Ecology Midterm 1

What is Ecology?

The scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their environment.

What are the three ways to think about ecology?

1. Systems and Processes

2. Large and small scales

3. Variety!

Where is the word Ecology from?

Greek

oikios = living relations

ology = study of

What part of the definition sets Ecology apart from Biology

Ecology is the study of organism AND their environment.

What are 4 methods of Ecology overview / list

1. observational

2. experimental

3. statistical

4. theoretical

Expand on the observational method

going out into the field and collecting data such as going suba diving and collecting coral densities

Expand on the experimental method

This is setting up an experiment. It helps to have a more controlled environment and to have to control in changing different factors

Expand on the stats method

This is mainly done on a computer and involved models, analyzing data, regressions, etc.

expand on theoretical method

This is more math focused so using data to work through theories but not actually going and collecting data from the field.

What are the four venues in Ecology overview / list

1. laboratory

2. in silico

3. mesocosms

4. natural environments

Expand on the laboratory venue

This is tests done in a lab, either experiment or take samples from field to test onE

Expand on in silico venue

This is things done on the computer such as stats and math

Expand on mesocosms venue

these are similar to setting up a mini environment to control. Such as a big bucket add water plants and fish to mimic a lake

Expand on natural environment venues

This is similar to field work where you go out into the natural world and collect data

for example how a certain plant is surviving and can view after rainfall, drought, etc.

What are the levels of organization

individual (alligator)

population (group of alligators)

community (group of alligators and plants and land)

ecosystem ( take the community but add in weather such as sun and rain)

landscape (multiple ecosystems)

biosphere (collection of all ecosystems and biodiversity)

What factors determine the physical environment

climate, weather, air and water circulation patterns.

What is the habitable zone

the distance from the sun where water in liquid

e.x. the earth gets enough radiation and warmth but not so much that the water evaporates

What is the biosphere

1. Zone of life on the earth (wet and fuzzy layer)

2. between the lithosphere (earth’s surface crust and upper mantle) and the atmosphere

3. The life contained is diverse and overwhelming

Generally what is the ratio between known species and undiscovered

Today ~1.8 million species are known but there is ~12 million existing today yet undiscovered.

Are the more species on earth or more stars in the sky?

There are more species on earth and most have never been fossilized

Environmental controls on the distribution of water?

Climate determines environmental bands determines where species are found

What is the foundation of life on earth

H2O

The distribution of life is determined by what

H2o and environment

What are the different parts that make up climate

temperature and precipitation

long term description of weather events

trends are predictable

includes averages and variations, scales of decades to centuries

What does weather tell us

Short term description, what we are experiencing in the moment (hurricane, atmospheric river)

What is the main different between weather and climate

Weather is short term and climate is long term

Climate is _____, but trends are_____

dynamic(a lot is going on), predictable

What drives climate?

Incoming solar radiation

Why is the sun important

the sun is the driving force behind our climate

General path of heating the earth

Sun radiation is absorbed by the earth (49), some is initaily reflected then we have heat that leaves (114). in general it needs to be equal. So some radiation leaving is reflected back for example by green house gasses

How is the head in and heat out equalized in heating the earth

More heat is leaving when cooling but greenhouse gasses help reflect the heat back

What are 4 reasons why the earths climate system is dynamic

1. Heating is uneven in space

2. Heat locations changes throughout the year (axial tilt = seasons)

3. Radiation at equator drives atmospheric circulation cells

4. Maintained by pressure gradients caused by adiabatic temperature chage

Earths climate is dyanamic explain why heating is uneven has an impact

The angle of incidence of the solar radiation is different. This is how radiation hits the planet

How is heating uneven at the equator

radiation hits the earth perpendicular, making it more direction and intense

How is heating uneven at the poles

radiation hits on the oblique so at an angle then spreads out over a larger area. This is less direct and less concentration. Also longer path through atmosphere, rays get reflected

How does the distance radiation takes to the earth affect it

The longer the path the more rays will get reflected resulting in less intense radiation

The sun warms ____ resulting in the ground heating the ____

the ground, air

What is a result of the heating locations changing throughout the year

Seasons!

What causes seasons?

The tilt of the earths axis

When the earth is tilted towards the sun what results

Increase in intensity, more direct, warmer

When the earth is tilted away from the sun what results

decrease intensity, less direct, cooler

When the N. Hem is tilted ____ and the S. Hem is tilted ___ the sun N is winter and S is summer

N away

s towards

Why does distance from the sun not produce seasons?

The earth is not perfectly round so path is not perfect, it revolved ~30hm/s the sun is not in the perfect center of orbit. The impact of the tilt overpowers any impact from the distance from the sun

Energy surplus at ____ latitude

Energy deficit at ____ latitude

Low (equator)

High (poles)

What are three things that results from the uneven distribution of solar radiation

1. atmospheric circulation

2. Precipitation patterns

3. Distribution of biota

The physical environment determines the _____ of life

Location

Increasing the angle of incident results in

a dilution of radiation

What is the earths tilt for Fall and Spring

Parallel to the sun, they are transition seasons

More energy is gained than lost at the ___

More energy is lost than gained at the ___

More energy is gained than lost at the low altitude equator

More energy is lost than gained at the high altitude poles

What drives atmospheric circulation

This is driven by the unequal distribution, so the equator (low latitude) surplus and poles (high latitude) deficit

What is adiabatic temperature change

Change in temperature without change in thermal energy

The thermal energy amount__ __ __ and just ___ and ____

The thermal energy amount STAYS THE SAME and just EXPANDS and CONTRACTS

relationship between pressure and temperature at constant Volume

proportional

relationship between V and T at constant P

proportional

relationship between P and V at constant temperature

inverse

relationship between T and humidity / water content

proportional

Does warmer or colder air hold more water

Warmer air holds more water

Air is under ____ which changes with ___

Air is under pressure which changes with altitude

In adiabatic temperature what happens to warm air

warm air rises, the pressure decreases resulting in the volume increasing and cooling occurs

this is exapanding

often resulting in rain because it can no longer hold has must water

Thermal energy __ temperature

= or ≠

≠

What does energy mean

The molecule speed

What does heat (temperature) mean

The sum/result of collisions between molecules

Adiabatic cooling (process)

As volume increases (expansion) there is more room for the molecules and few collisions, this decreases temperature

As air temp decreases there is a lower saturation point, water vapor condenses and can not longer be help we get precipitation

thermal energy is CONSTANT just changes by expansion or compat

What is humidity

Fraction of air that is water vapor

Talk through Adiabatic temperature changes

Warm air is less dense than cool air so the warm air rises above

as the warm air rises, it expands and cools

as the air cools water vapor condenses to form couds

Air circulation

Unequal incoming solar

radiation sets up zones

of adiabatic cooling and

warming

This drives airflow

around the planet,

which distributes water

What mechanisms distributes water

Airflow around the planet

Air circulation at the equator

solar radiation heats the surface and the air

this warm air is wet and buoyant

warm air rises and expands and cools ( P↓, V↑, T↓). This is adiabatic cooling, then there is rain resulting in tropical rainforests

low pressure zone

after air cools, it stops rising and splits N to S

How do we get tropical rainforests

when the warm air rises and cools, the ability to hold water decreases and rains at the equator

Air circulation at 30 N/S

This air is cold and dry (from the equator) and sinks and warms (P↑, V↓, T↑) = adiabatic warming

the warmer the better the ability to hold moisture the the air picks up moisture from the surface = deserts

This is a high pressure zone (air is pushed down)

Air then splits and runs towards low P zone

Hp and dry here

What gradient does air flow

High pressures to low pressures

Hadley cells

The flow of air at the equator

Air circulation at 60 N/S

Air is warm and moist, this air meets air from the poles and rises because it is relativly warmer, (P↓, V↑, T↓) rises, expands, and cools, this produces temperate rainforests, low pressure, adiabatic cooling

Air circulation at poles (90)

air is cold and dry, so it descends, air sinks and warms (P↑, V↓, T↑) adiabatic warming

DRY (deserts), high pressure

Is low pressure we or dry

Wet

Is high pressure wet or dry

dry

What is the cell name at the equator

Hadley

What is the cell name mid latitude

Ferrell

What is the cell name at the poles

Polar cells

What pattern is important for winds

The H to L pressure patterns

Winds flow from areas of ____ pressures to ____ pressures

High, low

Prevailing winds

Consistent patterns of air movement at the earths surface. (H to L / dry to wet)

Coriolis effect

prevailing winds appear deflected due to earths rotation

Coriolis effect: What way does the winds move in N. Hem

clockwise

Coriolis effect: What way does the winds move in S. Hem

counterclockwise

Coriolis effect impacts not only air, but ___ ___ __

any moving particle like water, baseball

Coriolis effect: does the poles are equator have a longer distance to travel in the same amount of time

The poles have a longer distance to travel

Coriolis effect: If you have a larger distance what happens to your speed

Your speed increases

Air moves at different ___ depending on ___

Speeds, location

Coriolis effect: explain how it looks

When going from high pressure to low such as 30-0 the speed is slower at the high pressure (short distance traveling) so it looks like it falls behind

when going from 30 to 60, 30 is going faster so the winds push forwards leaving behind the 60 winds

Trade winds

Historical importance in the

transport of goods

on equator counterclockwise`=

Westerlies

Moves from west to east

Easterlies

Move from east to west

How are wings generally named

From whew they originated

How are circulation cells sustained

Pressure gradients (low to high) that result from adiabatic cooling

Moving air is ____ by the spin of the earth. this is called ____

deflected, coriolis

Winds force shallow ____ ____

ocean current, coriolis further deflects the water

Ocean currents impact regional climates: Example

The gulf stream brings warm water to N.Europe / scandinavia

also impacts the growth at location