Climate Change and Ecosystems

Flashcards about Climate Change and Ecosystems

What is phenology?

The study of the timing of biological events.

What influences the timing of biological events?

Variables such as photoperiod and temperature patterns.

What are some periodical events synchronized with the seasons?

Migration, mating periods, and bird nesting.

What happens if bees emerge from hibernation too early or late?

They might not find any open flowers, or their winter caloric energy stores might run out.

What is the photoperiod?

The number of hours in a day when sunlight is shining.

What is bud setting?

The process by which a plant uses current stores of energy to prepare leaf and flower buds for the next season.

What are leaf primordia?

Structures that will become leaves.

What happens during bud burst?

The young leaves can unfold or the flower petals open.

How do cues vary within an ecosystem?

Temperature may act as the cue in one population and photoperiod may be the cue in another.

Give an example of cues used in an ecosystem

Spring growth of the Arctic mouse-ear chickweed and arrival of migrating reindeer.

What happens if migrating animals and resource availability are not synchronized?

If the two fall out of sync, there is a trophic mismatch.

What is a trophic mismatch?

When one organism is missing, has not arrived yet, or is in low numbers.

What do migrating animals often use as a cue to return to their warm season habitats?

Day length.

What do the plants that reindeer eat use as a cue to come out of dormancy?

Temperature.

What is the relationship between trophic mismatch and calf production?

The greater the magnitude of the mismatch, the lower the calf production.

Why do great tits prefer caterpillars for feeding their young?

Caterpillars are favored for feeding to their young, because they are rich in protein and easy to digest.

How do spruce bark beetles escape predators?

Spruce bark beetles burrow under the bark of trees and make tunnels to lay their eggs.

What happens in a monovoltine cycle?

One generation is produced in one year.

What happens in a bivoltine cycle?

Two generations are produced in the same year.

How does temperature affect the life cycle of spruce bark beetles?

Colder temperatures lead to one generation, whereas warmer temperatures enable more life cycles.

What is the role of spruce bark beetles in the ecosystem?

Killing off less healthy trees and clearing some of the canopy for a new generation of trees to flourish.

What is polymorphism?

When genetics can produce two or more phenotypes in a population.

What is the most likely driving force in the increased frequency of the brown morph of the tawny owl in Finland?

Climate change.

How does temperature affect tawny owl survival?

Warmer temperatures make it more likely that the brown morph will survive.