SCI 1101 Unit 4 Study Guide

What kind of relationship exists between multiple organisms who seek the same limited resource?

competition

Which organism pollinates approximately 3/4 of our crops?

bees

Many wild orchids cannot be successfully dug up and transplanted because they need the native mychorrhizae (a fungus) in the soil to survive. What kind of interaction is this?

mutualism

When a species is moved from its native area to a new area, it can become an invasive species and damage its new ecosystem. What is one reason these species are able to do damage to an ecosystem?

When a species is transported, it leaves behind its predators and the diseases that previously kept its population in check. Therefore the species is able to grow to large and damaging numbers.

How does predation differ from parasitism?

Parasites rarely kill their host while predators kill their prey.

When an increase in the population of prey occurs, which of the following usually occurs in the population of its predator?

The population of the predator increases.

What moves through the community from one trophic level to another as organisms feed on one another?

matter and energy

Which is enhanced by decomposers and detritivores as they recycle nutrients?

soil

Which of the following are most likely to be keystone species in an ecosystem?

large-bodied, higher level consumers

Which statement is an accurate description of a keystone species?

A keystone species that is a predator controls the herbivore populations, which in turn maintains the plant populations and keeps balance.

Which statement is correct concerning the process of ecological succession?

After a disturbance, the community goes through a somewhat predictable set of changes until reaching a final state.

If you wanted to represent the relative importance of the trophic levels in a food chain, the most accurate way to do so would be a graph in the form of __________.

a pyramid of energy

Ecological restoration tries to _____.

return ecosystems to a more "natural" state, often what they were like before industrial civilization altered them

If a human consumes both plant and animal products then he or she is considered a(n) _____.

omnivore

Which of the following would have the largest biomass in a terrestrial ecosystem?

autotrophs

A marine ecosystem is exposed to a potentially devastating invasive species and responds by remaining stable throughout the invasion. It could be said that _____.

the ecosystem demonstrated resistance to the disturbance

Which of the following is the best strategy for protecting natural systems from degradation?

Protect all natural ecosystems to the best of our ability before damage starts to occur and by acting in a sustainable way.

Which of the following biomes has the least annual rainfall?

tundra

Which list includes biomes in the correct order based on those that have the lowest annual rainfall to those that have the highest?

desert, grassland, temperate deciduous forest, tropical rain forest

Which of the following biomes has soil with the fewest nutrients and least organic matter?

tropical rain forest

While driving through an area in October you notice that most of the trees are full of beautiful autumn-colored leaves. When you return to the area again in December you notice that the trees have lost their leaves and are bare. Which of the following ecosystems might this be?

a temperate deciduous forest

The type of biome that has been converted most frequently by humans for agricultural use is the _____.

temperate grassland

Which biome's characteristics approximate that of the highest snow-capped mountain peaks?

tundra

zebra mussels

-are clogging up water intake pipes at factories, power plants, and wastewater treatment facilities

-in 6 years spread to Mississippi river

- found in 30 states

-free of predators and parasites

-cost the great lakes $5 billion over 1st 10 years

-consumption and depletion of microscopic algae, protists, cyanobacteria=plankton

-zooplankton becoming depleted

-native mussels becoming suffocated

competition

organisms that seek same resource

-intraspecific: members of same species

-interspecific: members of different species

competitive exclusion

1 species is stronger it may exclude other species from the resource

coexisting species

will alter their behaviors to minimize competition, altering their niche

fundamental niche

The full potential range of the physical, chemical, and biological factors a species can use if there is no competition from other species.

realized niche

individual that only plays part of its role due to competition/other interactions

natural selection may favor RESORCE PARTIONING

individuals use shared resources in different ways

character displacement

competing species diverge and develop different charateristics

predation

predators capture, kill, consume individuals

adaptations

1. cryptic coloration= camoflauge

2. warning coloration

3. mimicry= caterpillar mimics a snake's head

parasitism

one organism lives on or inside another organism and harms it

pathogens

parasites that cause disease

coevolution

parasites and hosts adapt and counter- adapt

mutualism

2 or more species benefit from each other, ex: 2 different bird species compete for same kinds of insects, one is more active in morning and other in evening, ex: microbes digest our food

symbiosis

close physical association between species

pollination

only require free- living organisms to encounter each other once

community

assemblage of populations of organisms living in the same area at the same time

trophic level

-species in a community given a rank within the feeding monarchy

-at each level, most energy input is used for maintenance or lost as heat

producers

-1st level

-use photosynthesis or chemosynthesis

-2000 kcal/m2/year

primary consumer

-2nd level

-consume the producers

-200 kcal/m2/year

secondary consumer

-3rd level

-consume primary consumers

-20 kcal/m2/year

tertiary consumer

-4th level

-consume secondary consumer

-2kcal/m2/year

detrivores

eat remains of dead plants and animals like crabs, mites, earthworms, snails

decomposers

breakdown organic matter and feed on it like bacteria and fungi

biomass

the collective mass of living matter in a given place and time

food chain

series of steps in an ecosystem in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten

food web

A community of organisms where there are several interrelated food chains

keystone species

-a species that has an unusually large effect on its ecosystem

-decomposers that recycle nutrients and replenish soil

-beavers and prarie dogs alter ecosystems

-top predators control populations

trophic cascade

top predators die and primary consumers will overconsume producers and alter entire ecosystem

resistance

community that remains stable during disturbance

succession

severe disturbances may eliminate all or most of species in a community, causing a series of changes

-begins with colonization of pioneer species: grasses and forbs spread over long distances easily and are adapted for growing quickly

-PRIMARY: disturbance removes all plant/soil life

-SECONDARY: disturbance that alters community but leaves soil life intact= farming, fires, landslides

climax community species

pioneers are overtaken by longer- living species like hardwood trees

introduced species

nonnative species that are either intentionally or unintentionally transported to a new habitat

ecological restoration

1. restore functionality of an ecosystem

2. return a community to its pre-settlement condition

-nearly all U.S. tallgrass praries removed, 1000 acre area in chicago

-in FL, dams, canals, levees being removed to restore natural water flow to everglades

rainshadow effect

moist air rises a steep slope, cools and condenses releasing precipitation, air that reaches the other side of mountain is now dry creating arid region

temperate forest

biome south of the boreal forest characterized by broad-leaved, deciduous trees, well-defined seasons, and average yearly precipitation of 75-150 cm.

grasslands

-A biome dominated by grasses and associated herbaceous plants

-only 10-20% permanent loss

savanna

A tropical grassland biome with scattered individual trees, large herbivores, and three distinct seasons based primarily on rainfall, maintained by occasional fires and drought.

boreal and alpine

-cold and moist climate

-carbon 1/3 of all current forest cover- siberia

-tundra= important wetland

-vulnerable to global warming

-most influence on temp.

tundra

-dry and cold all year

-permafrost= underground soil is permanently frozen

-unoccupied by humans but are most directly impacted by air pollution and climate change

tropical rainforest

-dark, damp, lush vegetation, highly diverse communities

-many trees

-acidic soil is low in organic matter

what is the name of the invader causing trouble in new orleans?

where were they originally from?

-formosan subterranean termite

-japan and china

how can tiny insects cause so much damage?

in large numbers they can be an awesome destruction force

in what year was water hyacinth first spotted in lake victoria, uganda?

how many years did it take for this plant to clog up 80% of shoreline?

why is it a problem?

- 1989

-7 years

-hard to get to fishing grounds, reduced catch and lowered income, widespread famine, rotting vegetation fouled drinking water

biocontrol

introducing one alien species to fight another

name 2 species that we think of as hawaiian but are actually alien

pineapples and sugarcane

how does invasive miconia disturb native plants and cause erosion in hawaii?

grows fast, casts shade on natives and as the plants die all that's left holding the soil are the miconia's sparse, shallow roots

globalization of trade...

drives the globalization of species

san francisco bay

99% of marine life are alien species

number one cause of extinction today?

species without borders means many fewer species

2nd cause of extinction?

worldwide invasive species

invasive species impact biodiversity by...

usually kill off and take over the native species

why are cane toads such a problem in australia?

how do they affect species such as crocodiles?

-poison glands

-the sub-adult crocs are eating them and dying and the baby crocs eat toadlets and get sick

what is southern florida's best strategy to adapt to climate change and rising sea levels?

how are aquifers affected by both freshwater withdrawal and rising sea levels?

why is the everglades project a good idea?

is the expense justified?

-increase freshwater storage, improve water quality, and re-establish the natural water flow through the greater Everglades ecosystem

-when fresh water is taken out, more saltwater comes in through pressure in the rising sea levels

-protect subterranean aquifers from salt water intrusion, delay the impacts of sea level rise along the coast, and buy precious time for wildlife to adapt to their changing environment.

-yes

how did the wolves change the rivers?

the regenerating forests stabilized the banks and they collapsed less often so that the rivers became more fixed in their course

connect gray wolves to songbirds

the wolves killing deer caused forests to regenerate and caused songbirds to flock there

how do gray wolves influence elk herds?

they started avoiding certain parts of the park, causing forest regrowth

why do brine shrimp come together in groups?

which parasite can affect mammals including humans?

are parasites abundant or rare?

how does the parasite wasp take over the caterpillar?

-because of a parasite= the tapeworm castrates them and changes them to a bright red and makes them live longer and swim in groups

-toxo

-abundant

-it is attacked by the wasp and it lays eggs inside it and the baby wasps eat the caterpillar alive