Terrestrial Ecosystems

Question 1

What influences the Abundance and Diversity that can be supported?

Answer 1

The Abiotic (Physical Properties) of the environment, and Chemical Properties of the soil
Biotic factors like the bacterial & plant communities also affect the type of animal community that can be supported

Question 2

What are the four levels of Forest Structure?

Answer 2

Emergent Layer
    Dry/ish, windy
Canopy
    Drier, lots of food, sunny & productive 
Understory
    Some light, warmer, still damp
Forest Floor
    Cool, damp, dark (big stuff & Decomposers/Detritivores)

Question 3

Soil

Answer 3

Foundation of terrestrial ecosystems & reservoir for nutrients

Question 4

From top to bottom, what is soil?

Answer 4

Litter
Topsoil
Subsoil
Bedrock

Question 5

Litter

Answer 5

Dear organic matter, leaves, grass etc.

Question 6

Topsoil

Answer 6

Some small pieces of parent rock & humus - nutrient-rich, dark-organic material

Question 7

Subsoil

Answer 7

Less humus, more rock

Question 8

Bedrock

Answer 8

All parent rock, generally impermeable

Question 9

What is a long Nutrient Cycle?

Answer 9

Geologic formations

Question 10

What is a short Nutrient Cycle?

Answer 10

Food Chains

Question 11

What are the three Nutrients Cycles?

Answer 11

Carbon/Oxygen cycle
Phosphorus (for phospholipids, nucleic acid, structures ( [Ca3 (PO4)2] )
Nitrogen (nucleic acids, amino acids/proteins, chlorophyll)

Question 12

What is the main reservoir for the Carbon/Oxygen cycle?

Answer 12

The Atmosphere

Question 13

What is the main reservoir for the Phosphorus cycle?

Answer 13

The Lithosphere (rock)

Question 14

What is the main reservoir for the Nitrogen cycle?

Answer 14

The Atmoshpere

Question 15

What is Nitrogen Fixation?

Answer 15

Take N from atmoshpere & stick it to other atoms (usually makes Ammonia [NH3] which it quickly ionized to Ammonium [NH4+] )

Question 16

What is Nitrification?

Answer 16

Makes Nitrogen biologically available to form amino acids/proteins (usually makes NO3- [nitrate] which can be easily absorbed)

Question 17

What is Denitrification?

Answer 17

A process that returns Nitrogen to the Atmoshpere

Question 18

What elements do Fertilizers contain?

Answer 18

Nitrogen

Phosphorus

Question 19

What are two alternatives to Fertilizers?

Answer 19

Crop Rotation
Multispecies Plots (three sisters [corn, beans,squash] )

Question 20

What happen when there is Runoff/Leaching?

Answer 20

Eutrophication or Algal Bloom

Question 21

What is the law of the Minimum?

Answer 21

The Nutrient in the least supply limits growth

Ex. You have A plankton needs Only one Plankton can be sustained
30C 10C
15N 5N
3P 2P