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Bio 5C > Unit 2 - Climate and Population Ecology > Flashcards

Unit 2 - Climate and Population Ecology Flashcards

1
Q

What is climate?

A

The LONG-TERM prevailing weather conditions in an area.

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2
Q

What is weather?

A

The DAILY conditions of the atmosphere in terms of temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, and moisture.

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3
Q

What is the ultimate source of energy?

A

The Sun.

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4
Q

Weather or Climate: There are more sunny days per year in Los Angeles than Seattle.

A

Climate

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5
Q

Weather or Climate: A thunderstorm toppled some trees in my neighborhood last summer.

A

Weather

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6
Q

Where is sunlight most direct and intense?

A

The equator.

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7
Q

How does the sun shine light on the poles?

A

It hits it at an oblique angle, making the light energy more diffuse and less intense.

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8
Q

Why is climate seasonal?

A

Due to the tilt of the Earth and its annual orbit around the Sun.

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9
Q

On average, solar energy is _____ intense as you move away from the equator.

A

less

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10
Q

How do rising air masses affect the tropics?

A

They release water and cause high precipitation.

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11
Q

What do descending air masses do?

A

They create arid climates, especially near 30° north and south.

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12
Q

What are the different bends of air moving?

A

It is “bent” to the west when moving towards the equator, and “bent” to the east when moving to the poles.

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13
Q

True or False: Seasons are determined by how close the Earth is to the sun.

A

False, seasons are determined by the tilt of the Earth’s axis relative to its orbit around the sun.

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14
Q

How are ocean currents created?

A

Air currents that move water.

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15
Q

Water has a higher _____ than land or air.

A

specific heat

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16
Q

What is specific heat?

A

The amount of energy required to raise temperature.

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17
Q

Mountains create _____ effects.

A

orographic

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18
Q

What are orographic effects?

A

When air masses are forced to flow over high topography.

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19
Q

Climate is __________ in regions where forests have been cut down.

A

hotter and drier

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20
Q

What are biotic factors?

A

The organisms in an environment.

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21
Q

What are abiotic factors?

A

The physical and chemical properties of an environment.

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22
Q

What is dispersal?

A

The movement of individuals away from centers of high population density or from their area of origin.

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23
Q

What are the different types of species interactions?

A

Predation, parasitism, competition, mutualism, and herbivory.

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24
Q

What are biomes determined by?

A

Climate on land and depth and salinity in water.

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25
Q

What are the two fundament aspects of biomes?

A

Primary productivity and biodiversity.

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26
Q

What is primary productivity?

A

The amount of plant growth in a given area over a given time.

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27
Q

What is biodiversity?

A

Number of species.

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28
Q

What is disturbance?

A

An event that changes a community.

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29
Q

Many aquatic biomes are stratified into zones defined by ____.

A

depth

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30
Q

What is the benthic zone?

A

The bottom surface of an aquatic environment.

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31
Q

What is the pelagic zone?

A

The open-water component of aquatic biomes.

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32
Q

What is the climate like in the tropical forest biome?

A

In tropical rain forests, rainfall is constant, while in tropical dry forests, rainfall is highly seasonal.

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33
Q

What is biodiversity like in the tropical forest biome?

A

Vegetation is vertically layered with intense competition for light. It covers 5% of Earth’s land area but makes up 70% of terrestrial animal and plant species.

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34
Q

What is climate like in the temperate broadleaf forest biome?

A

There is significant amounts of precipitation during all seasons. Winters are cool, summers are hot and humid.

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35
Q

What is biodiversity like in the temperate broadleaf forest biome?

A

Vertical layers include trees, shrubs and herbs, moderate primary productivity. Moderate biodiversity.

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36
Q

What is climate like in the tundra biome?

A

Precipitation is low in arctic tundra and higher in alpine tundra. Winters are very cold and summers are cool. Permafrost.

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37
Q

What is permafrost?

A

A permanently frozen layer of soil, prevents water infiltration.

38
Q

What is biodiversity like in the tundra biome?

A

Vegetation is herbaceous(mosses, grasses, shrubs); low primary productivity. Low biodiversity.

39
Q

What is climate like in the chaparral biome?

A

Precipitation is low and highly seasonal with rainy winters and dry summers.

40
Q

What is biodiversity like in the chaparral biome?

A

Dominated by shrubs, small trees, grasses, and herbs. Low primary productivity. Low but variable biodiversity, many endemic plants.

41
Q

What is population ecology?

A

It explores how biotic and abiotic factors influence the abundance, dispersion, and age structure of populations.

42
Q

What is emigration?

A

The movement of individuals out of a populations.

43
Q

What is random dispersion?

A

The position of each individual is independent to that of other individuals.

44
Q

What is clumped dispersion?

A

When individuals aggregate in patches.

45
Q

What is uniform dispersion?

A

When individuals are evenly spaced.A

46
Q

A male stickleback fish attacks other males that invade his nesting territory. What is the likely pattern of dispersion for male sticklebacks?

A

Uniform.

47
Q

What is climate like in the desert biome?

A

Precipitation is low and temperatures can be extreme (hot or cold).

48
Q

What is biodiversity like in the desert biome?

A

Plants and animals occur in low densities and must be adapted for desiccation tolerance and low nutrient availability. Low but variable biodiversity.

49
Q

What is desiccation tolerance?

A

The ability of an organism to withstand or endure extreme dryness.

50
Q

What is climate like in the savanna biome?

A

Precipitation is seasonal with a prolonged dry season. Temperatures are warm and more seasonally variable than in tropical forests.

51
Q

What is biodiversity like in the savanna biome?

A

Plants are fire-adapted and tolerant of seasonal drought; moderate primary productivity. Moderate biodiversity.

52
Q

What is climate like in the temperate grassland biome?

A

Precipitation is low and seasonal, occurring in summer. Winter are cold; summers are hot.

53
Q

What is biodiversity like in the temperate grassland biome?

A

The dominant plants are herbaceous (grasses and forbs). Moderate biodiversity. Dominant plants are adapted to droughts and fire.

54
Q

What is biodiversity like in the northern coniferous forest biome?

A

Dominated by conifers such as pine and spruce. Low biodiversity. Some species depend on periodic fires to regenerate.

54
Q

What is climate like in the northern coniferous forest biome?

A

Precipitation varies; dry in some biomes, wet in biomes close to the coast. Cold winters, summers may be hot.

55
Q

___ and ___ models describe population growth in an idealized, unlimited environment.

A

Geometric; exponential

56
Q

What is demography?

A

The study of population vital statistics and how they vary with age.

57
Q

What is the life table?

A

Age-specific summary of the vital statistics of a population.

58
Q

What is a cohort?

A

A group of individuals in a population born about the same time.

59
Q

Type I survivorship curve:

A

Low death rates during early and middle like and a sharp increase in death rates later in life.

60
Q

Type II survivorship curve:

A

Constant death rate over the life span.

61
Q

Type III survivorship curve:

A

High death rates for the young.

62
Q

What is the reproductive table?

A

An age-specific summary of the reproductive rates in a population.

63
Q

What is geometric growth?

A

Unregulated population growth in discrete time intervals.

64
Q

What is exponential growth?

A

Unregulated population growth in continuous time intervals.

65
Q

If the per capita change in population size is 1.5 and the population is currently 100 individuals, how many invidious will be added to the population in the next generation?

A

150

66
Q

When the per capita rate of increase is positive and constant, the number of individuals added to a population ____ in each generation.

A

Increases

67
Q

What factors can lower birth rates?

A

Shortages in food, greater intraspecific aggression, increased attention from predators, and disease outbreaks.

68
Q

What are physical properties of the lakes biome.

A

There is oligotrophic lakes (nutrient-poor and O2-rich) and eutrophic lakes (nutrient-rich and O2-poor).

69
Q

What are physical properties of the wetlands biome?

A

Flooded by water, organic production depletes dissolved oxygen.

70
Q

What are physical properties of the streams and rivers biome?

A

O2-rich, but organic enrichment can deplete O2 downstream.

71
Q

What are the physical properties of the estuary biome?

A

Nutrient rich and productive transition zone between a river and the sea.

72
Q

What is carrying capacity (K)?

A

The maximum population size the environment can support.

73
Q

What is the logistic population growth model?

A

The per capita rate of population growth approaches zero as the population size nears carrying capacity.

74
Q

What happens when N=K?

A

The population stops growing.

75
Q

What is the difference between density-independent and density-dependent populations?

A

In density-independent birth and death rate do not change with populations, white in density-dependent populations birth and death rates are regulated by population density.

76
Q

What do population dynamics focus on?

A

The complex interactions between biotic and abiotic factors that cause variation in population size.

77
Q

What is semelparity?

A

A “one-shot” pattern of big-bang reproduction.

78
Q

What is iteroparity?

A

Repeated reproductive events throughout a lifetime.

79
Q

What is r-selection?

A

Selection for life history traits that maximize reproductive success at low density.

80
Q

What is K-selection?

A

Selection for life history traits that are advantageous at high population densities.

81
Q

What is the principle of allocation?

A

Resources that an organism has to partition among life history functions.

82
Q

What are physical properties of the intertidal biome?

A

Periodically submergaed and exposed by tides, oxygen and nutrient levels are high in intertidal zones.

83
Q

What are physical properties of the ocean pelagic zone biome?

A

Coves 70% of Earth’s surface.

84
Q

What are polyps?

A

Large coral groups of genetically identical individual animals.

85
Q

What are physical properties of the coral reef biome?

A

Corals require high oxygen concentrations and a solid substrate to attach to.

86
Q

What are physical properties of the marine benthic zone biome?

A

Very deep benthic zones are cold and have very high water pressure.

87
Q

What is age structure?

A

The relative number of individuals of each age in a population.

88
Q

What is demographic transition?

A

The move from the first state to the second. Driven by medicine, agricultural development, and family planning.

89
Q

What is the ecological footprint concept?

A

The aggregate land and water area needed to sustain a person, city, or nation.

Bio 5C (4 decks)

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