chapter 44- ecology and the biosphere

ecology

the interactions that living things have with each other and with the environment around them.

4 specific levels of ecological study:

organism, population, community, and ecosystem

organism:

morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations of individuals to live in a specific habitat.

ex.) Karner blue butterfly lay eggs on wild lupine

population:

smallest level of group organization, single species living in a specific area at the same time.

ex.) counting all the karner blue butterflies in a specific area.

community:

collection of populations of all species interacting with each other and living in a specific area.

these interactions include competition, predation, parasitism, and mutualism.

ex.) karner blue butterfly larvae form a mutual relationship with ants.

ecosystems:

add all the non-living elements to the community

all living things in a area (biotic factors) interacting with non-living things (abiotic factors) in that area.

ex.) karner blue butterflies live in an oak-pine barren habitat.

what are the two groups of biomes?:

terrestrial based on land, aquatic bases on ocean and fresh water.

climate:

the average weather conditions in a given area; temperature and precipitation

8 major terrestrial biomes:

tropical rian forrest

savannas

deserts

chaparral

temperate grassland

temperate forrest (taiga)

arctic tundra

Variations in the number of carp in Lake Erie over 20 year period

population

a study of anatomical changes of deformed frogs in North America

organism

fluctuation of number of wolves and elks in a forest in Montana

community

the poor soil condition in Amazon rain forest make it not suitable for agriculture

ecosystem

soil in grassland are rich in nutrients and support growth of many plants

the maple trees change their leaf colors in the fall

a parasitic protozoa cause human malaria

community

there are about 325 million people live in USA

population

name the two important greenhouse gases:

carbon dioxide and Methane

name 3 things that we can do to combat the accumulation of greenhouse gases

reduce fossil fuel

using alternative energy sources like solar and wind

planting trees

what causes algal bloom

when there is large input of nitrogen and phosphorus (sewage and run-off water from fertilized farms)

name an important consequence of agal bloom

fish death

biome with evergreen conifers: (rain forest, tundra, grassland, taiga)

taiga

wetlands: (are lands that are covered with water,

go by different names like swamps, bogs, and  marshes,

are vital habitat for migrating birds, or

all the answers are correct)

all answers are correct

counting all the butterflies in an area is an example for: (population, organism, ecosystem, or community)

population

The base of all aquatic food chains are the: (animals, phytoplanktons, fungi, or archaea)

phytoplanktons

most important greenhouse gas is: ( carbon dioxide, nitrogen, sulfer dioxide, or oxygen)

carbon dioxide

ocean that is closest to land is called: ( coral reef, estuary, intertidal zone, or wetland)

intertidal zone

"permafrost" is a characteristic of: ( desert, taiga, tundra, or rain forest)

tundra

The smallest level of group organization is called: ( community, organism, ecosystem, or population)

population

Evidence for global climate change is: ( all of the answers are correct,

increasing global sea level,

glacier recession,

or carbon dioxide and global temperature has similar pattern)

all of the answers are correct

Biome with mediterranean climate: ( rain forest, chaparral, desert, or grassland)

chaparral

"Permafrost" means: ( ice in the winter, none of the answers are correct, no ice, or permanent ice)

permanent ice

All non-living things in an area is called: (abiotic factors, none of the answers are correct, biota, or biotic factors)

abiotic factors

All of the individuals of Rana catesbeiana (frog species) in a pond in central Massachusetts comprise a(n): (community, ecosystem, population, or biosphere)

population

Variations in the number of carp in Lake Erie over a 20-year period: ( ecosystem, species, community, or population)

population

A frog changing pigmentation from brown to green is an example for: ( ecosystem, community, organism, or population)

organism

Main biological consequence of "algal bloom" is: ( bad smell, fish death, none of the answers are correct, or green scum)

fish death

All of the following might be studied by an ecologist EXCEPT:

( the general nature of digestive enzymes.

effects of volcanoes on plant communities.

how members of the Archaea are adapted to high temperatures.

a population of mosquitoes. )

the general nature of digestive enzymes

greenhouse gas methane is produced: (in the intestine of herbivores

all of the answers are correct

in rice fields

by anaerobic respiration of bacteria

all the answers are correct

The terrestrial biome that is good for agriculture is: ( temperate grassland, tundra, tropical rain forest, or taiga)

temperate grasslands

The area where the fresh water meets ocean is called: (coral reefs, river, wellands, or estuary)

estuary