apes unit 2 test

Study Guide for Unit 2 Test: "Better Know"

Vocabulary

• Biomes: Areas defined by typical climates, flora (plant life) and fauna (animal life) prevalent in those regions.

Biogeochemical Cycles

• Water Cycle: The continuous movement of water through the environment.

• Carbon Cycle: The process by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.

• Nitrogen Cycle: The series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment and in living organisms.

• Phosphorus Cycle: The movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

Biodiversity

• Calculating Biodiversity: Understanding how to measure the variety of species (richness) and the distribution of individuals among those species (evenness).

• Types of Biodiversity: Includes genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity.

• Factors Affecting Biodiversity: Habitat loss, climate change, invasive species, overexploitation, etc.

Water Movements

• Prominent Currents: Warm and cold ocean currents that affect climate.

• Upwelling: The process that brings nutrient-rich water from the deep ocean to the surface, promoting marine life.

Air Movements

• Prominent Currents: Wind patterns that affect weather and climate across the globe.

• Atmospheric Cells: Large-scale patterns of air circulation (like Hadley, Ferrel, and Polar cells).

• Rain Shadow Effect: A phenomenon where dry areas develop on the leeward side of a mountain range due to prevailing winds.

• Pressure/Volume/Temperature Changes: Understanding how altitude affects these properties of air.

Coriolis Effect

• The apparent deflection of moving objects caused by the rotation of the Earth.

Ecological Pyramid

• A graphical representation showing the biomass or productivity at each trophic level in an ecosystem.

Types of Selection and Evolution

• Natural Selection: The process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

• Types of Selection: Includes stabilizing, directional, and disruptive selection.

ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation)

• A climate pattern that describes the fluctuating ocean temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific.

Aquatic Biome Zones

• Littoral Zone: Near the shore where sunlight penetrates.

• Limnetic Zone: Open water where light is available but not connected to the shore.

• Benthic Zone: The bottom of water bodies, inhabited by various organisms.

Atmospheric Layers

• Troposphere: Closest layer where weather occurs; contains most of the atmosphere’s mass.

• Stratosphere: Contains the ozone layer, which absorbs UV radiation.

• Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere: Higher layers with specific characteristics (temperature variations, ionization).

Sun's Potential Energy Hitting Earth

• Energy from the sun drives weather systems, photosynthesis, and climate patterns.

Niche/Niche Overlap

• Niche: The role or function of an organism or species within its ecosystem.

• Niche Overlap: Occurs when two species utilize the same resource, which can result in competition.

Reminder: Review notes from Unit 1 as information from there will also be included in this test!