Eco OH MY GOD

First Law of Thermodynamic

Energy cannot be destroyed but transformed and transferred across an ecosystem

Second Law of Thermodynamics

With every transformation, some energy is given off as heat.

Photosynthesis Equation

Solar Energy + 6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2 + ATP

C3 Plants

The mesophyll cells have well-formed chloroplasts and the cells are in parallel layers

C4 Plants

The bundle sheath cells surround leaf veins also have chloroplasts, and mesophyll cells are arranged concentrically.

Gross primary production (GPP)

is the total amount of carbon fixed by autotrophs.

Leaf area index (LAI)

Is the total one-sided area of leaf tissue per unit ground surface area.

The Global Mean Annual gross primary production of our planet can be measured as ______ and reaches its highest levels around the _____

grams of carbon per square meter per year, equator

When CO2 enters the mesophyll cells of a CAM Plant it's immediately incorporated into_______

a C4 molecule

The conceptual model of optimal foraging theory suggests that

Most organisms try to maximize the benefits of foraging by optimizing the level of effort invested in acquiring food

Which of the two systems is considered noncyclic

PSII

In _____ plant oxygen begins to complete with ______ for RuBP caboxylase because stomata remain open during the day and photosynthesis stops

C3,CO2

Which of the following statements about the marginal value theorem is not true?

It predicts that the longer the travel time between food patches, the less time the organism will spend in a patch

A photosynthetic organism is capable of absorbing photons from solar radiation for the production of chemical energy. To collect photons from solar radiation this organism needs

photo pigments

When referring to decomposers, earthworms and some species beetles can be classified as

detritus feeders

During carbon fixation in Eucaryotic cells, organic sources are generally used as electron donors for carbon fixation. In the case of prokaryotes electron donor molecules for carbon fixation may include

inorganic substrates such as S or Fe

The Global Mean Maximum Daily GPP refers to the highest levels of carbon fixation over the year as opposed to the average. When representing these values on a map it shows that highest values are reached near the equator and in the northern hemisphere. Such contribution can be explained by seasonality, as springs and summers in the temperate deciduous forests of North America, Europe, and Asia, experience maximum rates of carbon fixation.

True

The leaf area index (LAI) can be defined as the _______. This index estimates the influence of canopy leaf area on below canopy stand productivity.

Total one-sided area of leaf tissue per unit of ground surface area

The main electron transporter molecule that shuttles electrons from the light reaction to the Calvin cycle during CO₂ reduction is

NADPH

The difference between Gross primary production and Net primary productions is that

Net primary production accounts for the amount of carbon fixed and the amount of carbon released

The entry of protons into the lumen of the Thylakoid ________ its pH in relation to the Stroma. The movement of protons from the Thylakoid out to the Stroma is known as _________

decreases, chemosmosis

When CO2 enters the mesophyll cells of a C3 plant its immediately incorporated into ________

RuBP

Which of the following arguments comparing plant and animal cells it true?

Photosynthesis reduces CO₂ to carbohydrates and releases O₂

The total amount of carbon fixed by photosynthetic organisms is referred to _____ and its value is directly dependent on the_____ of its autotrophic structures

Gross Primary Production, Photosynthetic rate

The incorporation of CO2 into the Calvin Cycle of a C3 plant takes place in the _________

mesophyll cells

Besides carbon dioxide, what other forms of carbon byproducts are release from the biosphere into the atmosphere during the carbon cycle

methane (CH4)

The rate of soil microbial decomposition activity is greatest at_________ degrees Celsius and ____ to _____ % water content

30, 30, 50

One of the major sinks of carbon on our planet is located in

Deep ocean waters

Organisms that resemble their young form during the early stages of their development are known as

paedomorphic

Neutral theory of evolution suggests that changes in the genotype allele frequency that are not passed to the next generation as a result of reproductive success or adaptive selection are considered neutral

True

All of the following could be considered examples of evidence for descent with modification EXCEPT

The similarity in flight structures between birds and bats.

Complex life cycles allow life histories the flexibility to respond to differences in selection pressures on different cycle stages

True

Populations of marsupials are found in the Americas and Australia. However, in terms of diversity the Americas has a lot less species than Australia. The fact that populations of marsupial are found along the Americas and Australia can be best explained by

Continental drift

Is a term used to describe a population that has a diverse pool of alleles, which allows some phenotypes within the population to survive outside of their ideal environmental parameters

phenotypic plasticity

Which of the following two factors creates the greatest change in allele frequency

Strong selection and much migration

The salt dessert shrublands occur largely in temperate zones and are mainly found in Nevada and Utah. Most of the plant species in this region are called halophytes because of their ability to deal with high salt concentration in the soil. The distribution of this populations is explained by

Habitat suitability

The heat transfer of ascending air masses that includes water vapor is referred to as

latent heat

The Ferrell circulation cells are driven by

Air uplift at 60 degrees from the equator and air subsidence at 30 degrees from the equator

Polar latitudes receive lower solar radiation and heat transfer than the tropics because

Solar radiation incidence in the tropics is perpendicular and includes a greater number of photons per square meter of surface during a year compared to the poles

The process by which heat is transferred through a substance between adjoining regions without movement of material. For example the transfer of heat from a hot surface to your hand is referred to as

conductive heat

The difference between weather and climate is that

Weather refers to current atmospheric conditions and climate refers to the long-term description of weather at given geographic region

Visible light spectrum includes wavelengths between ________nm and __________ nm.

350, 750

An organism adapted to desert conditions, such as a kangaroo rat, is capable of reducing water loss by

maximizing water absorption from food in the form of metabolic water

During ____________an animal such as a dessert rodent will experience___________, to avoid extreme heat or dry conditions. This adaptation is characterized by a decrease in metabolic rate, to substantially lower its energy demand

estivation, torpor

Biomes are characterized more by average annual precipitation, average annual temperature, and the plants that are found there more so than the animals

False

A photosynthetic organism is capable of absorbing photons from solar radiation for the production of chemical energy. To collect photons from solar radiation this organism needs

photo pigments

Born in Sweden in the 1700s, this scientist devoted their academic life to studying ecological diversity as well as the interaction between plants and grazers. For their work in classifying diversity, they are known as the “Father of taxonomy”. This scientist’s name is:

Carl Linneas

Mayan communities that settled around lakes in the lowlands of Northern Guatemala eventually abandoned these settlements. The agricultural expansions-and dissolution- of these communities during the Maya Classic period is evidenced by:

A greater percentage of corn pollen and clay sediments was found in the Northern Guatemalan lakes.

During ___ the Sun’s trajectory in the Northern Hemisphere (San Antonio, TX) is further angled north in the sky than during ___.

July, December

Earth’s average temperature is significantly ___ than Mars because of the higher concentration of ___ in the atmosphere.

hotter, Carbon Dioxide

Only about ___% of the total solar radiation that enters Earth’s atmosphere reaches land or water surfaces, with the rest being absorbed or deflected by the atmosphere.

50

Which of the following is a potential effect of deforestation on the local climate?

Vegetation loss increases land surface albedo and reduces evapotranspiration, thus decreasing the chance of precipitation in the area.

This mid-1900’s ecologist and naturalist was the person who rose to prominence by studying the effects of the pesticide DDT on birds.

Rachel Carson

Ecologists studying migratory yellow warblers have noted that they exhibit considerable plasticity in the timing of clutch initiation in response to mean May temperature at the breeding site. The El Nino Southern Oscillation thus did not have a carry-over effect on spring arrival or timing of clutch initiation of migratory warblers.

False

The transfer of heat that is carried through moving liquids or gas fluids is known as:

Convective heat

As energy from solar radiation is absorbed by land and water, a portion is released back into the atmosphere. This energy efflux happens in the form of

Infrared radiation

What is the primary source of energy on Earth?

The sun

Deserts are always characterized by very high temperatures and almost no precipitation throughout the year.

False

Biomes are characterized more by average annual precipitation and temperature than by the living organisms within them.

True

Organisms adapted to arid conditions are capable of reducing physiological water loss by…

Maximizing water absorption from food in the form of metabolic water.

Winter Storm Uri in February of 2021 can by explained by:

A disruption of the polar vortex generated by above-average water surface temperatures in the northern Pacific, influenced by the El Nino Southern Oscilation.

What proportion of energy makes it from one trophic level to another as chemical energy?

10%

Which of the following organisms will have the highest resistance to water loss based on their physiological characteristics?

Desert tortoise

Tropical rainforests are characterized by stable average annual temperatures around ___ degrees Celsius and steady, annual precipitation ___ than 80 mm

24, higher

Which of the following research statements is an example of physiological and behavioral ecology?

Microplastics interfere with great hammerhead shark feeding by disrupting their acute sense of smell and their electroreception, a key method of finding prey

What motivates a heterotroph to stay in a smaller patch of food? Select all that apply.

The nearest other patch is far away.

The food here is very high-quality.

The food here is very easy to obtain.

Eighty percent of the Earth’s atmospheric mass is found between 0-16 km above sea level, and air temperature drops with every increase in elevation. This atmospheric layer is known as the…

Troposphere

The ___ is a period during Earth’s orbiting around the sun when neither pole is tilted towards the Sun.

Fall Equinox

Hadley cell circulation is driven by…

Warm air uplift at the equator and air subsidence 30 degrees from the equator.

The heat transfer of ascending air masses that includes water vapor is referred to as…

latent heat

Which of the following best explains the differences in temperature and length of daylight between equatorial and polar latitudes

Earth’s rotational axis is tilted 23.5 degrees, which means that as our planet rotates around the sun, the polar hemispheres receive greater solar radiation for a longer period when tilted towards the sun.

The portion of ascending heat transfer due to evaporation or evapotranspiration, responsible for cloud formation, is referred to as

Latent heat

The place where an animal prefers to seek shelter and food based on environmental conditions, such as temperature and water availability, is referred to as its’

Habitat

Which best explains the difference between weather and climate?

Weather refers to current atmospheric conditions, and climate refers to the long-term description of weather at a given geographic point.

The word ecology is derived from the Greek __ which means __ and logos which means the “study of”

Oikos, house