Ecology - BIOB50

Interconnected

Events in the natural world are …

Environment

Ecology is the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their …

Individuals, populations

Natural selection acts on … but the effects of it is seen in …

Individual

A living beings, fundamental unit of ecology

Species

Group of organisms that interbreed w/ each other producing fertile offspring

Populations

Individuals of same species living in particular area

Community

All populations of a species living together in a particular area

Adaptation

Characteristic of organism making it well suited to environment

Ecosystem

One or more communities interacting w/ nonliving physical + chemical environments

Biosphere

All ecosystems of Earth

Weather

Current conditions of an area

(temperature, precipitation, humidity, etc.)

Climate

Long term average weather (decades)

Salinity

Concentration of dissolved salts in environment (important to water and nutrient absorption)

Large

Small changes in pH has … effects on organisms

Greenhouse effect

When gases absorb energy & radiate back to the surface (2)

Balance

Energy on Earth is in …

Conduction

Kinetic energy transferred by molecules in direct contact

Convection

Energy transfer by movements of air or water currents

Sensible heat loss

Transfer of heat through exchange of energy by conduction and convection (3)

Latent heat loss

Basically evaporation (3)

Greenhouse gases

What absorbs and reradiates infrared radiation emitted by Earth?

33

Without greenhouse gases, how much cooler would our surface be? (celcius)

H2O, CO2, CH4, N2O

4 examples of greenhouse gases (symbols)

Water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide

4 examples of greenhouse gases (names)

Isolation

Amount of solar radiation reaching a given area

Solar angle

Isolation (solar radiation) increases with … (2)

23.5

The axial tilt (%)

Tropics

Which part of the Earth has the highest isolation (solar radiation)?

Uplift

Warm air less dense than cool air rises

Decreases

Atmospheric pressure … with altitude (increases or decreases)

Clouds

Water vapor condenses which makes …

Hadley cells

Large scale circulation patterns due to tropical uplift (2)

Subsidence

Once air temperature reaches surrounding temperature, it descends towards Earth’s surface

30, 30

Subsidence (descent) often occurs about … N and … S (degrees)

ITCZ

Area near equator with the most rainfall

Intertropic convergence zone

ITCZ (expand)

Polar cells

Cold air descending creating high pressure zones w/ little precipitation, polar deserts (2)

Ferrell cells

Exists at mid-latitudes, influenced by Polar + Hadley cells (2)

Tropical, temperate, polar

Circulation of Hadley, Polar, and Ferrell cells create 3 major climatic zones in each hemisphere

Trade winds

Trade winds or westerlies

Blow East to West

Trade winds

Trade winds or westerlies

Meet at equator (ICTZ)

Westerlies

Trade winds or westerlies

Mid latitudes

Westerlies

Trade winds or westerlies

Blows West to East

East to West, equator

Trade winds blow (… to …) and meet at the …

West to East, trade winds

Westerlies blow (… to …) and balance … (2)

Coriolis effect

Winds are deflected due to Earth’s rotation (2)

Water

Which has higher heat capacity?

Water or land

Summer

Summer or winter?

High pressure develops over oceans

Winter

Summer or winter?

High pressure develops over continents

Upwellings

As wind moves near surface of ocean, there is … of cold water

Downwellings

As wind moves near surface of ocean, there is … of warm water

Coasts

Upwellings happens with wind. It also happens on …

Great Ocean Conveyer Belt

Wtf is this (4)

Tilt of Earth

Seasonality is because of the … (3)

Shadow effect

Windward slope facing prevailing winds = high precipitation + lush vegetation (2)

Little precipitation

Shadow effect: Leeward slope = … (2)

Boundary

Every individual has a … separating internal and external

Landscape

Multiple ecosystems connected by movement of populations + matter + energy

Matter cannot be created or destroyed only changed

Law of conservation of matter (8)

Energy cannot be created or destroyed only changed

Law of conservation of energy (8)

Dynamic steady state

When gains and losses of ecological systems are in balance (3)

Producers, autotrophs

Organisms using photosynthesis to convert chemical energy into organic compounds (2 terms)

Consumers, heterotrophs

Organisms that obtain energy from other organisms (2 terms)

Mixotrophs

Organism that obtains energy from more than 1 source

Predation

Organisms kill and partially/entirely consume another individual

Parasitoids

Type of predation that lay eggs on/inside other animals and consume host individual from within

Parasitism

Organisms live in other organisms without killing the host

Pathogen

When a parasite causes a disease, it is called a …

Herbivores

Organisms that consume producers

Competition

Interaction with negative effects on both species that require same limited resource to survive/grow/reproduce

Mutualism

2 species interact where they both benefit

Commensalism

2 species interact where 1 benefits and the other dgaf

Symbiotic

A close physical relationship between 2 different organisms is referred to as a … relationship

Scavengers

Consumers of dead animals

Detritivores

Consumers of dead organic matter + detritus

Decomposers

Consumers that break down dead organic material into simpler elements and recycle through ecosystem

Niche

Range of abiotic conditions + biotic interactions an organism can tolerate

Microcosm

Simplified ecological system attempting to replicate essential features IRL in lab/field setting

Solar radiation

What provides the vast majority of energy warming the Earth + organisms? (2)

600 km

The atmosphere is a … thick layer of air surrounding the planet

1/3

The atmosphere is a 600km thick layer of air surrounding the planet and reflects about … (fraction) of solar radiation emitted toward Earth to space

Greenhouse effect

Solar radiation strikes Earth, converts to infrared radiation, and gets absorbed & re-emitted to atmospheric gases. (2)

H2O

Greenhouse gas: Evaporates from land surface, leaves, large bodies of water

CO2

Greenhouse gas: Decomposition, respiration, volcanic eruptions

CH4

Greenhouse gas: Anaerobic decomposition

N2O

Greenhouse gas: Wet soils, low-oxygen regions of water bodies

O3

Greenhouse gas: Ultraviolet radiation breaking apart O2 molecules and combining them

Distance, angle, reflection

3 factors dictate how much solar radiation a part of Earth receives from Sun

Albedo

The fraction of solar energy reflected by an object

Albedo

The more solar energy reflected, the higher the …

Less, less

At the equator, sun rays lose … energy to the atmosphere and there is … albedo from dark forests (more or less)

More, more

Near the poles, sun rays lose … energy to the atmosphere and there is … albedo from the snow (more or less)

North, Tropic of Cancer

In June solstice, orbit + tilt of Earth causes the Sun to be directly over 23.5 degrees … called the … (3)

South, Tropic of Capricorn

In December solstice, orbit + tilt of Earth causes the Sun to be directly over 23.5 degrees … called the … (3)

More

Between March & September, the Northern Hemisphere receives … solar energy than Southern

Less

Between September & March, the Northern Hemisphere receives … solar radiation than Southern

Solar equator

The latitude receiving most direct rays of Sun, shifts throughout year (2)

Gyres

Large scale water circulation pattern between continents

Warm and cold

Gyres redistribute energy by transporting (… and …) ocean water around the globe

Upwelling

Any upward movement of ocean water