Temperature Regulation

Question 1

What is the difference between a microclimate and a macro-climate?

Answer 1

Microclimate is small scale weather variation, typically measured over a shorter time period. Also altitude, aspect, and vegetation are ecologically important in microclimates.

Question 2

What does ground color tell you about the temperature/microclimate?

Answer 2

Darker color means warmer (absorbs more heat) whereas lighter color means cooler.

Question 3

What takes place during the second step of photosynthesis, referred to as the “carbon reactions” or “dark cycle”?

Answer 3

CO2 is fixed, producing carbohydrates

Question 4

In which environment is transpiration likely to make the greatest contributor to the cooling of a leaf?

Answer 4

A tropical rainforest at noon on a sunny day

Question 5

Describe an ectotherm and an endotherm.

Answer 5

Ectotherms rely mainly on external heat sources while endotherms rely mainly on metabolic energy and maintain relatively stable internal environments (ex: humans).

Question 6

How do plants do temperature regulation?

Answer 6

To cool off they either: decrease heating via conduction, increase convective cooling, and reduce radiative heating.

To warm up they either: increase radiative heating or decrease convective cooling.