Biodiversity, Climate and Biomes

Study Guide One: Biodiversity, Climate, and Biomes

Key Concepts
  • This guide includes examples for topics that might appear on the first midterm. It is not exhaustive; consult lecture notes and materials for comprehensive review.
1. Penguin Species Distribution
  • The distribution of penguin species can be attributed to:
    • Movement of tectonic plates
    • Dispersal of ancestral penguin species to unconnected landmasses
    • Independent evolution of penguin species in different regions
    • The rainshadow effect
2. Taxonomic Classification Statements

Select true statements regarding species within taxonomic groups:

  • A class will contain at least as many species as any order within that class.
  • All orders can vary in the number of families they contain.
  • A taxonomic grouping could contain only a single species.
3. Coral Species Heat Tolerance
  • The chlorophyll ratio indicates algal partner presence. The species with the highest heat tolerance is determined from the histogram data:
    • Options:
    • A. hyacinthus
    • P. sinuosa
    • P. porites
    • N. turbida
    • Consider if all species show equal heat tolerance.
4. Impact of Greenhouse Gases
  • Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide affect the Earth’s radiation budget by:
    • Increasing the amount of radiation retained in the atmosphere
5. Climate Factors
  • Climate is characterized by mean and annual variation in temperature and precipitation.
  • Geographic variations can affect types of vegetation (e.g., trees vs. grasses vs. deserts).
6. Limiting Nutrients for Plants
  • Conduct experiments comparing growth in nutrient-added conditions to control:
    • Nutrients to consider:
    • Phosphorus (P)
    • Nitrogen (N)
    • Molybdenum (Mb)
    • Potassium (K)
    • Nickel (Ni)
    • Find out which nutrient is limiting.
7. Vegetation Differences in Sierra Nevada
  • Understanding the processes that drive differences in vegetation on the western vs. eastern slopes, particularly precipitation and temperature influences.
8. Consequences of Earth's Axis Not Being Tilted
  • A. Climate would be hotter overall.
  • B. Climate would be cooler overall.
  • C. There would be no seasons.
  • D. The intertropical convergence zone would disappear.
9. Current Greenhouse Gas Concentrations
  • Compare current concentrations of greenhouse gases (CO2, methane, nitrous oxide) to historical data.
10. Hadley Cell Circulation Effects
  • Patterns of precipitation influenced by Hadley cell circulation include:
    • A. Low precipitation on leeward slope
    • B. High rainfall at 30°N and 30°S
    • C. High rainfall near the equator
    • D. Low precipitation at the poles
11. Comparison of Concepts
  • Evolution vs Ecology: Explore differences in definitions and applications.
  • Species Richness, Evenness, Diversity: Understand how these concepts interrelate.
  • Weather vs Climate: Define both and delineate their differences.
12. Climatographs Assignment
  • Assign climatographs to specific biomes and hemispheres (northern, southern, equatorial) and justify your classifications:
    • Possible biomes include: deserts, grasslands, tropical rainforests, temperate forests, boreal forests, tundra, Mediterranean.
13. Species Rankings
  • Rank sites based on species richness, evenness, and diversity from highest to lowest.