Biology Ch. 4: Ecosystems and Communities

weather

day-to-day conditions of Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time and place

climate

average year-after-year conditions of temperatures and precipitation in a particular region

the Greenhouse Effect

when the atmosphere gases trap heat energy and maintain Earth’s temperate range

What do the Greenhouse gasses allow to happen?

These gasses allow solar radiation to enter the biosphere, but slows down the loss of heat back into space.

three major Greenhouse Gasses

Carbon, Methane, and Water Vapor

latitude

side to side, west to east, ←→

longitude

up to down, north to south

What causes climate zones?

differences in latitude and angle of heating

Earth’s 3 main climate zones

polar, temperate, and tropical

USA’s climate zone

temperate

polar climate zone

cold area where the sun’s rays strike Earth at a very low angle

temperate climate zones

these sit between polar zones and tropical zones

tropical climate zones

receive direct/nearly direct sunlight year-round making climate almost always warm

What transports heat throughout the biosphere?

unequal heating of Earth’s surface drives winds and ocean currents

What creates air currents and wind?

the upward movement of warm air and the downward movement of cool air that move heat throughout atmosphere from regions of sinking air to regions of rising air

3 Symbiotic Relationships

mutualism, commensalism, parasitism

mutualism

Win, Win: both species benefit

commensalism

Just Win: one species benefits, other doesn’t care

parasitism

Win, Lose: one species benefits, other is harmed

symbiotic relationships

a relationship where two things interact

parasite examples

leeches, tapeworms, bed bugs, mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, etc.

habitat

where an organism lives with abiotic and biotic factors

ex. squirrel in tree, fish in a stream

habitat range

habitat that' is really big, they move about, but still have a specific place to live in

ex. wolf moves throughout forest, but its den is still its habitat

niche

an organism’s role/job in an ecosystem

ex. an organism’s place in food web

3 types of competition

nutrients (food/water), shelter (habitat, range, territory), and mates

No two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time.

true

example of mutualism relationship

bee + flower, Win + Win

example of commensalism relationship

barnacles on whale, Win + Don’t Care

example of parasitism relationship

fleas on dog, Win + Lose

dividing resources example

different birds at different levels of same tree

By causing species to divide resources, competition helps determine the number and kinds of species in a community and the niche each species occupies.

true

How does rock turn into dirt?

rock —(blank)→ dirt

moss (lichen)

moss gets somewhere new by

waves, birds, etc.

animals get somewhere new by

flying, swimming, people carrying them with them

mature

able to reproduce and make more of it; ex. mature forest = able to make new trees to replace old ones

ecosystems change over time when… (4 answers)

species die out (extinct in that location), new species move in (invasive species), succession increases number of species, or after a natural/man-made disturbance

lichen (moss) makes

soil

What makes soil?

lichen/moss

regrowth

the same trees that were there before will regrow when starting anew after a disturbance

primary succession

new land created & sterilization occurs with no remnants of a former community

primary succession regrowth

slow process (can take centuries to grow back), growth begins at newly exposed surface 

succession of plant growth arrows list (6 answers)

bare rock → lichen/moss → grasses → bushes → trees → mature forest

pioneer species

the first species to move into an area; ex. lichens: help break down rock and form soil

primary succession disturbances 

volcano eruptions / lava flow, retreating glaciers 

secondary succession 

existing community that isn’t completely destroyed where new/surviving vegetation can regrow 

secondary succession regrowth

re-growth proceeds quicker (because soil survives the disturbance)

secondary succession disturbances

forest wildfires, hurricanes, other natural disturbances, human disturbances 

mature tree

a tree that can reproduce

Ecosystems may or may not recover from extensive human-caused disturbances.

true

slash + burn

cutting down all crops and burning them to create the chance for new soil to grow, but an extensive amount of it is bad (productivity decreases and eventually can stop it from growing back)

water takes up ___ of the Earth’s surface

¾, 75% 

photophobia

fear of light

photic

light

aphotic

no light

limiting factors in aquatic ecosystems (water)

amount of salt (salinity), amount of dissolved oxygen, sunlight (amount causes the amount of vegitation in water)

fresh water = ______ salinity

low

saltwater = _______ salinity 

high

fresh water

rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, ponds

saltwater

ocean, estuaries, seashores, tidal areas

faster the water the flows

the more dissolved oxygen

slower the water flows

the less dissolved oxygen

drag

the pulling force behind the object moving

thrust

the pulling force in front of the object moving

rivers would have _____ flow than streams

slower 

streams would have _____ flow than rivers

faster

wider flowing channels are  _____ moving

slower 

thinner flowing channels are _____ moving

faster

rivers have _____ nutrients and _____ dissolved oxygen because it’s moving _____

rivers = more nutrients, less dissolved oxygen, moving slower

streams have _____ nutrients and _____ oxygen because it’s moving _____

streams = less nutrients, more dissolved oxygen because its moving faster

rivers

its debris settles on bottom because water moves slower

ponds have _____ nutrients than lake because of its plants and depth (_____ sunlight reaches throughout it evenly)

more, more

pond and lakes are determined by _____, or by how much sunlight is __________

depth, spread out

constricted blood vessels have _____ blood pressure than a wider blood vessels

faster

wider blood vessels have _____ blood pressure than constricted blood vessels 

slower 

streams are faster moving, so they _____

pull in more oxygen

rivers are slower moving, so they ______

pull in less oxygen