test 1 Flashcards
____ is the sum of a suite of biologically-mediated processes that transport carbon from the surface euphotic zone (the depth of the water that is exposed to sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis to occur) to the ocean’s interior.
biological pump
Which of the following is NOT a required condition for hurricane development?
high inland temperatures
As one travels from the surface to the bottom of the oceans, the zones that are traversed occur in which order?
epipalagic, mesopalagic, bathypalagic, abyssalpalagic
Without phytoplankton in the oceans performing photosynthesis, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would _____ and the atmospheric temperature would _____
increase; increase
To perform photosynthesis, phytoplankton require light from the sun as well as _____
nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon dioxide, micronutrients such as silicone and iron
During a/an event, Pacific water temperatures become unusually cold, cold-water upwelling increases along western South America, and unusually wet weather in Asia and drier than normal conditions in much of the United States occur
la nina
Which of these is NOT a force involved in the mixing of ocean waters?
volcanoes
During a/a ____ event, coastal upwelling in the eastern Pacific dwindles or stops, and warm, moist air rises over the west coasts of North and South America, causing heavy rains and landslides as droughts occur in Indonesia and other Asian countries.
el nino
During periods when the thermohaline circulation slowed down temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere _____ while during periods when the thermohaline circulation sped up temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere _____
decreased; increased
____ is the point at which there is just enough light for a plant to survive. At this point, all the food produced by photosynthesis is used up by respiration.
compensation zone
Generally speaking, plant and animal biodiversity is uniformly distributed across the planet.
true
This trophic level is responsible for processing organic material and returning nutrients to the ecosystem
decomposers
____ describes the amount of energy that remains available for plant growth after subtracting the fraction that plants use for respiration
net primary productivity
Which terrestrial geographic zones tend to have the highest plant and animal biodiversity?
tropical
An interaction where both species involved are harmed and population growth rates are reduced is termed
competition
When organisms of different species compete for the same resources in the same habitat, one species will commonly be more successful in this competition and exclude the second from the habitat. This is referred to as the
competitive exclusion principle
A single kind of organism or a small collection of different kinds of organisms that occupy a vital ecological niche in a given location is called a
keystone species
The full range of habitat types in which a species can exist and reproduce without any competition from other species is called its
fundamental niche
The number of individuals of a species that an ecosystem can support before resource limitations reduce survival is called
carrying capacity
Organisms that tend to be small, short-lived, opportunistic, and to grow through irregular boom-and-bust population cycles are termed
r-selected
Species are typically larger, grow more slowly, have fewer offspring and spend more time parenting them are termed
k-selected
Broad geographic zones whose plants and animals are adapted to different climate patterns are called
biomes
When the supply of energy and nutrients influences ecosystem activities at higher trophic levels by affecting the amount of energy that moves up the food chain, the ecosystem is said to be controlled from the
bottom-up
Simultaneous evolution of two or more species of organisms that interact in significant ways is called
coevolution
