Test 4 study Guide Flashcards
Why is mustard found in the artic so small?
to avoid the wind chill
What is special about the willow tree that grows in the artic?
it’s trunk is horizontal to avoid wind-singificant source of food for musk ox
The artic poppy employs __________ to maximize all possible light while making seeds.
heliotropism
What is so special about the snowbell?
it lives in the alps, and flowers at the end of fall. In spring when the snow melts, the snowbell is already flowering
Cushion plants in Tasmania employ this strategy because?
The cushion shape almost acts as a solar panel for absorbing light and heat.
One cushion could be made from various species of plants
What species make up the cushion plants?
sedges, rushes, daises, dandelions
What are the cushion plants refered too by farmers?
vegetable sheep
The giant Lobelia, growing on mount kenya does what for warmth?
grows hair over leaves
What are the cabbage grondsels strategy for warmth and to survive the drought season?
dead leaves form a coating over newly formed ones, and when the rainy season comes, the new leaves will sprout out of the capsule formed by the dead leaves.
At night for warm, the cabbage groundsel folds/ closes its large leaves around its small stem for warmth
The Quiver stree has a unique way of combating water loss. What is it?
It employs a strategy called ‘self amputation’ where it will seal off an area (amputate) of water loss is occuring in that area.
Also the bark is covered in a think white coating
What is the white surface of the cone plant?
skin of last years leaves
The Arizona Saguaro cactus can hold?
several tons of water
What are the ‘pebbles’ of the window plant?
The little stumps resembling pebbles are actually the tops of the underground leaves that transport the light to the underground photosynthetic elements
Mole rats aid in dispersal by?
collecting bulbs and storing them underground, as the mole rats burrow outwards, some of the bulbs are forgotten and able to germinate
What plant species lives on Mount Rormima (the wettest place on earth)?
Pitcher plants
The center of a bromeliad contains what?
a pool that is normally a safe haven for insects
A badderwort ‘hunts’ where? And how?
in the bromeliad pools, and sets traps by inflating bladders with water. On the top of each bladder is a bristled door that sweeps bug larvae in
Sundews are what kind of plant?
insectivorous
The giant amazon water lily has a special mechanism to avoid cross pollination. What is it?
the flower closes after the first night
What do lily trotter birds do?
they walk on top of the giant amazon water lilies pads and hunt insects trapped there
What are the purpose of the cypress cones?
to slow down current to allow mud to fall out of solution, letting the mud deposit and give them more space to grow
What is special about the mangrove seed?
It isn’t released until after germination, where the hope is that it will fall and ‘shoot’ into the mud where it can continue to grow
What are the ‘trees’ of the ocean and can grow to over 300 ft?
Kelp
What is special about single celled algae?
The single celled algae fills our atmosphere with more 02 than all land plants combined
How did cultivation of plants begin by humans?
Probably began by accident, from seeds that were spilled, carried from birds, or animal waste
Mostly wild cereals
Domestication is what?
selection of specific characteristics and cultivation by humans
What are the cereal grains?
barley, wheat, rice and corn
What are some of the elements of selection?
loss of natural seed dispersal (AKA seeds stick to pod) More and Larger grains Thicker stalks Seeds that seperate freely Improved flavor and texture
The “tools” of agriculture predate what?
Cultivation
When was the sickle blade invented?
12,000 years ago
When was the grindstone invented?
23,000 years ago
What was found on some of the grindstones found?
starch containing characteristics of wild barley
The first plants were brought into cultivation 10,000 years ago?
The Fertile cresent
What were the plants that were brought into cultivation in the Fertile Cresent
Wild Barley, Wheat, Lentels, and Pease
What modern day countries are in the fertile cresent?
Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Isreal
What were some of the other crops that were harvested in the fertile cresent?
peas, olives, pomegrantes, grapes, figs and flax
What were the first animals to be domesticated?
Dogs, domesticated about 15,000 years ago
When were cats domesticated?
5000 years ago in North Africa and Near East
What were the animals that were domesticated following dogs and cats??
Goats, sheep, cattle, and pigs
Why were goats, sheep, cattle and pigs domesticated?
For wool, hides, milk, cheese, and eggs
How did grazing animals affect the land?
The grazing animals ate the available plant life, and lead of cultivation of plants for fodder
China, in the yellow river area, what plants were cultivated
Rice and millet (8,000 years ago)
Soybeans (3,100 years ago)
What plants did Tropical Asia begin to cultivate?
mango, citrus, taro, bananas
Why was taro important?
Grown for starchy corn
When were bananas brought to America? What was different about them
After cultivation/domestication bananas lost their seeds, and these seedless bananas where brought to the new world shortly after Columbus
What animals had long since been domesticated in Tropical Asia?
Buffalo, camels, and chickens
What crops began to be cultivated 4-5,000 years ago in Africa?
sorghum, grain, okra, yams, cotton
What does the boll weevil do?
It is a beetle that feeds on cotton
No ____________ ___________ were brought from olf world to new world prior to 1492
domesticated plants
Where was the Bottle Gourd brought from 8,000 years ago to the new world?
Africa/Asia
What were the first plants cultivated in the New World?
pumkins and squash in place of grains, wheat, barely
Instead of rice, what was farmed in the New world?
Maize (corn)
Why is New world cotton prefered over old world cotton?
New world cotton is polyploidy and the old world cotton is diploid
In south America, what crops were cultivated?
tuberous crops like potatoes and seed crops such as quinoa
What were the few animals domesticated in the New World?
Musovy Duck, Turkey, Guinea Pig, Llamas, and Alpaca
Where is black pepper from?
ground fruits of Piper nigrum
Where is cinnamon from?
ground bark of the Cinnamomum
Where are cloves from?
dried flower buds of Eugenia
Where is Ginger from?
rhizome (stem) of Zingiber
Where are nutmeg and mace from?
the seeds and dried outer seed covering of Myristica
Where is vanilla from?
dried, fermented seed pod of orchid Vanillia
Where is Allspice from?
dried, unripe berries of Pimenta
What herbs are members of the mint (Lamiaceae) family?
Thyme, Mint, Basil, Oregano, Sage
What herbs are members of the Parsely (Apiaceae) family?
Parsely, Dill, Caraway, Fennel, Coriander, Anise
What herb is from the same genus as wormwood and sagebrush?
Tarragon
Bay leaves are from what family?
laurel family
What spice consists of the dried stigmas and styles of Crocus sativa and is in the iris family? It also is very expensive because it must be collected by hand
Saffron
What is coffee made of?
The dried seeds of the Coffea Arabica and the seeds are roasted and ground to make coffee
How is tea made>
From the dired leaves of the tea plant
Global Evolution-
Crops are carried from their point of origin to?
Where they are grown best throughout the world
Global Evolution-
Corn, wheat and rice are grown?
Wherever possible
Global Evolution-
Some plants are more closely related with their new homes than their points of origin. What is an example of this?
Potatoes. Originally cultivated by Incans they are now more closely related to the Irish
Global Evolution- Oil palms (source of Palm oil and native to West Africa), Coca (source of cocoa and chocolate native to Mexico) and sugarcane (New Guinea) are now?
Grown everywhere
What are the 6 Major crops throughout the world?
Wheat, Rice, Potatoes, Maize, Sweet Potatoes, and Manioc
80% of total calories consumed by humans
What are the other 8 supplementary crops throughout the world?
Sugar cane, Sugar beet, Common beans, Soybeans, Barley, sorghum, coconuts and bananas
The jump from the human population from 100 million to 300 million was a direct result of?
Agriculture
Urban centers were established when the human population was 5 million how long ago?
8,000 BC about 10,000 years ago
In the 20th century, the human population has increased from?
1.6 Billion to 6 billion
How many people are added to the world everyday?
220,000
How many people are added to the world per year?
83 million people added per year
By 2050 the world will need ___% more food to feed the population
70-100%
The two biggest development in crop populations came from?
Haberbosh’s discoveries of how to make fertilizer
Hybrid maize seed
What are the major problems in agriculture?
Utilizing the gains in productivity made possible by mechaization, irrigation and fertilization
What re some things that have been done to improve?
Land Grant college system
Quality of crops produced/yeild
Crops more resistant to disease
What is AGRA and what are the goals?
Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa
Founded by the Rockafellers and Bill and Melinda Gates
Goals-
Increase farm yeild through use of agrinomic improvements
Decrease losses and enhave quality of crops through genetic improvments
Make sure farmers profit from improvements
What are the 7 major terrestrial biomes?
Tropical Rain Forest Temperate Deciduous forest Northern coniferous forests African Savannah Temperate (Prairie) Grasslands Tundra Desert
What is the Rainshadow effect?
As wind blows from east to west, coasts receive alot of rainfall and gradually decreases. if their are mountains on the coast the rainshadow effect is more pronounced
-an example of this is deserts that follow after mountain ranges
What did Humbolt discover?
a relationship between changes in vegitation present at various latitudes
Humbolts discoveries about latitude/vegitation also shows?
convergent evolution
What are some of the comparisons of Soil Qualities?
Inorganic qualities-> Different minerals
Particle size-> Sand, silt, clay
Organic Components-> Humus
What is humus?
Humus is the dark organic matter that forms in the soil when plant and animal matter decays, holds water and minerals, and attracts earthworms and organisms
How do most fires start in biomes?
Lightning
In what biome do 50% of earth’s organisms live?
Tropical Rain Forest
What are some of the qualities of the Tropical Rain Forest?
Abundant Water
Warm/Hot throughout year
High diversity of plants and animals
What is the soil quality of the Tropical Rain Forest
Relatively poor in minerals, low humus, thin topsoil
Tropical Rain Forest-do they have and fire maintence?
No-> most fires are slash and burn operations which cause major issues to the forest
What plants do best in the Tropical rain forest?
Trees
What are the layers of the Tropical Rain Forest canopy?
From top to bottom- Emergent Layer Canopy Layer Understory Immature Layer
What type of plant species do well in the Tropical Rain Forest
shade tolerant species
Why does the Tropical Rain Forest show alot of butressing?
The buttressed trees develop due to the high competition for light, putting all their energy into growing taller, the buttressing develops at the base to prevent the tree from falling
What is a popular plant growth strategy in the Tropical Rain Forest
Epiphytes and vines
Orchids are ______ and the competion for ________ has caused then to change their structure.
monocots
pollinators
What is an example of an Orchid’s changed floral structure?
The labellum (lip) which is a modified petal that creates a ‘landing pad’
What is the bee orchid?
This orchid does not produce nectar for pollinators, but instead tricks bees (By modified petals that resemble bee) into attempting to mate with it
What is an orchid that is native to south carolina?
the pogonia orchid
In what plant do Tropical frogs lay their eggs in
The pools of the Bromeliad
What is the largest Bromeliad native to Peru?
Puya
What is the smallest bromeliad?
Deuteronchonia
What is a odd fruit that is in the Bromeliad family?
The pinapple
Llanas are?
Tropical vines
The strangler fig can do what?
Actually kill the tree they live on
A subcategory of the Tropical Rain Forest is?
A monsoon forest (almost too much of a good thing)
What is slash and burn agriculture?
How farmland is created in tropical climates
Burning releases nutrients back into the soil
50% loss in Tropical Rain Forest
Why is slash and burn agriculture so bad for the forest?
Succession doesnt occur like in temperate forests
Most Temperate Deciduous Forests are made of?
Hardwoods
What biome does South Carolina live in?
Temperate Deciduous Forests
Where are Temperate Deciduous Forests located?
North and South of Tropical Rain Forests
What is a big difference between the Tropical Rain forest and the Temperate Deciduous Forests?
Because Temperate Deciduous Forests are far enough from the equator, seasons are present
Most hardwoods of the Temperate Deciduous Forests become ___________ in the winter
dormant
What is the soil quality of the Temperate Deciduous Forests?
Rich in nutrients, high humus, thick topsoil
What is the precipitaion in the Temperate Deciduous Forests
75 to 250 CM that is more concentrated in summer
What is the species diversity in the Temperate Deciduous Forests
Lower than the tropics, but higher than the coniferous forests
What are the characterisic plants of the Temperate Deciduous Forests?
Deciduous Oaks and Hickories, Maples, Ash, Elm.
-> There are some pines present but not dominate species
What is the animal life of the Temperate Deciduous Forests
Deer, Foxes, Bears, and squirrels
How do decidious trees function?
in spring and summer (growing season) they will produce excess photosynthesis and it will be stored as starch
At begining of spring the starch will be converted back to glucose and rise from the root systems back into trees
What is the only surviving marsupal in America?
Possum
What is the main strategy of Animals in the Temperate Deciduous Forests?
Hibernation during winter to avoid migration
What are the reasons conifers cannot survive in the Temperate Deciduous Forests
They aren’t shade tolerant but they dominate in the sandhills (which is technicallly still in the biome)
What is the fire factor in the Temperate Deciduous Forests?
Fire is a factor-the plant material on the ground is easily flammable and the tree bark protects against fire
How can fire damage the Temperate Deciduous Forests ?
If the fire reaches great heights and damages the apical meristem.
This occurs due to global warming with dryer debree on the ground
What is the canopy of the Temperate Deciduous Forests
The canopy of the Temperate Deciduous Forests is only two tiers and more light is able to pass through
What tree makes up most of the canopy of the Temperate Deciduous Forests
Hickory
What kind of oak produces less tannic acorns>
The white oak’s acorns produce less tannic acid than that of the live or red oak
The southern red oak can grow?
Extremely large
The post oak is also called?
The turkey oak
Water oaks prefer?
Wet soil
What oak is non deciduous and has leathery leaves with a thick cuticle
Live oaks
Red maples are?
Very shade tolerant and valuable for commercial use
The American elm is located where in the canopy of the Temperate Deciduous Forests
the understory
Persimmon produces?
A tart fruit
Where does the Black cherry reside in the canopy of the Temperate Deciduous Forests
the understory, and birds really like the tart fruit
Sycamore trees prefer?
moist areas
Tulip Poplar trees are related?
to magnolias
They were once widespread but now mostly used in landscaping
What is the tree that produces the recognizable gumballs?
Sweet Gum
Dog wood trees are?
Widespread, shade tolerant, used in landscaping
What are the Carolina Sandhills?
Once ancient beaches, very loose soil with very little minerals
Bald cypruss swamps are?
Located in flood planes, contained butressed bases
Actually conifers that looses leaves
What are some other common plants in the Temperate Deciduous Forests?
Spanish moss Palmetto Yellow jessamine Southern magnolia Venus fly traps and Pitcher plants Azaleas Camellias Kudzu
What are some of the common plants in Temperate Deciduous Forests that are imports?
Azaleas-> Japan
Crepe Myrtles
Kudzu
Why was Kudzu originally introduced?
For animal food and preventing erosion
Where are the Northern Coniferous Forests located?
Central Canada, Alaska, Russia, Siberia
_______ do much better in cold weather
conifers
What is the temp of the Northern Coniferous Forests
cool to cold year round
What special quality do conifers have that allows them to succeed in cold weather?
They produce their own antifreeze
What is the soil quality of the Northern Coniferous Forests
Thin topsoil and very acidic because of the conifer needles so it’s very mineral poor
What is created in the Northern Coniferous Forests when the snow melts?
bogs form
The precipitation in the Northern Coniferous Forests is?
Mostly from snow
What is special about the Sitka spruce?
It can grow almost as big as seqouia
What are some common trees in the Northern Coniferous Forests?
Sitka spruce, balsam, douglas fir
What grows on the forest floor of the Northern Coniferous Forests
moss mats
What are some qualities of the animals of the Northern Coniferous Forests
cold adapted, migratory
ex. artic fox, grey wolves, and moose
What are the enviromental threats to the Northern Coniferous Forests
Deforestation, Oil Shale and Shade
How is oil shale obtained? What is it?
It’s natural gas, and it is obtained by fracking
What are oil Sands?
Enviromental Disaster
Involves clearing forests to Dig mines
Water and Chemicals to clean the oil from the sand/dirt
What is the main factor in creating grasslands?
Rainfall
-> Most grasslands can have droughts that last for years
What is an example of a Tropical grassland
Serrengetti plane
What is the main differences between Tropical and Temperate Grasslands?
Temperature
What is the soil quality of Tropical grasslands?
Savannas have little topsoil and humus
The soil quality is bad due to rainfall
The grasses don’t have much biomass so they don’t produce much humus
What is the fire adaptation of Tropical grasslands?
Tropical grasslands depend on fire
What are the main trees of the Tropical grasslands?
The thorn acacia
What is special about the thorn acacia?
Most play host to mutualistic ants
What are Beltian Bodies?
They are nutrient packets that grown on the leaves as food for the ants
The Tropical grasslands have what type of animal diversity?
largest collection of grazing animals in the world
The grazing animals of the Tropical grasslands actually?
influenced growth patterns
Lions have issues due to?
livestock trades
The Temperate Grasslands are also known as?
Prairie
What are some examples of Temperate Grasslands?
Pampas (argentina), Midwest Prairie, Russian Steps, Veldt (South Africa)
What is the the temp of the Temperate Grasslands?
Extremely cold in the winter
What is the soil quality of the Temperate Grasslands?
Especially in the past-
Deep rich Humus and minerals
What are the animals of the Temperate Grasslands
There used to be millions of bison, but most were killed
Burrowing animals such as Praerie Dogs
What are the plants of the Temperate Grasslands?
Most native plants are gone due to agriculture
What are some of the qualities of grasses that allow them to dominate in the Temperate Grasslands
Large root systems
Wind pollination
thin leaves to prevent water loss
lots of grasses secrete silica to deter herbivores
What does sawgrass do?
Secretes so much silica that it actually makes the leaves sharp
What is a ligule?
If a leaf is broken the ligule is used to block the opening
What do sea oats do?
protects dunes bu olding dune together with root system
Where are sunflowers native to?
The prairie
What is special about sunflowers?
The flower is actually an inflorensence
the ray flowers are the colorful part
The disk flowers are in the middle
What is the diversity of the Temperate Grasslands
High diversity
Badger, Praerie chicken, Pronghorn, Bison, coyote, Prairie dog
What were some enviromental impacts that affected the Temperate Grasslands
The Dust Bowl
How was the dust bowl created?
After the stock market fell, Roosevelt gave away midwest land for wheat farming.
Lack of experience with farming and the annual plowing of wheat destroyed the soil quality
How was the Dust Bowl Remedied?
1930’s department of agriculture introduced better farming techniques.
However because of all this, almost no native Temperate Grasslands remain
What is the reason the Tundra is hard to survive?
VERY cold and VERY high winds
What’s the percipitation of the Tundra?
Snow-Water in ground remains in permafrost
How much of the world’s surface does the Tundra make up?
20% of the world’s surfave
What is the soil quality of the tundra?
Poor soil, Thin topsoil, low nutrient quality and humus
Permafrost fairly close to surface
What is the diversity of Tundra?
Lower animal diversity
High diversity of lichens, mosses and forbs
What are some of the animals of the Tundra
Artic foxes, carribouu, polar bears, artic hares, some migratory birds
What are some of the ecological impacts the tundra faces?
Oil pipelines esp Alaskan oil pipeline
Exon Oil spill
What were some of the concerns with the Alaskan Oil Pipline?
the pipline extends 800 miles disrupting migration
The heated pipe was thought to be a problem but it turns out that the animals actually like it
What occured with the Exon oil spill?
the ship hit a rock on the coast and spilled 38 million gallons of crude oil
Oil is still there even with extensive efforts to clean
What biome has the least precipitation?
Desert
What is the soil quality of the Desert
Actually high in soil nutrients but no humus
Where are deserts found?
in center of continents and in areas with rain shadows
What is the diversity of the Desert
great deal of variation, but driest deserts have lowest diversity of species
What are some of the characteristic plant of the desert?
Cacti and euphorbias, succulents, heat tolerant and resist desiccation, often deep roots
What is CAM and C4 Plants?
CAM plants open stomata at night and take in CO2 when temps and are lower and humidity higer. Cam plants close these tomatas throughout the day when temps are higher
C4 acid breaks down PEP and CO2 during the day
What are some of the animals of the Desert?
Desert hare, iguana, pika, rattlesnake
What kind of animal is the kit fox?
A burrowing animal
