EW

apes final review

7. Factors Determining Terrestrial Biomes

  • Climate: Temperature and precipitation

  • Latitude: Affects solar energy and temperature

  • Altitude: Higher altitudes are cooler

  • Soil Type: Influences vegetation growth

  • Seasons: Determine plant and animal adaptations

8. Terrestrial Biomes Characteristics

  • Tundra: Cold, dry; permafrost; mosses, lichens (Arctic)

  • Boreal Forest/Taiga: Cold winters, moderate rain; conifers (Canada, Russia)

  • Temperate Rainforest: Mild, very wet; conifers, ferns (Pacific NW, Chile)

  • Temperate Seasonal Forest: Moderate rain, cold winters; deciduous trees (Eastern US, Europe)

  • Chaparral: Hot, dry summers; shrubs (Mediterranean, California)

  • Temperate Grassland: Dry, cold winters; grasses (Midwest US, Eurasia)

  • Tropical Rainforest: Warm, wet year-round; high biodiversity (Amazon, Congo)

  • Savanna: Warm, seasonal rain; grasses, scattered trees (Africa)

  • Subtropical Desert: Hot, dry; cacti, succulents (Sahara, Arabian Desert)

9. Safe Drinking Water Act

A U.S. law that ensures safe drinking water by setting health standards for water contaminants and overseeing water suppliers.

10. Aquatic Biomes Characteristics

Marine:

  • Salt Marsh: Coastal, nutrient-rich; grasses (Eastern US)

  • Estuaries: Fresh-saltwater mix; fish nurseries (Chesapeake Bay)

  • Mangrove Swamps: Tropical, protect coasts (SE Asia)

  • Intertidal Zone: Coastal, tidal fluctuations; crabs, mussels

  • Coral Reefs: Warm, shallow seas; biodiverse (Great Barrier Reef)

  • Open Ocean: Deep, vast; whales, tuna

Freshwater:

  • Lakes and Ponds: Still water; fish, algae (Great Lakes)

  • Inland Wetlands: Swamps, marshes; flood control (Everglades)

  • Rivers/Streams/Creeks: Flowing water; trout, amphibians

11. Energy and Matter in Ecosystems

Energy flows through trophic levels (producers → consumers → decomposers), while matter cycles (water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus) through ecosystems.

12. Biogeochemical Cycles

Nitrogen Cycle: Fixation → Nitrification → Assimilation → Ammonification → Denitrification
Water Cycle: Evaporation → Condensation → Precipitation → Runoff/Infiltration
Phosphorus Cycle: Weathering → Absorption by Plants → Decomposition → Sedimentation
Carbon Cycle: Photosynthesis → Respiration → Combustion → Storage

13. Reservoirs/Sinks

  • Nitrogen: Atmosphere

  • Carbon: Oceans, forests, fossil fuels

  • Water: Oceans, glaciers

  • Phosphorus: Rocks, ocean sediments

20. Primary Productivity (GPP/NPP)

  • Gross Primary Productivity (GPP): Total energy captured by producers

  • Net Primary Productivity (NPP): GPP minus energy used by producers for respiration

21. Succession

  • Primary Succession: Starts on bare rock (volcanic islands)

  • Secondary Succession: Follows disturbance but retains soil (forest fire)

22. Succession Species Stages

  • Primary Succession: Lichens, mosses → grasses → shrubs → trees

  • Secondary Succession: Grasses → shrubs → trees

31. Ecological Tolerance

The range of environmental conditions a species can survive in, including temperature, salinity, and pH.

37. r-Strategists vs. K-Strategists

  • r-Strategists: Many offspring, little care (mice, insects)

  • K-Strategists: Few offspring, lots of care (elephants, humans)

38. Rule of 70 (Population Growth)

Divide 70 by the growth rate (%) to estimate doubling time. Example: Growth rate = 2% → 70 ÷ 2 = 35 years

39. Population Terms

  • Biotic Potential: Maximum reproductive capacity

  • Carrying Capacity: Maximum population environment can support

  • Intrinsic Rate Growth: Natural growth rate without limits

  • Die-Back (Crash): Sudden population decline after overshoot

  • Overshoot: Exceeding carrying capacity

  • Replacement Level Fertility: Birth rate needed for population stability

41. Soil Layers

  • O-Horizon: Organic matter

  • A-Horizon (Topsoil): Nutrient-rich

  • E-Horizon: Leaching layer

  • B-Horizon (Subsoil): Mineral-rich

  • C-Horizon: Weathered rock

  • R-Horizon: Bedrock

42. Soil Particles

  • Sand: Largest, drains well

  • Silt: Medium size, moderate drainage

  • Clay: Smallest, retains water

43. El Niño and La Niña

  • El Niño: Warm Pacific, disrupts global weather (floods, droughts)

  • La Niña: Cool Pacific, opposite effects (cold, dry conditions)

46. Layers of the Atmosphere

  • Troposphere: Weather, closest to Earth

  • Stratosphere: Ozone layer

  • Mesosphere: Meteors burn

  • Thermosphere: Auroras, satellites

  • Exosphere: Outer edge

54. Timber Harvesting Methods

  • Clear-Cutting: Fast, cheap; high environmental impact

  • Selective Cutting: Sustainable, more expensive

58. Irrigation Methods (Efficiency Order)

  1. Drip Irrigation: Most efficient

  2. Sprinkler: Moderate efficiency

  3. Flood Irrigation: Water loss through evaporation

  4. Furrow Irrigation: Least efficient

63. Pesticide Treadmill

Cycle where pests become resistant to pesticides, requiring stronger chemicals over time.

64. Bioaccumulation vs. Biomagnification

  • Bioaccumulation: Toxins build in an individual

  • Biomagnification: Toxins increase at higher food chain levels

65. Negative Environmental Impacts of CAFOs

  • Water contamination

  • Air pollution

  • Greenhouse gas emissions

  • Antibiotic resistance