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weather
combination of factors that occur in a specific place, at a specific time
temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind, cloudiness
factors that contribute to the weather
climate
long term average pattern of the weather
sun
shortwave radiation is emitted from the ___
surface
longwave radiation is emitted by _ as heat
latitude
the average global near-surface temperature changes with _
seasonality
annual temperature fluctuation, also known as _, changes with latitude
earth’s curvature
latitudinal differences in temperature are due to the?
direct, concentrated
it is hotter near the equator because the solar radiation is __ and __.
less
It is hotter near the equator because the solar radiation travels a shorter distance through the atmosphere, therefore it has a __ chance of being reflected back away from earth
same, larger, angle
It is cooler towards the poles because the __ amount of solar radiation is spread across a _ surface area because of _
further distance
It is cooler towards the poles because the solar radiation travels __ through the atmosphere, more is reflected back
Earth’s tilt
Seasonal differences in temperature are due to the?
summer
what season is due to the earth tilting directly towards the sun?
spring and fall
what season is due to the earth not tilting away or towards the sun?
winter
what season is due to the earth tilting away from the sun?
thermal energy
differences in _ across latitude is what generates different wind currents?
Coriolis effect
the inertia of the rotating earth causes wind patterns to be much more complicated then if the earth didn’t rotate
heat and carbon dioxide
as decomposition proceeds, what is lost to the atmosphere?
immobilization
the uptake of mineral nutrients by decomposers to be used for their own function is referred to as
moisture
temperature directly affects the amount of __ in air
thermal energy, wind, and ocean currents
what three factors determine the global patterns of precipitation?
ecosystem ecology
focuses on how organisms influence its abiotic environment
complete system
ecosystem ecology views the natural world as what?
photosynthesis
energy is captured and stored by autotrophs via?
heat
some energy is from the system as?
photosynthesis
use of light energy to convert CO2 and H2O into simple sugars
cools, loses
as air rises over a mountain, it __ and tends to __ in the form of precipitation
sugar
what energy is bound and transferred through the system of the plant?
sun and plant
what foundational step ultimately determines energy flow through the system
gross primary productivity
GPP the total rate of photosynthesis
net primary productivity
NPP is the rate of energy sotred
GPP - R
NPP
plant respiration
not all energy is stored, but is used for what?
standing biomass
in terrestrial system: NPP is often measured as the change in ?
standing biomass
simply how much do all plants in an environment weigh (amount of organic matter making up those plants)
NPP
what is the foundation for energy flow throughout the rest of the ecosystem?
length of the growing season
what regulates NPP, also known as photosynthetic period
northern states
winters are longer, less overall NPP
southern states
shorter winters, longer photosynthetic periods
precipitation and temperature
what controls NPP?
cold
what temperature reduces rates of photosynthesis?
stomata
plants have to close their _ to prevent water loss through transpiration
evapotranspiration
the combined effect of water movement through the plant and water evaporation from soil
temperature and moisture
what levels determine rate of evapotransipration?
warm and wet
high rates of evapotranspiration therefore photosynthesis
cold
low rates of evapotranspiration
warm but dry
lowest rates of evapotranspiration
ocean systems
no real effect of latitude
photosynthesis
declines with water depth because of decrease in light
aquatic
what type of autotrophs are limited by both nutrients and lights?
shallower water and nutrients inputs from land
why do costal areas have the highest NPP?
secondary producers
NPP determines the biomass the productivity and biomass of what?
assimilation efficiency
how efficient consumers are in extracting energy for biomass and respiration versus waste
production efficiency
how efficient consumers are in converting food to biomass
endotherms
why are mammals not very efficient in energy flow, a lot of energy is lost via metabolic processes and waste
ectotherms
why are most insects are very efficient in energy flow throughout the system
trophic efficiency
how much energy is transferred and converted into biomass from one tropic level to the next
lost
energy is __ as it flows from herbivores to higher trophic levels
nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium
what other essential nutrients do plants require?
recycled
essential nutrients remain in the ecosystem and are continuously __?
roots
plants absorb their nutrients as a solution in soil by?
direct
higher trophic direct or indirect consumption of tissue?
retranslocation
nutrients are drawn back to the organism
decomposition
where as translocation is cycling within an organism, nutrient cycling throughout the ecosystem is dependent on?
bacteria and fungi
what organisms aid by increasing the rates of decomposition
litterbags
what common ecological approach is used to examine different types of dead material
species
decomposition rates depend on what?
cellulose
makes up plant cell walls, simpler molecule, fewer chemical bonds, faster decomposition
ligin
makes up “woody” parts of plants, many more chemical bonds needed to break, decomposes much slower
slower
more mass remaining means _ decomposition rates
tundra
low decomposition rates, low rates of primary productivity
tropical forests
highest rate of decomposition, high rates of net primary productivity
mineralization
converts nutrients bound in organic molecules to their mineral form and is done by bacteria and fungi
nitrate ammonia
mineral form of nitrogen that plants can directly use
10700
total number of described species of birds
6400
total number of mammal species described
6000
total number of amphibian species described
10000
total number of reptile species described
10000
total number of fish speciess described
391000
total number of plant species described
1 million
total number of insects species described
350000
total number of beetle species described
160000
total number of moth/butterfly species described
115000
total number of bees, ants, and wasps described
10 million
while 1.7 million species have been described, the estimate number of species on earth is?
marmosa adleri
what new species was described in 2021 by Greg Adler?
equator
the largest number of species are found near the what?
latitudinal gradient in biodiversity
the global pattern where ecosystems near the equator of the highest diversity, but decreases as you move toward the poles
cacti
what group of species do not follow the general latitudinal pattern?
factors that allow for higher speciation rates
the first hypothesis that address the origin of the latitudinal gradient focuses on what?
biotic and abiotic interactions
the second hypothesis that addresses the mechanisms reinforce and maintain existing patterns of diversity focuses on what?
potential evapotranspiration
index used to describe amount of evaporation that would occur if provided enough water
index of overall energy
potential evapotranspiration is used as an _ and correlates well with the species richness of plants
idiosyncratic
no predictable relationship between diversity and function. level of function depends on the identity of species in the community (not the numbers)
rivet
each species uniquely contributes to total function, so relationship is linear (more species, more function)
redundancy
some species have overlapping contributions to overall function (addition of overlapping species doesn’t significantly increase overall function)
niche complementarity
coexisting species compete less because they are using different available resources
high intraspecific competition
most individuals of the same species that have the same nutrient requirements and strategies. OR most individuals are of the same species, higher probability that species-specific pathogens build up and reduce productivity
less intraspecific competition
many different species with different nutrient requirements and having different strategies to gain those nutrients. OR most individuals are different species, there is not an opportunity for species- specific diseases to build up and negatively affect the community as much