BIO 105 DESERT ECOLOGY

species interactions, biomes, and plant and animal adaptations

mutualism

interactions that both species benefit from each other an example are bees and flowers and yucca plants and yucca moths. The insects gain energy and the plants gets pollinated

commensalisms

1 organism benefits but not the other affected. nurse plants

exploitation

one member benefit but the other doesn’t benefit and is harmed. predator and prey, herbivores, and fungivores

what is competition

both members are negativity effected by interactions. nurse plants and the younger plant, the younger plant would get in competition with the nurse plant for resources and eventually take other the nurse plant spot

4 ways insects avoid predation

camouflage, hiding, mimicry, and chemical

parasitoids

use exploitation, doesn’t kill prey at the moment

parasites

doesn’t kill their host, but fed off their host and move on to the next

detritivores

organisms that consume wood and dead plant materials, termites that are found in the chihuahan and Sonoran deserts

necrophages

organisms that consume moist and rotting flesh, once it dries it moves on the next

scatophages

insects that break down animals feces

thermal energy budgets

the change of animal’s body temperature from the amount of thermal energy relative to the energy lost.

how do animals gain heat

through metabolic heat

how of animals lose heat

energy transfer between the animal and the environment

ecotherm

the outside heat that the organism can tolerate, and lose energy

endotherm

the heat inside the organism, gaining energy

morphological adaptation animals have for dealing with thermoregulation

light color animals benefits from living deserts compared to darker color animals. Dark color animals have high albedo and attract the sun light and recuse energy absorption

what are behavior adaptations animals have for dealing with thermoregulation?

animals coloration facilitate communication, finding a mate, intimidating competitors, or warming a predator can enhance success

what are physiological adaptations animals have for dealing with thermoregulation

humidity allows some organisms like the tenebrious beetle of the sonoran desert to change color to blue to black depending on sun absorption

what is osmoregulation

the ability for organism to maintain a constant water content with the amount of water that is lost and gained

what are several ways animals obtain water

drinking , traveling to find available water, food, and storing

what are ways that animals limit the lost of water

choosing diets that doesn’t demand more breaths such as protein than fats, choosing humid microclimates, and protective covering to reduce sweating or panting,

what is dehydration tolerance

storing considerable water and survive significant dehydration

factors that affect worldwide climate

long term weather change , 30 years of more. change in earths rotation, seasons depends on solar radiation from earth’s rotation

rain shadow

the movement of moisture to mountains and pushed upwards and cooled into the sky causing it to effect the mountains and for that area to be drier

tundra biome

the coldest biome and receive little precipitin allow externe adapting for organism to thrive in this biome.

where is tundra biomes found

have long, cold winters with high winds and average temperatures below freezing for six to ten months of the year. extending across North America

boreal forest biome

dominated by needle-leaved (usually evergreen, conical-shaped) conifers, and broad-leaved deciduous hardwoods, with extended cold winters and short mild summers.snow forest, subartic, long extreme winters and short warm to cool summers located in north america

temperate deciduous forest

woodlanes in the midlatitude whose tree loses their leaves in the winter, ideal region for farming

grassland biome

open continuous flat areas of grass. the amount of rain that is receive is not enough to grow taller trees and produce a forest like biome

chaparral biome

found in coastal areas that have mild winters and hot and dry summers.

plants are waxy, hard woods, fair diversity, north american/california  

tropical forests

heat and rain is combined year long and the rain permits broadleaf trees to retain their leaves permanently

desert biomes

vegation, water, and animals are sparse. organisms that live here are well adapted to rely on litter resources to survive. typically reticence water in forms of snow or storms that occur rarely in the year

what are 4 North American deserts

intermountain desert, Mojave desert, Sonoran desert, and Chihuahuan desert

intermountain desert

found between cascade mountains and Sierra Nevada as a rain shadow

Mojave desert

found as a rain shadow of Sierra Nevada and coastal ranges of Southern California.

Sonoran desert

found in south California , Arizona down to the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California Sur

chihuahuan desert

found in southern Arizona and New Mexico south through western Texas and the Mexican plateau of central Mexico

C3

plants that assimilate carbon dioxide. Well suited for photosynthesis during the cool, wet seasons, and when water is available and conservation is not required

CAM

a metabolic pathway that reduce water loss during transpiration. they open their stomata at night when lower tempetkres and higher humidity reduce transpiration

C4

plants with the metabolism to use enzyme PEP carboxylase that fixes CO2 to PEP producing 4 carbon molecule as a Malic acid

how do C4 reduce transpiration

they can limit stomal opening and thereby reduce transpiration because even with limited CO2 entering the leave, PEP carboxylase can efficiently assimilate it

c3, c4, and CAM assimilate what

carbon dioxide

ephemerals

plants that are able to complete their life cycle from seed to seed like drought escapers during a short period of favorable conditions.

how do ephemerals avoid the hottest and driest years

by seed’s shells, they’re are seen to grow after huge even of rain after the cooler seasons in the mountains

xerophytes

dry plants that can live and survive the aridity and dryness of the desert.

drought escapers

plants that germinate grow and reproduce in preferred timing in the year, the plant’s survive as seeds

drought avoiders

maintain reasonable water contents through efficient water uptake and conservation

drought tolerators

able to survive despite dehydration that would be lethal to most plants

perennials

plants that can live 3 or more years, they maintain water contents through water uptake and conserving that water to withstand dry and hot conditions in the year

halophytes

plants that are able to survive in saline or salty conditions.

how do halophytes deal with excess salts

diluting the salts in the vacuole and rapid growth in the plant

stoma

carbon dioxide comes in

stomata

guard cells that have a lot of water and water vapor goes out

xylem

how water goes plants, the plants vessels

transpiration

sucking air and water, water vapor and carbon dioxide by products

hydraulic lift

deep roots, bring water up during day time, night time water is brought up from the roots and lose water vapor

annual plants

seasonal plants, few weeks, months, up to a year

semelparous

the plant germinates one set of seeds

interoparous

multiple patch of seeds, most mammals also breed give birth multiple times

red flowers are pollinated by

hummingbirds

white flowers are pollinated by

moths

yellow or blue flowers are pollinated by

bees

for desert plants the most single important environmental factor is

low and sporadic water availability

C4 photosyntes primarily occurs in

grasses

what is plant adaption for desert conditions

small leaves waxy coating on leaves CAM photosynthesis, succulent steams or leaves

most semelparous plants are what kind of plants

annual plants once in a lifetime plant

drought escapers are largely

annual plants

an important adaption for desert plants is CAM photosynthesis. this type of photosynthesis occurs in

most cacti

endotherm

regulates body temperature ; birds and mammals, warm blooded

ectotherm

cannot regulate temperature; cold blooded, reptiles

convection

a type of heat transfer that can only happen in liquids and gases, because it involves those liquids or gases physically moving

conduction

when heat moves from one object to another object through direct touch.

evaporation

sweating and panting

burrowing

digging underground to avoid heat, common in rodents reptiles insects arachnids

Allen’s Rule

animals of hot dry regions have longer extremities

Bergman’s rule

animals in warmer regions tend to have smaller bodies

Great Basin

characterized by cold winter dry summers and higher elevations

the huge saguaro cactus is largely found in

Sonoran desert

the Joshua tree is largely found in

Mojave desert

what is the carotid rete

an internal skull cavity for cooling in dogs and cattle

water waste from

urine and feces

metabolic waste

carbon dioxide and nitrogenous waste

nitrogenous waste

a break down of protein and nucleic acids, the most abundant waste is ammonia

urine is produced by what

water nitrogenous waste excessive salts

the vertebrate kidney

an organ that brings a cluster to these absorptive tables in close contact with blood and is unable to concentrate urine

osmoregulate

maintain water and solute within limits

desert common salts

table salts. sodium chloride, chloride ions

what are the nitrogenous waste

ammonia, urea, uric acid, and guanine

parthenogenesis

aswexual reproduction where the female can produce an embryo without fertilizing an egg with sperm

mesophytes

occupy habitats that are moist continually or at least for extended periods

phreatophytes

plants that have the luxury of maintaining high transpiration rates

hydraulic lift have been documented in

sagebrush, greasewood, and creosote bush

in addition to sulfate, halophytes have overcome the potential toxicity of

sodium and chloride

__ is a drought decide perennial that drops its leaves during drought conditions

octillo

__ are plants that are able to complete their life cycle from seed to seed during a short period of favorable conditions

ephemerals

seed dormancy

seed produce in 2 year and avaliable as part of the seed poor to germinate for years

alkali sink

dominated y halophytes, low elevation areas

saltbush scrub

salty but a little higher than alkali sink

cresostle bush scrub

2-8 inches of rain per rain , Mojave desert

desert dune

a part of crestobsle bush scrub community