BIOEE 1610 PRELIM 1

environmentalism

a social and political movement based on the concept that our environment should be protected

ecology

the scientific study of the distribution and abundance of organisms, how organisms interact with each other and their environment, including the transformation and flux of energy and matter

Organism

emphasizes the way an organism's morphology, physiology, and behavior enable survival in the environment.

population

group of the same species in same area; examines variation over time and space in # individuals, age classes, genetic makeup

community

interactions among species. understanding diversity and relative abundances of different species occupying the same place, and their interactions.

ecosystem

biotic/abiotic interactions. investigates the flow of energy and matter.

biosphere

earth/global processes! focuses on the movements of air and water, and the energy and chemicals they contain, over the earth's surfaces.

the principle sources/approaches used to gather ecological evidence include

observations, experiments, & mathematical models

Microevolution

small-scale evolutionary change; takes place over a short period.

Macroevolution

large-scale evolutionary change; takes place over long periods of time (ex. populations evolve and can no longer reproduce together)

Assertion 1 for evolution by natural selection

1. excess of individuals & intraspecific competition (reproductive potential exceeds environment, thus competition and population carrying capacity)

Assertion 2 for evolution by natural selection

2. Variation in phenotypes. individuals are different! (natural selection requires variation)

Assertion 3 for evolution by natural selection

3. heritability of phenotype. offspring resemble parents! (high heritability: offspring resemble parents vs. low heritability: offspring don't)

Assertion 4 for evolution by natural selection

4. phenotype correlated with fitness (individuals with a certain phenotype may be more fit)

phenotype is a function of ___ and ___

genetics and environment

evolution

genetic change in a population over time

fitness

The ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment

evolutionary arms race

Predators and prey co-evolve adaptations for prey capture and predator avoidance due to their strong evolutionary influence on one another.

fixed traits

if only one allele exists at a gene locus (w/o mutations)

trade offs and stabilizing selection

cannot evolve in one direction indefinitely, must not impede on basic life functions

scientists that derived theory of evolution via natural selection: ___ and __

Darwin and Wallace

scientist that derived system to name organisms

Linnaeus

trait that is capable of being passed to subsequent generations

heritable trait

organisms of different evolutionary lines evolve to have similar forms/behaviors

convergent evolution

changes in temp in the north sea over the past million years caused changes in sea level that...

allowed for dispersal of plants and animals between land masses

speciation

a gradual process that happens over evolutionary time

Allopatric speciation

The formation of new species in populations that are geographically isolated from one another.

Sympatric stage

secondary contact following allopatric stage

Allopatric phase

2 populations (not ecologically or reproductively isolated) become geographically separated

Sympatric speciation

The formation of new species in populations that live in the same geographic area

albedo

reflectivity of (earth's) surface; dark surfaces have low albedo & absorb energy (oceans and forests); light surfaces have high albedo & reflect energy (ice and snow)

light at poles has __ intensity; light at equator has __ intensity

low; high

earth's tilted axis results in...

seasons

air cells: __, __, and __

hadley, ferrel, polar

Hadley cells

atmospheric convection cell in which air rises at the equator and sinks at medium latitudes

Ferrel Cells

weaker patterns; not driven by temperature but rather opposing direction of polar and hadley cells (gear-like)

Polar Cells

Cold, dense air leaves polar regions, heats up, and falls back to the poles

___ cannot hold as much moisture as ___ air

cold, warm

Coriolis effect

The effect of Earth's rotation on the direction of air masses and currents.

___ and ___ patterns determine ecological biomes

temperature and precipitation

terrestrial biomes

the world's major communities classified via predominant vegetation and organismal adaptations

climate diagrams (temperature, precipitation, month)

where precipitation > temperature, precipitation exceeds evaporation

Lentic water

still freshwater: lakes, ponds, freshwater wetlands

Lotic water

faster water: streams and rivers

lentic zones x3

littoral, pelagic, benthic

littoral zone

near-shore w/rooted flowering plants

pelagic zone

offshore; dominated by phytoplankton

benthic zone

bottom

freshwater wetlands biome

shallow water, high gross primary productivity. key habitat for migrating birds, larval fish, invertebrates, and amphibians

tundra biome

No trees, cold, little precipitation.

taiga/boreal forest biome

Cold with very harsh winters. Plant community dominated by conifers.

temperate forest biome

Mostly deciduous trees, some conifers.Winters cold; summers warm. Precipitation rarely limiting.

temperate grassland/shrub/wood biome

Few trees and water seasonally limited. The climate has warm / hot summers and cold /cool winters.

tropical rainforest biome

located near the equator, warm all year long, more species than any other biome and gets large amounts of rain

tropical grassland/savanna biome

Few trees; water scarce in summer. Warm year round. Fire + grazing important.

Tropical Seasonal forest biome

Found in warm lowland tropics bordering rainforests

desert biome

Hot and dry. Plants and animals adapted to survive water limitation.

adiabatic cooling

air cools as it rises due to lower pressure

adiabatic heating

air heats as it sinks due to higher pressure

oceans' multiple biomes

deep ocean, subtropical gyres, coastal upwelling, continental shelves, nearshore coast

watershed

area of land that collects rainfall and runoff

periphyton

algae attatched to underwater surfaces (often found in lotic waters)

species richness

the number of different species in a community

coping mechanisms for environmental variation (x2)

avoidance & tolerance

Avoidance

a behavioral or physiological response of an organism to a stressful condition that minimizes exposure

Tolerance

ability of an organism to survive stressful conditions

Photosynthesis

Conversion of light energy from the sun into chemical energy.

cellular respiration

Process that releases energy by breaking down glucose and other food molecules in the presence of oxygen

inputs of photosynthesis

carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight

outputs of photosynthesis

glucose and oxygen

inputs of cellular respiration

glucose and oxygen

outputs of cellular respiration

carbon dioxide, water, and ATP

the wavelengths that drive photosynthesis

visible light

where is energy from sunlight stored in glucose?

carbon-hydrogen bonds

nutrients involved in photosynthesis

phosphorus & nitrogen

micronutrients involved in photosynthesis

magnesium, sulfur, calcium

Transpiration

Evaporation of water from the leaves of a plant pulled from soil

fundamental tradeoff of photosynthesis

water escapes through stomates to allow CO2 entry

increasing CO2: ____ photosynthesis

increasing light: ___ photosynthesis

increasing CO2: increases rate of photosynthesis

increasing light: increases rate of photosynthesis (only to a certain point)

C3 photosynthetic pathway

most common

C4 photosynthetic pathway

efficient in CO2 uptake, present in plants in hot climates

CAM photosynthetic pathway

most efficient w/water. (utilize the night) Plants in hot and dry areas, often succulents

plants absorb ____ most efficiently, but do not absorb ___ as efficiently

plants absorb red (650) & blue/indigo (400) most efficiently but do not absorb far red as efficiently

far red light causes plants to...

grow taller to collect more light (but do not have higher biomass)

heterotrophs

An organism that obtains organic food molecules by eating other organisms or their by-products.

autotrophs

Organisms that make their own food (photoautotrophs and chemoautotrophs)

trophic level

position in food chain as determined by number of energy transfer steps from autotrophs or detritus

prokaryotes (bacteria & archaea)

heterotrophic, photosynthetic, and chemosynthetic

protists

heterotrophic and photosynthetic

plants

photosynthetic and (some) heterotrophic

fungi & animals

heterotrophic (mostly)

first law of thermodynamics

conservation of energy: energy neither created nor destroyed

second law of thermodynamics

degradation of energy: when energy is transferred or transformed, part of the energy is lost as heat

net primary production (NPP)

total amount of autotrophically fixed organic matter available for consumption by higher trophic levels.

consumption efficiency

% of net primary production (NPP) consumed

detritus

Dead organic matter not consumed from net primary production

Assimilation

incorporation of ingested food into organic molecules via digestion & absorption

assimilation efficiency

% of ingested food assimilated by an organism (20-50%: herbivores; 80%: carnivores). efficiency determined by food quality and consumer physiology

food not assimilated becomes...

feces

production efficiency

% of assimilated mass that becomes new biomass