Ecology Exam 2024 Review

This set of flashcards covers key concepts and facts from the Ecology Exam, including human impact on ecosystems, types of species interactions, biodiversity, and effects of climate change.

How can human activities contribute to the formation of harmful algal blooms?

By using fertilizers and producing wastewater that release excess nutrients.

What is habitat fragmentation?

The destruction and division of a continuous habitat into smaller isolated patches.

What is a potential impact of aquatic invasive species on native ecosystems?

Displacement of native species and alteration of habitats.

In Australia, how was the Cane Toad introduced?

It was accidentally introduced, resulting in major ecosystem alterations.

Which biomes are most affected by rising global temperatures?

Taiga and Tundra.

What primarily causes salinization of freshwater ecosystems in northern climates?

Salt from wastewater treatment plants.

Does preventing the introduction of an invasive species cost more than managing the species after it's introduced?

False.

How does intermediate disturbance contribute to biodiversity?

By creating opportunities for a variety of species with different ecological strategies.

Which of the following represents primary succession?

All of these: A beaver dam floods an area, a wildfire burns all trees, and a flood washes away soil.

What is an example of a removal experiment?

Removing all predators from an aquatic ecosystem to study the effect on prey populations.

Which ecosystems contribute the most to Earth’s Net Primary Production (NPP)?

The open ocean and tropical rain forests.

What is NOT a characteristic of equatorial regions?

Lower speciation rates.

What are the main types of mutualism?

Defensive and facultative.

What is the Productivity Hypothesis?

Increased biodiversity exists near the equator due to a more stable climate.

What is a common consequence of dead zones in marine environments?

Mortality of marine organisms.

Which species is considered a keystone species in the Kelp ecosystem?

Sea otters.

How do snail behavior modifications due to parasite infections affect their survival?

The snail flaunts itself to birds that eat it, becoming hosts for parasite development.

What describes the relationship between the two plots of land with different species diversity?

A and B have the same species richness but different species diversity.

What term describes a mutualist relationship where each species benefits and requires the other?

Obligate.

Is helium considered an important greenhouse gas?

False.

Net Primary Productivity (NPP) in oceans is higher in which areas?

In the continental margins than open ocean areas.

What defines a keystone species in an ecosystem?

A species that plays a critical role in maintaining the structure and function of the ecosystem.

How does climate change impact biodiversity?

It can lead to the loss of habitats and threaten species survival.

What is an example of a pioneer species in primary succession?

Mosses and lichens.

What does the Keeling Curve represent?

A record of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations over time.

Which of the following is NOT a greenhouse gas?

All are greenhouse gases.

What impact do zebra mussels have on aquatic ecosystems?

They restructure aquatic food webs.

Why is exponential growth NOT sustainable?

There are limiting factors that will eventually restrict growth.

Which example represents commensalism?

Barnacles attaching themselves to a whale's skin.

What biotic factor affects biomes significantly?

Competition for resources.

Does a parasite always kill its host?

False.

What is the tardigrade an example of?

Extreme resistance.

What did lynx and pelt sales help discover?

Population dynamics in predator-prey relationships.

What is the best definition of biosphere?

All parts of the Earth in which life exists.

How do predators detect prey, like the Star-nosed mole?

Using nose feelers.

What does the graph of lizard species demonstrate?

Resource partitioning.

Where is biodiversity generally greater?

In more stable environments relative to dynamic environments.

What do organisms living near hydrothermal vents primarily use for energy?

Sulfur compounds.

What is Svante Arrhenius best known for?

Formulating the greenhouse gas theory of climate change.

What does the term 'The Sixth Extinction' refer to?

The shift to the anthropocene and widespread loss of species.