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Biology 1108 > Unit 1 - MSH - Complexity & Gap Dynamics > Flashcards

Unit 1 - MSH - Complexity & Gap Dynamics Flashcards

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1
Q

definition: the process of development that over time, gradually and predictably changes the biological community

A

succession

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2
Q

What drives succession forward? What replaces one community with another over time?

A

facilitation

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3
Q

What is the broad framework of succession?

A

bare rock–> lichens–> small annual plants/ moss–> perennial herbs/grasses–> shrubs/shade-intolerant trees–> shade-tolerant trees

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4
Q

What makes up the climax community in succession?

A

shade-tolerant trees

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5
Q

What makes up the pioneer stages in succession?

A

bare rock, lichens, & small annual plants/moss

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6
Q

What makes up the intermediate stages in succession?

A

perennial herbs/grasses & shrubs/shade-intolerant trees

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7
Q

Where do we find primary succession?

A

mountain tops, glacial retreat, parking lots, granite outcrops

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8
Q

Does the pumice plain experience primary or secondary succession? Why?

A

secondary; tephra, although nutrient poor, is still soil, things can put down roots, not solid bare rock but rock dust

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9
Q

What was the succession process like on MSH?

A

lupine–> fireweed, pearly everlasting–> willows/red alder–> noble fir/Douglas fir/red cedar

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10
Q

What makes up the pioneer stages in succession on MSH?

A

lupine & fireweed/pearly everlasting

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11
Q

What makes up the intermediate stages in succession in MSH?

A

willows, red alder

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12
Q

What makes up the climax community in succession in MSH?

A

noble fir/Douglas fir/red cedar

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13
Q

Are all successional pathways the same? why?

A

no, random variation can lead to different outcomes

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14
Q

definition: the “final” stage that will persist as a static ecosystem and will continuously regenerate itself

A

climax community

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15
Q

Why are shade-tolerant trees often a part of the climax community?

A

they are able to grow underneath the shade that their parents are providing; the last stage is self-perpetuating; shade tolerant trees are able to regenerate themselves

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16
Q

How does soil development change with succession?

A

soil accumulates in volume, depth, and nutrients over time

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17
Q

What particular part of the soil changes with a good amount of time?

A

stratification - the development of layers

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18
Q

With succession: over time, what increases?

A

complexity

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19
Q

What does the succession progression look like in the Midwest/Northeast?

A

exposed rocks–> lichens and mosses–> annual weeds–> perennial weeds & grasses–>shrubs–>aspen, cherry & young pine forest–>beech and maple broadleaf forest

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20
Q

What are 3 types of complexity we observe?

A

(1) structural - horizontal vs vertical
(2) soil complexity
(3) biodiversity - species richness

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21
Q

What does vertical complexity mainly look at?

A

the layers of a forest

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22
Q

What are the different layers of a forest with regards to vertical complexity?

A

soil–> forest floor–> understory/shrub layer–> sub canopy–> canopy

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23
Q

Did the old growth forest on MSH have vertical complexity pre-eruption?

A

yes, almost every inch was full of life

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24
Q

Did the blowdown zone have much vertical complexity post-eruption?

A

no, only a few plants on the forest floor and then really tall trees w/no leaves (not much in the middle)

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25
Q

What does horizontal complexity mainly look at?

A

patchiness - how many different kinds of communities exist right next to each other

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26
Q

Is complexity just based on time since eruption? What else is it based on?

A

distance from eruption:
closer to greater: least vertically complex
further away forest: more vertically complex

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27
Q

Which type of farming, traditional or permaculture, has more vertical complexity? Why?

A

permaculture; traditional ag is very low to the ground while permaculture contains all different levels

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28
Q

Which type of farming, traditional or permaculture, has more horizontal complexity? Why?

A

permaculture; permaculture has more patchwork in a small space while traditional ag just has a few species grown in longs rows

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29
Q

Do ecosystems only change in one direction with succession?

A

no

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30
Q

What can push change in the other direction with regards to succession?

A

a disturbance

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31
Q

What acts in opposition to succession?

A

disturbance

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32
Q

How does disturbance lead to horizontal complexity?

A

disturbance allows succession to be constantly occurring at different stages and scales, forming more patches

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33
Q

What type of complexity does a disturbance cause more of?

A

horizontal - forms patches

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34
Q

definition: when little disturbances happen gradually and accumulate over time this will lead to more patches that exist in different successional stages

A

dynamic equilibrium

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35
Q

What two things together over a period of time create an ecosystem in dynamic equilibrium?

A

succession & disturbance

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36
Q

What is the early-successional forest of MSH?

A

willows/red alder

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37
Q

What is the late-successional forest of MSH?

A

noble fir/Douglas fir/red cedar

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38
Q

What is the term for an ecosystem that is in a constant state of flux/change due to disturbance and succession?

A

dynamic equilibrium

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39
Q

What are two important characteristics of dynamic equilibrium?

A

(1) develops over time
(2) contains patches in DIFFERENT successional stages

40
Q

What type of complexity increases with small-scale disturbances?

A

horizontal

41
Q

A forest in ________ might have a patch of climax community (red cedar trees) next to a patch of grass.

A

dynamic equilibrium

42
Q

In dynamic equilibrium:
overall high ______ complexity
some patches with high _____ complexity and some with low _____ complexity depending on successional stage

A

horizontal; vertical

43
Q

What happens to biodiversity over time with succession?

A

increases - more species in different layers

44
Q

What happens to biodiversity when we add disturbance (dynamic equilibrium)?

A

increases - many different biological communities right next to each other in equilibrium

45
Q

What is the first species that secondary succession starts with?

A

small annual plants (completely skips bare rock and lichen stage)

46
Q

Why are some places more biodiverse than others?

A

(1) time - succession and dynamic equilibrium develop over time
(2) ecosystem complexity - horizontal and vertical; topographic
(3) more energy in the system

47
Q

Where does energy in an ecosystem come from? In what locations is this energy most abundant?

A

sun/solar energy - most abundant in places near the equator

48
Q

Why do mountains have such high biodiversity?

A

dynamic equilibrium at different elevations & contains different biomes in a condensed fashion

49
Q

How does species richness at the equator compare to that at the poles?

A

equator: very high
poles: extremely low

50
Q

More energy in the system = more _____

A

biodiversity

51
Q

What is the relationship between number of plant species and degrees Latitude increasing from 0 out N or S?

A

negative - further from equator, less plant species present

52
Q

What are two main reasons that biodiversity is advantageous to a place?

A

higher resistance & resilience

53
Q

What is the main ecological reason for why biodiversity is important?

A

the more biomass in an ecosystem, then less likely to be impacted as heavily by disturbances

54
Q

What is the relationship between the number of plant species before a drought and change in biomass?

A

negative; more plant species = lower change in biomass

55
Q

As the number of species increases, the amount of biomass lost in a disturbance _____.

A

decreases

56
Q

definition: total weight of all the LIVING things in an area

A

biomass

57
Q

definition: ability to prevent impacts from disturbances

A

resistance

58
Q

Do ecosystems with high biodiversity change drastically with a minor disturbance? Why?

A

no because of more species leading to redundancy; if one species is lost, another can fill in its position

59
Q

If there is 0 change in biomass, then an ecosystem is completely ______ to disturbance (impossible).

A

resistant

60
Q

definition: ability to recover after a disturbance

A

resilience

61
Q

Ecosystems with ___ biodiversity recover faster from disturbances.

A

high

62
Q

Why are ecosystems with high biodiversity more resilient to disturbances?

A

as a community accumulates species, there is a higher chance of any one of them having traits that enable them to adapt to a changing environment

63
Q

definition: ecosystems are more CONSISTENT over long periods of time

A

stability

64
Q

higher biodiversity = more ______

A

stability

65
Q

Why is high biodiversity important to the stability of an ecosystem?

A

species with high genetic diversity and many populations adapted to a wide variety of conditions are more likely to be able to withstand weather disturbances, disease, and climate change

66
Q

What is the term that refers to the capability of a natural system to apply self-regulating mechanisms so as to return to a steady state after a disturbance?

A

stability

67
Q

Under what conditions is an ecosystem said to possess ecological stability?

A

if its capable of returning to its equilibrium state after a disturbance or does not experience unexpected large changes in its characteristics over time

68
Q

If an ecosystem is stable for a long period of time, what will happen to complexity and biodiversity?

A

increase

69
Q

Why are stable ecosystems not characterized as static?

A

they still experience changes and add complexity with minor disturbances

70
Q

Increased biodiversity, increased _______, increased ______ (positive feedback loop).

A

complexity, stability

71
Q

What is an example how organisms in an ecosystem with great biodiversity have higher stability>

A

organisms rely on more than one type of food, so if a food source gets wiped out by a disturbance, they have others to rely on

72
Q

What are 2 major advantages to a population?

A

(1) genetic diversity
(2) ecosystem complexity

73
Q

What are some other disciplines that the ideas of resilience and stability span across?

A

ecological and social

74
Q

definition: openings in a forest canopy (due to a disturbance) where new trees can grow

A

forest gaps

75
Q

What is the advantage of a forest gap?

A

increased sunlight reaches the forest floor for plants to take advantage of

76
Q

What is the goal when trying to fill the gap?

A

to reach the canopy

77
Q

Why do trees want to reach the canopy?

A

increased fitness - more energy

78
Q

Is there an evolutionary trade off with short vs long-term strategies?

A

yes

79
Q

definition: a situation in which evolution cannot advance one part of a biological ecosystem without distressing another part of it

A

evolutionary trade off

80
Q

Explain how colored feathers are an evolutionary tradeoff?

A

pro: they help attract mates
con: they are more easily spotted by predators

81
Q

What type of trees are the first species to come in and establish in a gap that forms?

A

early successional trees (hares)

82
Q

What type of trees can establish underneath an existing canopy and slowly make their way to the canopy themselves?

A

late successional trees (tortoises)

83
Q

What are 4 traits involved with trees?

A

(1) maximum growth rate
(2) persistence
(3) shade tolerance
(4) longevity

84
Q

definition: how fast a tree is able to grow given ideal conditions (some trees are better at growing faster than others)

A

maximum growth rate

85
Q

definition: how little growth a tree can sustain without dying (all about height of a tree)

A

persistence

86
Q

definition: how much light a tree requires in order to live (maintain a positive carbon balance)

A

shade tolerance

87
Q

definition: max life-span of a tree

A

longevity

88
Q

What is the trade off between maximum growth rate and persistence?

A

an early successional tree that can grow at fast speeds also can be likely to die very quickly

89
Q

Early successional trees (high/low):
max GR:
persistence:
shade tolerance:
longevity:

A

high
low
low
low

90
Q

Late successional trees (high/low):
max GR:
persistence:
shade tolerance:
longevity:

A

low
high
high
high

91
Q

What is the relationship between shade tolerance & max growth rate?

A

negative

92
Q

Do shade tolerant trees grow fast?

A

no - they are slow steady growers

93
Q

example of evolutionary tradeoff:
although late successional trees can live longer, they can’t grow very _____

A

fast

94
Q

What is the relationship between shade tolerance and lifespan?

A

positive

95
Q

Over very long periods of time, which kinds of trees will accumulate in the canopy? Why?

A

shade tolerant trees because they can live a long time (high longevity) and can regenerate themselves

96
Q

example of evolutionary tradeoff:
although early successional trees have a high growth rate, they can’t _____ for very long (low _____)

A

survive; longevity

97
Q

What is the order of tree species on MSH from early successional (1) to late successional (4)?

A

(1) red alder
(2) noble fir
(3) Douglas fir
(4) red cedar

Biology 1108 (12 decks)

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