Wetland Exam

What gas did stromatolites produce 2 billion years ago that changed the atmosphere?

Oxygen

Photosynthesis (CO2 uptake) by plants is accompanied by the loss of __________.

Water

Carbon storage in soils is facilitated if the soil is inundated by water. True or False?

True

At tropical latitudes, carbon storage in __________ is more important than at higher latitudes.

Biomass

What does WUE stand for in the context of plant biology?

Water Use Efficiency

What is the range of WUE for most plants?

0.9 to 1.5 mmol/mol

What is Net Ecosystem Production (NEP)?

Net Primary Production - Heterotrophic Respiration

How many times slower is oxygen diffusion in flooded soil compared to air?

10,000 times slower

A location where there has been a loss of carbon from the earth to the atmosphere is __________.

both A (the prairie of Nebraska) and C (Everglades Agricultural Area)

When the prairie is tilled, it loses __________ from increased soil respiration.

organic matter

Peaks in wetlands as a function of latitude are found at what degrees?

0 and 60 degrees

The rhizosphere is important for which kind of weathering?

Biological

What are the three kinds of weathering?

fluid abrasion, chemical, and vegetative

How does the rhizosphere affect soil formation?

All answers are correct (root pry, higher CO2 generation, organic matter release).

What was the CO2 concentration change during the glacial to interglacial transition?

180 ppmv to 280 ppmv

How much carbon did peatlands gain from the Pleistocene to Holocene as glaciers retreated?

500 GT of C

What is porosity defined as?

total volume/pore space volume

True or False: A confining unit is the same thing as an aquitard.

True

The boundary between the vadose zone and the saturated zone is called the __________.

Water table

The potentiometric surface of water in a confined aquifer may rise above the __________.

surface of the local water table

If the potentiometric surface is below the local water table, this will result in a __________.

Sinkhole

What is a marsh or wetland receiving groundwater flow classified as?

discharge wetland

What kind of wetlands are influenced by adjacent streams or rivers?

Riparian wetland

What type of wetland is supplied nutrients from flowing water?

Rheotrophic

What caused the decline of the swamp species from 1976 to 2004?

Too dry conditions

What do tupelo seedlings need to grow tall quickly?

Saturated soils

What happens when the number of trees decreases?

All of the above (less canopy coverage, more sunlight, drier soils).

What dominates the detritus in wetlands?

Tupelo Leaf Litter

What habitat is most important for fishing?

Off-channel sloughs

Is species diversity greater in freshwater marshes than in salt marshes?

True

During the glacial to interglacial transition, what happened to peatlands?

They grew in as glaciers retreated.

Define carbon storage in relation to inundated soils.

Facilitated when the soil is flooded.

What is the significance of root respiration in the soil?

Generates higher CO2 belowground which helps dissolve rocks.

What are the effects of an increased sunlight on the ecosystem when trees decrease?

More ground cover and drier soils.

What is the relationship between soil respiration and organic matter in tilled soil?

Increased soil respiration leads to loss of organic matter.

What kind of weathering does mechanical weathering refer to?

Physical breakdown of rocks without chemical alteration.

What carbon change happened from the Pleistocene to Holocene?

Gained 500 GT of Carbon.

What plays a key role in soil moisture for tupelo trees?

Saturated soils.

How are freshwater and salt marshes compared in terms of species diversity?

Freshwater marshes have greater species diversity.