Unit B

Question 0

What is an Ecotone? Why do they contain more biodiversity than the bordering ecosystems?

Answer 0

An Ecotone is a transition area, it contains bordering ecosystems. They contain more biodiversity than the bordering ecosystems because they contain species from both ecosystems instead of only certain ecosystems.

Question 1

What is a population, community and ecosystem?

Answer 1

A population is all the members of the same species living in an area.
A community is a collection of all the species living in an ecosystem or habitat.
A ecosystem includes the community of living things and it’s physical environment.

Question 2

What is an ecological niche?

Answer 2

An organisms role in an ecosystem. Place in a good web, habitat, breeding area.

Question 3

How do invasive species affect a native species?

Answer 3

They get rid of native species, they outcompete the natural species that is there.

Question 4

What is a biome?

Answer 4

A large geographical region that has a specific climate, plants and animals are adapted are adapted to this climate.

Question 5

What are the four terrestrial biomes of Canada?

Answer 5

1. Tundra
2. Taiga
3. Temperate deciduous forest
4. Grassland

Question 6

Canada’s aquatic biomes?

Answer 6

Freshwater: lakes rivers and pond ecosystems.

Marine or salt water: all ocean ecosystems.

Question 7

Where is the taiga biome? Where is it found?

Answer 7

Found in every province in Canada. Arctic cold.

Question 8

Main plants of the taiga ecosystem?

Answer 8

Conifers, trees, shrubs.

Question 9

What is a canopy?

Answer 9

Upper layer of vegetation in a forest.

Question 10

What is contained at the forest floor? Abiotic components.

Answer 10

Continuous shade, rocks, dirt, water.

Question 11

Difference between an niche and habitat?

Answer 11

Niche- and organisms role in an environment

Habitat- a place that is acceptable for the survival or organisms

Question 12

Definition of terrestrial?

Answer 12

Anywhere on earth that is not covered by water.

Question 13

What are coniferous trees and deciduous trees?

Answer 13

Coniferous- cones, needles

Deciduous- leaves

Question 14

How are coniferous trees adapted to the Taiga?

Answer 14

They are adapted to warm moist summer and cold dry winters by having needle like leaves that provide less surface area for water loss during winter. They also have a thick cuticle of wax that coats the needles… The pyramid shape of a tree allows for the snow to fall off during winter.

Question 15

Ecosystems of the Taiga Biome:

Answer 15

Muskeg, forest floor, canopy.

Question 16

Ecosystems of the Grassland Biome:

Answer 16

Grassland, deciduous forest.

Question 17

Littoral zone?

Answer 17

The littoral zone is the point from the lakeshore to the point where there is no longer plants rooted to the bottom of the lake.

Question 18

Limbering zone?

Answer 18

The area of open lake. This is the area where there is enough light for photosynthesis to occur.

Question 19

Profound zone? What is the source of nutrients of the pro fundal zone?

Answer 19

Beneath the limnetic zone. There is not enough light for photosynthesis to occur here. The source of nutrients in the profundal zone are the dead plant and animals that fall from the limnetic zone. These are broken down by bacteria, reducing oxygen levels.

Question 20

What are the factors that affect terrestrial ecosystems?

Answer 20

1. Soil
2. Temperature
3. Available water
4. Sunlight

Question 21

What are the factors affecting aquatic ecosystems?

Answer 21

1. Chemical environment
2. Temperature and sunlight
3. Water pressure
4. Seasonal variations

Question 22

Explain the factors affecting aquatic ecosystems?

Answer 22

Chemical environment: fresh water vs salt water, dissolved oxygen, dissolved substances.
Temperature and sunlight: varies with the seasons, affected by depth of water, hydrothermal vents provide head on ocean floor to support life.
Water pressure: sea animals are limited to how much they can move up or down
Seasonal variations: (turnovers in spring, fall)

Question 23

Name the four factors that limit populations and communities?

Answer 23

1. Biotic potential
2. Limiting factors
3. Carrying capacity
4. Limits of tolerance

Question 24

Factors that cause a population to decrease? (Abiotic and biotic)

Answer 24

Abiotic: too cold/ hot, too much or little light, high number of chemicals in the environment.
Biotic: high number of predators, decrease in food, diseases or parasites, unable to compete for resources.

Question 25

Carrying capacity?

Answer 25

Maximum amount of individuals of a species that can be supported at the time in an ecosystem.

Question 26

Limits of tolerance? (4)

Answer 26

Law of the minimum: the nutrient in least supply limits growth
Law of tolerance: an organisms can survive within a certain range of an abiotic factor
Density independent: affects members of population regardless of population density.
Density dependent factors: affects a population because of the density of the population.

Question 27

Name the three forestry practices.

Answer 27

a) slash and burn
b) clear cutting
c) selective cutting

Question 28

Which forestry practices would resemble the removal of all trees in an area for use in timber and pulp?

Answer 28

Clear cutting.

Question 29

What is the definition of a prescribed burn?

Answer 29

A controlled fire set intentionally in a designated area

Question 30

Describe the two kinds of lakes.

Answer 30

Oligotrophic, eutrophic.

Oligotrophic: deep cold lakes, with low nutrient levels, clear water, low productivity, good for catching big game fish.

Eutrophic: shallow warm lakes, very productive, rough fish are common here, may experience oxygen depletion.

Question 31

What can accelerate the eutrophication of a lake?

Answer 31

Water pollution.

Question 32

What can water pollution do?

Answer 32

Accelerate the eutrophication of a lake.

Question 33

What do fires preserve?

Answer 33

Fire creates and maintains a mosaic of different vegetation types.

Question 34

Describe the indicators of water quality.

Answer 34

Bacteria: coliform bacteria, occurs naturally in the intestines of humans and animals. This indicated fecal contamination and is easy to find on agar plants.
Dissolves oxygen: tested with solutions, cooler less polluted lakes have between 8-14 Mg/L of dissolved oxygen, it is tested by examining living things in water. Example: trout needs a lot of O2 and carp does not.
BOD- the amount of dissolves O2 needed by decomposers to completely break down organic matter in a water sample at 20 degrees Celsius over 5 days. As the number or organisms in an ecosystem increases, so does the biological oxygen demand.