Chapter 3 Comprehensive Notes

Flashcards based on lecture notes about ecology, focusing on limiting factors, tolerance ranges, terrestrial biomes, and aquatic ecosystems.

Temperature

Defines a polar bear's community and ecosystem; the bear's food sources and physiology are adapted to it.

Unfavorable abiotic and biotic factors

Might restrict the population numbers and ability to reproduce of a species.

Ranges of tolerance

Fewer organisms are found in their zone of physiological intolerance than in their tolerance zone.

Secondary succession

The stage of succession of a field that is becoming overgrown with shrubs after a few years of disuse.

Growth trend for steelhead trout in a stream that is 22°C

The steelhead trout will grow more slowly.

Range of tolerance for catfish

Catfish can tolerate a temperature range from 10°C-25°C.

Nine major terrestrial biomes

Tundra, boreal forest, temperate forest, temperate grassland, temperate woodland and shrubland, desert, savanna, tropical dry forest, and tropical rain forest.

Abiotic factors that determine a terrestrial biome

Temperature and precipitation.

Variations in climate among three major zones as you travel south from the equator toward the South Pole

The equatorial zone is generally warm all year with high precipitation and humidity; the temperate zone has warm to hot summers with mild winters and seasonal precipitation; and polar areas are frigid with brief, cold summers.

Differences between temperate grasslands and tropical savannas

Temperate grasslands are warm to hot in the summer, with seasonal precipitation. Tropical savannahs are warm year-round with much more rainfall during the wet season.

Climate and biotic factors of tropical seasonal forests and temperate forests

A tropical seasonal forest has a different rain pattern and is warmer than a temperate forest, but both have deciduous trees.

Why tropical rain forests have the greatest diversity of living things

A warm climate and abundant precipitation provides more niches for organisms.

Abiotic factors used to classify aquatic ecosystems

Depth, amount of sunlight that penetrates the water, and salinity.

Ecological function of an estuary

Estuaries are breeding grounds and nurseries for many species.

Zones of the open ocean

Photic zone: light penetrates; aphotic zone: no light, mixed water temperatures; abyssal zone: where water is deepest and coldest; benthic zone: along ocean floor.

Difference between autotrophs in the abyssal zone and photic zone

Autotrophs in the abyssal zone are chemosynthetic bacteria, and those in the photic zone are photosynthetic algae.

Climax community

An area of forest that experiences very little change in species composition.

Limiting factor

The amount of oxygen in a fish tank that affects the number of fish that can live in the tank.

Secondary succession

Describes the events that take place on a hillside that has experienced a destructive mudslide.

Lack of iron

Restricts the size of plankton populations in the photic zone of the open ocean.

A

Represents the zone of intolerance for the factor in question.

C

Represents the optimum range.

B

Represents the zone of physiological stress.

Newly formed volcano

You would most likely find pioneer species growing here.

Why stocked rainbow trout survive but do not reproduce

The trout are in their zone of physiological stress due to some limiting factor, such as temperature.

How successional stages differ from primary succession

The successional stages would occur more rapidly and begin with a different set of organisms.

Importance of limiting factors and tolerance in ecology

They limit the reproduction, existence, numbers, or distribution of populations. Ranges of tolerance provide additional information about how limiting factors act on populations.

Species diversity after a fire on a grassland

Diversity increases when the habitat is disturbed and first building toward succession because species of more than one community are likely to be present.

Difference between a successional stage and a climax community

A successional community has steadily changing plant and animal populations, but a climax community has a homeostatic balance between plant and animal populations.

Weather

The condition of the atmosphere.

Climate

The average conditions in an area.

Desert

A biome characterized by evaporation exceeding precipitation.

Distribution of communities on a tall mountain

Several communities might be stratified according to altitude and might end in an ice field at the top of the highest mountains.

North of 60°N and south of 60°S

Receives the least amount of solar energy per unit of surface area.

Biomes

Large geographic areas with similar climax communities.

Grassland

Occurs in the United States and once contained huge herds of grazing herbivores.

Tropical rain forest

Contains the greatest species diversity.

Example of temperature as a limiting factor

Regional warming is causing the breakup of Antarctica's ice shelves. As temperature increases, icebergs prevent the adult penguins from getting enough food to feed their young.

Why land biomes are classified according to their plant characteristics

Plant communities can be studied more easily, and they tend to exist in similar biomes. Animals in one biome may be very different from those in the same biome in a distant location.

Temperate grassland

Warm to hot in the summer and cool or cold in the winter and receives approximately 50-89 cm of precipitation annually.

Estuary

An area where freshwater and salt water meet provides habitat for a diversity of organisms.

Photic zone

The well-lit portion of the ocean is the area where all of the photosynthetic organisms live.

Intertidal zone

The shoreline of the ocean contains communities that are layered depending on how long they are submerged by tides.

Oceans

Where the largest percentage of water is located.

Limnetic zone

Likely to be the greatest diversity of plankton.

Intertidal zone on a rocky shore

The communities are stratified from the high-tide line to the low-tide line.

How light is a limiting factor in oceans

Photosynthetic autotrophs depend on light for their energy. As light decreases, the numbers of photosynthetic plankton and other autotrophs decrease.

Characteristics of an estuary

Estuaries are low-energy environments where freshwater and saltwater mix. Many food chains begin with detritus. The diversity is extremely high due to the mixing of environments.

Adaptations of an organism living in the abyssal zone of the ocean

Have adaptations to survive extreme pressures, bioluminescence to attract prey, or the ability to detect dead organisms that drift down from layers above.

Consequences a drought would have on a river

The river's level would drop, and its flow and oxygen levels would decrease. Some species, such as insect larvae, might be pushed into their zone of physiological stress, while others, such as catfish and carp, might be able to tolerate the changes without noticeable effect.

The intertidal zone compared to the photic zone in terms of tidal effect

Tides have a much greater effect on the intertidal zone as land is alternately exposed and submerged in this high-energy environment. The photic zone extends to a depth of about 200 meters regardless of the tide.