be most beneficial for a plant growing in the great basin of nevada?
CAM
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.
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
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?
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
imagine you are doing research on plant population at jepson prairie. how would you determine what resources limit plant growth in this environment?
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
