Unit 1 Flashcards
Tundra
Coldest biome. Treeless, permafrost. Found in Russia, Canada, Scandinavia and Alaska. Low precipitation.
Boreal Forest or Taiga
Thick evergreens. Second coldest biome. 50 - 60 degrees north in North America, Europe and Asia
Temperate rainforest
Middle temperature, highest precipitation. Evergreen forests. Redwood forests. Found near warm ocean currents like Pacific coast in North America, southern Chile, New Zealand, Tasmania
Temperate Seasonal Forest
Moderate temperature and precip. Deciduous trees. Maple, beech, oak. Can also be pine forest. Not near an ocean. Eastern US and Canada. Also Europe and Eastern Asia.
Woodlands/shrublands
Moderate temperature, low precipitation. Hot, dry summers and mild, wet winter. Drought tolerant grasses and shrubs dominate. Mediterranean Sea, South America, Africa, Cali.
Temperate grasslands/cold desert
Moderate temperature, lowest precipitation. hot, dry summer and cold, harsh winter. Grasses, nonwoody flowering plants, drought-adapted shrubs. Utah, Colorado, central asia
Tropical Rainforest
Highest precipitation and temperatures. Multiple layers of lush vegetation. Understory, vines, highest species diversity. Central America, Amazon, Congo, Madagascar, Southeast Asia, Australia.
Tropical Seasonal Forests / Savannas
Highest temperature, moderate precip. Occurs 10 degrees N and S. Pronounced wet and dry seasons. Deciduous trees, thorn forest, dry forest, grasslands with occasional trees: acacia and baobab. Central America, South America, Africa, Australia. Good for agriculture
Subtroptropical desert
Highest temperature, lowest precip. Mojave desert, Sahara, Arabian, Great Victoria deserts. Creosote bush, cacti, succulents, shrubs. High species diversity.
What is ecology?
The science of studying organisms and how they interact in and with their physical environment
Who coined the term ecology?
Ernst Haekel
At what levels does an ecologist study?
Organism, population, community, ecosystem, biosphere
What is the fundamental unit in ecology?
The organism
Why is ecological study important?
To determine the best policies for managing our environmental support systems.
To solve or prevent environmental problems
To inform our economic, political and social thought and practice
How are ecological studies performed?
With the scientific model:
Observation, hypothesis or model, prediction, experiment
How do ecologists deal with ecological complexity in their studies?
They create microcosm experiments
What are microcosm experiments?
Experiments used to control certain variables that would be impossible to control in the field. Ex. in a greenhouse or fish tank
What are mathematical models?
Theoretical models used to map and predict natural processes such as population levels. Operates within explicit set of assumptions
What is autecology? Synecology? How does these differ from the other areas of ecological study?
Autecology- Study of individuals and interactions with environment
Synecology- the ecological study of whole plant or animal communities.
They differ in scale
Compare and contrast the following terms: ecology, environmental science, environmentalism, conservation
Ecology- a science, a study
Environmental science- is an applied science with a human focus
Environmentalism- a social and political belief system (human focus)
Conservation biology- a science committed to maintain biodiversity through human use
What constitutes the physical environment?
Light, temp, moisture, nutrients
What is light?
Light is photon radiation, in ecology its from the sun
Why is light an important part of the physical environment?
Because it is the source of energy for the earth. Primary producers are often photosynthetic
What is the nature of light? (i.e., spectral quality, intensity, duration, etc.)?
Spectral quality - Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) 4% UV 44% visible, 54% infrared
Intensity - Solar constant = about 1400 W/m^2