Biodiversity of California Midterm

extirpated

extinct in the area where it once existed, but extant (existing) elsewhere

abiotic

not alive (ex. rocks, water)

biotic

alive or once alive (ex. dead living things, plants, animals, bacteria)

winter solstice

shortest day of the year

spring (vernal) equinox

equal day to night length

summer solstice

longest day of the year

autumnal equinox

equal day to night length

latitudinal zones

arctic zones: northernmost and southernmost tips

temperate zones: between the polar and tropical zones

tropical zones: directly above and below the Equator

bioregions

San Andreas Fault in California

a transform fault boundary

Death Valley

the lowest point in North America and hottest place in CA

Mt Whitney

the tallest mountain in continental US at 14,505 feet

Clear Lake

the oldest natural lake in North America

San Francisco Bay/Delta

2nd largest estuary in the US

Methuselah

oldest living tree in Western Hemisphere at 5,000 yrs old

General Sherman Tree

largest tree in the world by volume

mediterranean climate

only 5 region in the world (CA is one of them)

CA Floristic Province

biodiversity hotspot

endemic species

species that occur in one place and nowhere else

Geomorphic Landform

shape of the land

Geomorphic Provinces

rock types

igneous/volanic (cooled lava),

sedimentary (dust in creek bed),

metamorphic (rock affected by heat/compression;

ex. Serpentinine)

elevation and zonation

Symbiosis

a mutualistic relationship between two organisms and neither can live without the other (ex. Lichen or Micorrhizae)

Mutualism

When two species both benefit from their relationship

Lichen

Symbiotic relationship between Alga and Fungus:

Alga: Photosynthetic and supply energy

Fungus: Decomposer and supplies matter and nutrients

Mycorrhiza

symbiotic association between a fungus and plant

Earth age

4.5 billion years old

3 Domains

Archaea, Bacteria, Eurkaya

4 Kingdoms of Eukarya

Protista, Plantae, Fungi, Animalia

Dear King Phillip, Come Over For Good Supper

Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species

Human Taxonomy: Domain

Eukarya

Human Taxonomy: Kingdom

Animalia

Human Taxonomy: Phylum

Chordata (has a spine)

Human Taxonomy: Class

Mammalia (mammal)

Human Taxonomy: Order

Primates

Human Taxonomy: Family

Hominidae

Human Taxonomy: Genus

Homo

Human Taxonomy: Species

Sapiens

Bloom's Taxonomy

hierarchy of learning

environment

the complete range of external conditions, physical + biological, in which an organism lives

ecosystem

the combination of all living organisms + nonliving features of a given geographic area, with emphasis given to interdependence

habitat

a smaller ecosystem

Abiotic Factors affecting biodiversity

Latitude: amount of solar radiation reaches the area

Precipitation: essential for plant growth

Geology: influences soil type and what plants grow

Topography: influences altitude... temp., and climate

Air Currents: influences temp. and precipitation

abiotic components and ecosystem

rock: geosphere or lithosphere

water: hydrosphere

air: atmosphere

Ecosystem Services definition

a balanced ecosystem that provides valuable benefits for all living things within that ecosystem

Ecosystem Services: Provisioning

what nature provides directly i.e. food, water, building materials, natural resources...

Ecosystem Services: Regulating

air quality, clean water, temp., flood control, growth of crops

Ecosystem Services: Cultural

benefits to humanity i.e. shelter, spiritual comfort, companionship, recreation

Traditional Ecological Knowledge

mutual exchange between nature and people

Franciscan Melange

land mass (plate) went under another plate

Which two tectonic plates is CA at the juncture of?

Pacific plate (moves up)

and North American Plate (moves down)

What are the 3 kinds of fault boundary?

divergent, transform, convergent

weathering

deterioration of rocks, soils, and minerals through contact with water, gases, sun, and organisms

soil structure

air holes, water, and organic (containing carbon) component

soil water availability

the capacity of a soil to hold water for plant use (more organic material = higher capacity)

soil layers (top to bottom)

Humus (organic layer), Topsoil, Subsoil, Weathered rock fragments, Bedrock

CA precipitation

2/3 of rain happens in the North

Water Cycle: Accumulation

the process of water collecting in rivers, lakes, streams, oceans and other bodies of water

Water Cycle: Aquifer

a body of porous rock or sediment saturated with groundwater

Water Cycle: Condensation

the process that changes gaseous water (water vapor) to liquid water

Water Cycle: Evaporation

the process that changes liquid water to a gas (water vapor)

Water Cycle: Groundwater

liquid water stored underground, within cracks in rocks of all kinds and in the pore spaces of sediments and sedimentary rocks

Water Cycle: Infiltration

the process of water being absorbed into the ground

Water Cycle: Precipitation

water that falls from the atmosphere to the Earth's surface

Water Cycle: Runoff

precipitation that does not soak into the soil but instead moves on the Earth's surface toward streams

Water Cycle: Streamflow

water moving across the Earth's surface in streams

Water Cycle: Transpiration + Evapotranspiration

water evaporation from plants

pH (potential Hydrogen)

hydrogen %/potential

neutral: 7.0

acidic: < 6

alkaline: > 8

watershed

land area than channels rainfall and snowmelt to creeks, streams, and rivers and eventually outflow points (bays and ocean)

CA's Four Bays

Humboldt, SF, Monterey, San Diego

biomass

anything thats alive that takes up space and has weight (branches, leaves, roots, flowers, dead and live animals)

Protista and Plantae (do photosynthesis

)Which two kingdoms are producers?

photosynthesis equation

6CO2 + 6H2O + sunlight -> C6H12O6 (glucose) + 6O2

aerobic respiration equation (consumers)

C6H12O6 +6O2 -> 6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP

metabolism

anabolism

+ catabolism

anabolism

building up glucose (photosynthesis)

catabolism

breaking down (aerobic respiration)

Trophic Levels

sun -> primary producers (autotrophs) -> primary consumers (herbivores) -> secondary consumers (primary carnivores) -> tertiary consumers (secondary carnivores)

autotroph

an organism that makes its own food

food chain

follow energy in one transfer from one organism to the next to the next and next...

food web

series of food chains

competition

multiple organisms seek the same limited resources

resource partitioning

to avoid competition, individuals will seek other available resources

scavengers

feed on dead animals

decomposers

feed on the energy & nutrients of other organisms

omnivores & carnivores

generalists; switch food sources based on availability

trophic levels diagram

90% of energy lost with each transfer; arrow drawn in order of energy transfer

The Carbon Cycle

Solid: coal, graphite

Liquid: oil

Gas: CO2

Orographic Effect

The movement of air masses forced to flow over high topography (land). Moist air comes off the ocean as coastal fog (oceanic water vapor turned into clouds) and is lifted over mountains

cooling effect that occurs when air is forced to rise over a mountain, resulting in a wetter windward side and a drier leeward side

Rainshadow Effect

Caused when moisture is squeezed out of air due to orographic flow

Precipitation falls on the windward side of a mountain range, resulting in lush vegetation & a warm, moist climate on one side, but a desert area on the leeward side.

Homology

the study of how different structures develop similar changes of adaptations

Types of Vertebrates

amphibians, fish, birds, mammal, reptiles

warm-blooded

internal temp. is warmer than outside (birds + mammals)

cold-blooded

internal temp. same as outside ( fish, amphibians, reptiles)

axial skeleton

torso

appendicular skeleton

appendages

How long have scientists documented global climate change?

over 500,000 years

~ 12,000 years ago

\When did the last Ice Age end?

Where is the first CA record of human existence?

Santa Rosa Island, dating back 13,000 years