Ecology and the Biosphere

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture notes, including births, deaths, ecology, climate change factors, biomes, aquatic biomes, trophic structures and more.

Births and __

Add individuals to a population.

Deaths and __

Remove individuals from a population.

__ determines:

Determines temperature variation, circulation of air, circulation of water, and evaporation of water.

__ variation:

Determines angle of sun, which varies sunlight intensity and causes seasonal variation.

The tilt of the Earth causes incidental sunlight and creates the seasonal __.

The tilt of the Earth causes incidental sunlight and creates the seasonal __.

Solar __ causes Global patterns of air circulation & precipitation.

Causes Global patterns of air circulation & precipitation.

Wet warm air rises over __ due to temperature.

Wet warm air rises over __ due to temperature.

Large __ of water moderate the climate of nearby land.

Large __ of water moderate the climate of nearby land.

Global :

Directional change to global climate. Lasts three decades or more.

__ take CO2 out of atmosphere.

Trees take CO2 out of atmosphere.

Burning __ fuels adds CO2 to atmosphere.

Adds CO2 to atmosphere.

The distribution of terrestrial __

Is controlled by climate and disturbance.

Terrestrial __:

Climate is major factor, precipitation, temperature, distribution, plants, and animals. Vertical layering is important feature.

Distant biomes =

Similar environments create convergent evolution.

__ An event that changes a community.

Fire, flood, hurricane, human activity such as pollution and farms.

__ plots the annual mean temperature and precipitation in a region.

Plots the annual mean temperature and precipitation in a region.

Annual __ in Terrestrial Biomes

Annual Rainfall in Terrestrial Biomes

__ Forests:

Close to equator, air temp range is small; 77° F-81° F, stratified vegetation, competition for light is intense, and more animal diversity than any other terrestrial biome.

Tropical __ Forests:

Constant high amounts of rainfall 90-200 inches annually

Tropical and subtropical __:

Equatorial and subequatorial regions, seasonal rainfall; 50 inches annually; wet summers/dry winters and warm year-round.

Hot __:

Located in a band at 30° North and 30° South latitudes, have variable rainfall, but LESS than 12 inches/year, and temps vary greatly seasonally and daily.

__: Mediterranean Climate

Shrubs, small trees, grasses & herbs, plants are drought and fire adapted, and humans have reduced area for agriculture and urbanization.

Temperate __ [Waco!]

Winters are cold and drier, summers are hot and wetter. Grasses and forbs adapted to droughts and fire.

Northern __ Forest:

Spans northern portions of North America and Eurasia. Largest terrestrial biome on Earth.

Temperate __ Forest:

Primarily mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere; significant amounts of rainfall/snow; all seasons

__:

Expansive areas of the Arctic, Winters are cold, and Summers are relatively cool.

__ Biomes

Are characterized by their physical and chemical environments.

Upper __ zone:

Sufficient light for photosynthesis; most organisms live in photic zone.

Lower __ zone:

Receives little light; extensive zone, but little life found there.

__ Zone:

Bottom Zone: deep or shallow water, organic and Inorganic sediment at bottom, and Benthos are communities of organisms living there.

Lake Environment Light __:

Photic Zone-abundant sunlight. Aphotic Zone-sunlight is sparse.

__ Zone - Lake Environment

Area near shore; submerged plants final area.

__ Zone - Ocean Environment

From low tide to continental shelf.

__:

Temperature boundary that separates warm upper and lower cold H2O.

Aquatic Biome __

Physical environment, light penetration, salinity, and photosynthetic organisms.

Oligotrophic __:

Cool temperatures and high- oxygen concentrations.

__ lake

Warm temperatures and low oxygen availability.

__ Lakes:

The lakes with a less nutrient content and clean water.

__ Lakes:

The lakes with a high nutrient content and green colour water.

__ Physical environment

Habitat that is inundated by water at various times and supports plants adapted to water-saturated soils; low oxygen

Stream & __ Physical environment

Moving body of water=current; Headwaters-cold, clear, turbulent, swift, hi O2, narrow, rocky, and Downstream-warmer, turbid, well-oxygenated, wide, slow, silt

__ Physical Environment

Transition area between river and ocean Saltwater flows up estuary at high tide; returns at low tide.

__ Zone Physical Environment

Periodically submerged/exposed by tides and variation in salinity and temperature

Open __ Zone Physical Environment

Open water, constantly mixed by wind-driven currents, photic zone extends to great depths=clarity, and oxygen level high.

Coral __ Physical Environment

Largely formed from calcium carbonate skeletons of dead coral Shallow reefs near islands along edge of continents.

__ factors that affect the distribution of organisms

Predation, herbivory, competition, mutualism, and parasitism.

__ factors that affect the distribution of organisms

Temperature, water, oxygen, salinity, sunlight, and soil.

__ Ecology

The study of populations in relation to their environment.

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A group of individuals of single species living in same general area.

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Number of individuals per unit area or volume within set boundary.

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Pattern of spacing among individuals within their boundary.

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Study of birth/death/migration rates of population over time.

Mark-__ Method

Capture organism, tag (mark) organism, and release tagged organism.

Immigration-__

Influx of new individuals from other areas.

__-removes

Movement of individuals away from (exit) a population.

__ pattern

Individuals aggregate in patches. The most common pattern of dispersion

__ pattern

Each individual pattern is independent of other individuals

__ Tables

Summarize demographic information and the age-specific summary of survival rates and reproductive rates

__ Curve

Graphic way to represent data in life table Three General Types

K-__

Selection for traits that are advantageous at high densities.

r-__

Selection for traits that are advantageous at low densities.

Age-__ diagrams (pyramids)

Can help predict a population's growth trends

Community __

Help, harm, or have no effect on the species involved.

__: -/- interaction

When species compete for a resource, limits survival/reproduction: -/- interaction

Resource __

Differentiation of niches to allow two similar species to coexist.

__ displacement

Tendency for characteristics to be more divergent in sympatric populations of two species than in allopatric populations of the same two species

__ Interactions

Predation, Herbivory, and Parasitism

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Animals use this process a defensive adaptation

__ coloration

Warning coloration, poisonous organisms.

__ mimicry

Palatable/harmless species mimics unpalatable/dangerous species.

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Plants use this process a defensive adaptation

__ Succession

Sequence of changes in community composition following a disturbance

__ succession

Occurs within a community

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All organisms in the community with abiotic factors with which they interact

Primary __=Autotrophs

The ALL green organisms, food change foundation.

Primary __-Heterotroph

Herbivores eat primary producers.

Secondary __-Heterotroph

The carnivores that eat Primary Consumers

__-Decomposers-heterotrophs

Get energy from detritus=non-living organic material.

Light and __

Limiting nutrient is one that must be added.

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Nutrient excess causes bloom

Actual __

Total amount of water transpired by plants and evaporated from landscape.

_ Budget of ecosystem

Depends on primary producers and amount of photosynthetic production sets spending limit

__ increase nutrient uptake

Plants have various adaptations to increase nutrient uptake

__ Transfer Theory

Theory that only 10% of energy is transferred between trophic levels

__limits abundance of top-level carnivores

Progressive loss of energy along food chain limits abundance of top-level carnivores

__ limited plant growth

Most often limits plant growth globally

__ Ecology

Used to speeds up the recovery of degraded ecosystems

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Use organisms to detoxify polluted ecosystems

__ augmentation

The use of organisms to add essential materials to degraded ecosystem

__ current problem with extinctions

The current problem lies in the __ of extinctions

__ loss is that great threat

Greast threat to biodiversity throughout biosphere

__ that exceed

Harvesting organisms at rates that exceed their ability to repopulate

__ species

One that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

__ species

One that is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future.