Exam One Ecology (Environmental Change in Space Lecture)

resources

are required for survival and reproduction

• Typically, things that are consumed

• Ex: nutrients, other species, sunlight, water

conditions

alter access to resources

• typically things that are not consumed

• ex: temperature, water/moisture, other species

natural selection

variation or change in resources and or conditions causes what?

Some of light can be absorbed by the atmosphere

some of the light can be reflected back into space

light can also be transmitted through the atmosphere

The three uses of light are what?

greenhouse effect

when heat is re-radiated back to the surface

• if we did not have an insulating atmosphere we would immediately go into the negative degrees if the sun was out

atmosphere

_________ regulates the heat and light that we encounter on our planet

Latitudinal change in temperature

• Fewer photons reach the surface of the planet at the poles

• Going pole to pole (latitude- going north to south) there are differences in temperature 

warmer at the equator, colder towards the poles

______ at the equator, _________ towards the poles

Choices: cold/warm

light is more likely to be absorbed when hitting a flat surface

light is more likely to bounce off of or reflect from angled surfaces.

What happens to light hitting a flat surface versus an angled surface?

caused by the tilt of the planet on axis

• this changes the distance in which light has to travel through the atmosphere to reach the surface, as the planet orbits around the sun

What is the cause of temperate seasons? Why does this change it?

FALSE

True or false: seasons are caused by the planets distance from the sun

seasonal changes

The angle at which the light is encountering the planet as well as the amount of travel at which the light has that causes the ___________

atmosphere

Some wavelengths are more likely to transmit, some more likely to absorb, and some more likely to reflect.

• These wavelengths are sorted through by the ___________

optical window

what are the middle wavelengths called that you can see?

photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)

380-740 is where it falls

what does the optical window line up with and where does the range of this fall?

photopigments

are light‑absorbing molecules in organisms that capture photon energy and trigger biochemical changes, enabling processes such as photosynthesis or light‑mediated signaling

ex: chlorophyll a

Chlorophyll a absorption

Absorbs light best in the low wavelengths and peaks best in the wavelengths of 670.

•  because the light is being reflected from the wavelength and not absorbed.

• During fall the photopigments are degrading so the plant adjusted to the season and are no longer actively looking to photosynthesize.

Why do plants appear green?

Net Primary Productivity

profit that plants are getting from the sun

• Winter- no profit (light)

• Summer- most amount of profit (green)

What season provides the most NPP and which season provides the least?

Primary productivity

the rate at which energy is converted into organic substances by photosynthetic producers, which obtain energy from harnessing sunlight.

winter weather is warmer

When the north pole tips away from the sun (light hits northern hemisphere sharper… what is the weather difference

equal weather in spring

when the North pole tips not forward or away from sun… what is the weather difference

Bats with echolocation (helps them to thrive and see at night)

rabbits have reflective coats for light

sunflowers adjust the pressure in their cells to help them tilt so they can continue to face the sun

Deep sea fish have adaptations for light due to the absence of light they have; their eyes are light sensitive

What are four different examples where organisms have evolved adaptations to deal with change or variation in light?

atmospheric currents

Are redistributing heat around the planet. Also redistribute water (alter precipitation patterns)

Hadley cell

• The most important spot as the most light is coming because it hits the surface head on.

On either side of the equator there are two bands called?

why is the equator the most important spot?

low pressure

In areas where air is rising, what kind of pressure is it?

• When low pressure occurs, we have storms. This is where precipitation occurs and we get thunderstorms etc.

when do storms occur? and why?

FALSE: When we have high pressure, we are not forming storms, thus less precipitation.

True or false: having high pressure forms storms?

Hadley-Hadley- low pressure

Ferrel -Polar- low pressure

Ferrel-Hadley- high pressure

describe the pressure change in each of the following transitions:

• Hadley → Hadley-

• Ferrel → Polar-

• Ferrel → Hadley-

LOW PRESSURE

When air is warmed by the sun:

• The air becomes less dense.

• It rises upward.

• Fewer air molecules remain near the ground.

• Pressure at the surface decreases.

• this happens because rising air cools, causing water vapor to condense into clouds.

HIGH PRESSURE
When air cools:

1. The air becomes denser.

2. It sinks toward the ground.

3. More air molecules accumulate near the surface.

4. Pressure increases.

5. This is because sinking air warms and inhibits cloud formation

Why does high pressure versus lower pressure occur?

ITCZ- intertropical convergent zone

This is where the two Hadley cells are coming together and where we get all of the precipitation from.

• Thermo- temperature

• Haline- salts

• Thermohaline changes density circulation

What is an easy way to break down the meaning of thermohaline circulation?

• Cold and salty water sinks and drives warm water to move across surface, redistributing heat across planet

• In areas where deep water is forming; water is less dense and warm water is being traveled until it goes far north or far south to the point where it has less density and sinks. Cold water falls, thus causing circulation changes.

Explain the basis of Thermohaline circulation

• Hot water is at surface

• Cold water is at the bottom

• Separated by 2000 feet; cross right over each other.

• How can you have a stream of cold and warm water without them mixing?

falling cold water

What drives thermohaline circulation?

Changes in sea temperatures and saltiness

What causes ocean currents?

• Seals have blubber for more insulation of fat when moving around colder water.

• Salmon exhibit behavior where they spawn in freshwater, move to saltwater to live and then come back to the same stream they were born in. The way water moves affects their senses to smell water.

• Dolphins with echolocation. Echolocation can be impacted as the density of water affects how sound waves move.

• Barnacles are filter feeders. They wait for water to bring them food. The ocean currents are what bring them their food.

What are four different examples where organisms have evolved adaptations to deal with change or variation in atmospheric or oceanic conditions?

Orographic effects

interactions with atmospheric circulations and the land can cause what as a result of this interaction?

• Winds going across the oceans and absorbing moisture-> runs into the land and needs somewhere to go. It can’t all go up so instead it condenses and loses the precipitation. Once it goes past peak it expands again and now begins to soak up any water that it encounters.

• Wet conditions on windward side of mountain

• Dry conditions on the leeward side of the mountain.

Explain the orographic effect

rain shadow

dry area (dessert)

_______ is part of the orographic effect

Evapotranspiration

•  evaporation from plants. Plants take water through their roots, transporting it to their tissues and it evaporates through their leaves.

dew

• when grass is soaking wet without rain. Water that has condensate on the surface from the atmosphere.

fog drip

happens from the midst of clouds but ideally the same as dew.

Fall and spring

In terms of aquatic seasonal changes, in what seasons is there turnover?

• Have warm water sitting on top of cold water with areas of changing temperatures in the middle.

• Epiminion- warm water (oxygen, better for aquatic life)

• Thermocline- changing temperature in middle

• Hypoliminion- cold water (less oxygen)

What is the aquatic seasonal change layers in summer?

• Colder water is on top of warmer water during the winter. Why is this the case?

• Because water is very dense at 4 degrees Celsius and ice is sitting on top which causes colder water on top.

What is the aquatic seasonal change layers in winter?

• Catfish are bottom feeders that come out more after tides so they can collect what has been brought through the water.

• Bullsharks have special organs that allow them to keep the salt in their bodies so they can travel from freshwater to saltwater depending on the direction of the tide.

• Cacti have adaptations to hold onto their water

• Ducks have webbed feet to move around in different water conditions.

What are four different examples where organisms have evolved adaptations to deal with change or variation in water conditions?

pedogenesis

creation of soil

• Organisms

• Time

• Topography

• Climate

• Parent material

what are the five factors that affect pedogenesis

TRUE

True or False: organisms can also alter soil composition

1. Water collects in rock crack

2. Water freezes and expands, forcing crack to widen

3. Ice thaws, contracts and water gets deeper into cracks again.

4. Repeated expansion and contraction cause further cracks till rock splits

What are the four steps that make up the process of weathering?

•  trees fighting for light exposure, causes less light exposure for plants smaller in size. Canopy of light being captured before it hits the ground.

Why is there competition for light in areas such as the rainforest?

O layer (top)

A layer

B layer

C layer

R layer

Name the soil layers top→ bottom

O layer

top (organic) layer of soil → decomposing organisms that are breaking down

A layer

 second (surface) layer → a lot of microbial activity (still aerobic; has oxygen)

B layer

 third (subsoil) layer → a lot less microbial activity

C layer

fourth (substratum) layer →oxygen can’t get to it so there is basically no activity

R layer

fifth (bedrock) layer of soil

Dust bowl

Provide an example of how humans affect an organism’s ability to hold onto soil.

• Humans when building oil industries and other properties they ruin landscapes and grass land.

• Woodpeckers destroy trees for their own benefit.

• Beavers making dams

• Spiders making webs

What are four different examples where organisms have evolved adaptations to alter the environment to their own benefit (the change improves their fitness)?

disturbance event

sudden or dramatic change

ex: flood

adaptations

_________ help species survive in a complex environment but can also be detrimental to survival when resources and conditions change.

• Loss of a leaf to herbivory

• Loss of all leaves to herbivory

• Felling of a tree by a human

• Rain shower

• Lightning strike

• Volcanic eruption

examples of environmental variation and disturbances

loss of a leaf to herbivory

loss of all leaves to herbivory

felling of a tree by a human

Which of the following disturbances have the same vector (decreased primary productivity) and different intensities?

• Loss of a leaf to herbivory

• Loss of all leaves to herbivory

• Felling of a tree by a human

• Rain shower

• Lightning strike

• Volcanic eruption