ECOL 3500 Exam 1

Earth's radiation budget accounts for...

the amount of incoming and outgoing energy

Types of incoming energy

Ultraviolet and visible light (i.e. solar radiation)

Types of outgoing energy

Ultraviolet and visible light, as well as infrared radiation (i.e. reemissions of heat)

Which contribute more to global Earth's warming? Energy absorbed by earths surface or energy absorbed by earths atmosphere?

Energy absorbed by earths surface

Green house gasses

molecules in earth's atmosphere that absorb and re-emit infrared radiation

True/False: Greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere has large impacts on Earth's climate.

True

Which if the following are greenhouse gasses?

Oxygen

Nitrogen

Argon

Carbon dioxide

Methane

Water vapor

Oxygen

Nitrogen

Argon

Carbon dioxide: Yes

Methane: Yes

Water vapor: Yes

3 factors affect solar radiation received at different latitudes:

1. distance

2. angle

3. reflectivity

How does - The distance that the sunlight must travel through earth's atmosphere lead to unequal heating of the earth?

-Shorter distance at equator causes less solar energy reflected by atmosphere

How the angle at which sunlight hits the earth lead to unequal heating of the earth?

solar energy is spread over smaller area at equator (more concentrated)

Why does sunlight spread over a smaller area at the equator?

sunlight strikes earth at a perpendicular angle at the equator but hits at an oblique angle everywhere else.

How the reflectivity of the earth'a surface lead to unequal heating of the earth?

low albedo (reflection of sun) of dark forest at equator absorb more solar energy than ice at poles

The northern hemisphere receives more sunlight between which months

March- September

The Southern hemisphere receives more sunlight between which months

September- March

Why do parts of Alaska, located at about 60°N, receive about 21 hrs of sunlight in June and about 20 hrs of darkness in January?

... its tilt

In June, would it be warmer in Alaska (60°N, about 20 hrs of sunshine) or Mexico City (20°N, about 13 hrs of sunshine)? Why?

The angle which the sun rays hit Mexico City will be spread out in less surface area than Alaska (distance, angle, and reflectivity of surface)

Scenario: A friend of yours has just gone down a YouTube rabbit hole and is now a believer in the Flat Earth Conspiracy Theory. Can season occur

no

What causes the seasons?

The tilt of earth on its axis causes the amount of solar radiation received to vary throughout the year.

how many degrees is the axis tilted?

23.5 degrees

Hadley cells

low-latitude overturning circulations that have air rising at the equator and air sinking at roughly 30° latitude. They are responsible for the trade winds in the Tropics and control low-latitude weather patterns.

warm air holds \______ (more/less) moisture

more;

The energy from heat cause molecules to bump into each other more often

steps of hadley cell

...

If the temperature of air saturates with water vapor fell from 30 degrees Celsius to 10, how much precipitation would fall?

20 g/m^3

Why does the cool dry air fall down at 30° N or °S?

(like a fountain)

Air is moving very quick at the equator rather than a further latitude so it can't fall at 0° because the water is rising up so extreme

How do Hadley cells explain why deserts are located at about 30° N or °S?

-Warm moist air rises in the tropics, which results in abundant rainfall

- cool, dry air descends to the surface at subtropical latitudes, creating desert conditions

Does the latitude where Hadley cells converge change through out the year?

Yes. Because the earth is tilted certain sports receive more solar radiation moves slightly north (apr-aug) or south ( sept-mar) of equator

*causes rainy and dry season in the tropics

Rain shadow steps:

1. Coastal winds containing moist air are physically forced upwards by the mountain range

2. As air moves upward away from earths surface it cools

3. Cooler air no longer hold as much moisture (lower saturation points) precipitation falls

4. Cool, dry air falls

5. Air sinks and begins to warm and flow back to equator

Requirement of a rain shadow

has to be a mountain range on the coast

Average temperature and precipitation on both sides of a rain shadow?

...

True/False: Rain shadows create different precipitation levels on the western and eastern sides of. the cascade mountain range in Washington state

True

Biomes:

a large terrestrial community characterized by its climate and unique assemblage pf plants and animals

What factors set a biome?

climate and precipitation (and what animals)

When the precipitation line is above the temperature lines, plant growth is limited by temperature, plant growth is limited by \____________

temperature

When the precipitation line is below the temperature lines, plant growth is limited by temperature, plant growth is limited by \____________

precipitation

Based on graph how do you determine the growing season?

when temperatures are above 0°

Why is the growing season when temperature are above 0°?

Water isn't frozen and plants don't need to conserve energy????

Characteristics of a Tundra

- very cold desert

\-

Characteristics of a tropical rainforest

....

Characteristics of a tropical savanna

...

Characteristics of a tropical savanna

...

rangelands

wild lands used for livestock production

Graphs of all different biomes..

...

Adaptation definition

a trait that increases and individuals survival and/or reproductive success

What genetics processes would allow for a new adaptation to form in population of organisms

mutation

New alleles are formed when...

the DNA within a gene undergoes a mutation

mutations

alterations in the nucleotide sequence which occur sue to mistakes during DNA replication (or exposures to radiation, etc)

T/F: Every mutation within a gene will have negative impacts on an organism

false

Where are genes located?

In coding regions of a chromosome

alleles

different versions of a particular gene

each allele has a unique DNA sequence and leads to the production of a \_____________

particular protein

Organisms have different traits/phenotypes baed on...

the proteins they produce

Populations with a greater number of different alleles have greater...

genetic variation in their gene pool

adaptation definition

-static beneficial trait

-adaptations alter an organisms phenotype, such that it better fits its environment

Adaptation characteristics

-heritable

-permanent for an individual

-provide a benefit for the individuals that posses them

Adaptation types:

1. adaptation and natural selection (green beetles)

2. Morphological (finches)

Finches adaptation

- Plants that produces large, hard sees survived

-80% of medium finches died and those with deeper (stronger) beaks had better survival

which image best represents the parent vs the offspring generation?

least beak depth: parent

most beak depth: offspring

Problem based discussion of natural selection in ground finches: What characteristics of the graphs show that there was variation in the population? Was there more variation in 1976 or 1978?

1976

Problem based discussion of natural selection in ground finches: Based on the data, what is the approximate average beak depth of the population in each year? does this supper the idea that beak depth is an adaptation?

1976: 9.3

1978: 10

Problem based discussion of natural selection in ground finches: what would happen to BB and bb

B will increase;

b will decrease

True/false: Species can acquire adaptation, such as altered physiology, in respires to the organisms, rather than the abiotic conditions

True

True/False: Migratory behavior is, in part, genetically determined.

True

How does urbanization effect migratory behavior?

- birds stay put in places that have urbanization for a longer time due to a food surplus.

True/False: In some instances, it is beneficial for animals and plants to change their traits within their lifetime

True

Phenotypic plasticity

a trait that one can change within one's lifetime (i.e. it can be activated or not)

The specific state of a phonetically plastic trait is/ is not genetically heritable

is not

Can phenotypical plastic traits can change temporarily

yes

True/false: phenotypically plastic traits provide a benefit for the individuals that display them

True

phenotypic plasticity is the ability of a single genotype to produce...

multiple phenotypes

Plasticity is important for organisms that line in what types of environments?

an environment that changes a lot