Ecological Succession

Soil in the tropical savanna?

clay and sand mixed soils

What are the long term weather conditions that determine climate?

average temperate, precipitation, relative humidity, and seasonal variations

What does carbon dioxide and water vapor absorbing much of the infrared radiation cause?

average temperature on Earth to rise

Why does the rainforest contain so many species?

because it is lush and productive

Why is animal life diverse in temperate deciduous forest?

because plant life is abundant

Where does the Abyssal zone lie?

below 2,000 meters in complete darkness

Temperatures in the winter and summer of temperate deciduous forest?

below freezing in winter to 30℃ in summer

Describe the Benthic zone and its organisms.

bottom of pond or lake with benthos organisms that are bottom dwellers

What do lichens do?

break down rock to form soil

Describe "killer" honeybees.

brought to Brazil from Africa to produce more honey but they escaped and have been spreading throughout Americas causing deaths of ten people

Climax community in deserts?

cacti

Examples of plants in the desert?

cactus, wildflowers, mesquite, creosote

What have humans done to the ecosystem?

caused: 1. groundwater contamination and depletion 2. elimination of habitats 3. loss of biodiversity

What are chlorofluorocarbons?

chemicals used for refrigerants and aerosol cans

What is microclimate?

climate of a small specific place within a larger area which may be different than larger area

The tundra is very ________ year round at ___ degrees C in the winter.

cold, -40

Describe the tundra region.

cold, dry, treeless, barren

What is a biota?

collection of all living things that live in biosphere which does not include abiotic factors

Another name for the taiga?

coniferous forest

Temperate rainforest is dominated by what plant?

conifers

Describe freshwater biomes.

contain little or no salt so they have low salinity

Change in pH of rain (less than 5.6) causes?

death of organisms in lakes and damages ancient stone architecture

What happens as more fish (who couldn't survive) die?

decomposers expand their activities and oxygen levels decrease

Because of permafrost, plants can't have?

deep roots

What is each biome characterized by?

different vegetation and animal life

Tropical rainforest is the most ____________ terrestrial biome.

diverse

What is population crash?

dramatic decline in the size of a population over a short period of time

Deserts are the ______ biome on earth.

driest

What does the hydrosphere include?

earth's water, ice, and water vapor

Eventually after the shrubs and small trees, ____________ ___________ move into the area.

larger trees

The taiga is the world's ________ terrestrial biome.

largest

What is permafrost?

layer of permanently frozen soil that prevents plants from having deep roots

What is the emergent layer?

layer of trees above thicker part and closest to sunlight

How much precipitation does the Tundra get yearly?

less than 25 cm

Precipitation in deserts?

less than 25 cm yearly

Where does the new soil come from?

lichens and weather conditions breaking/wearing down rock into organic matter

What plants are common in the tundra?

liches, mosses, and small shrubs

Animals in deserts include?

lizards, camels, scorpions, snakes

Describe the winter in the taiga.

long and cold

What is climate?

long term weather conditions in a region including average temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, and seasonal variations

Seasons and precipitation in the tropical savanna?

long, dry winter with 4 inches rainfall and rainy summer with 15-50 inches rainfall yearly

Describe deciduous trees.

lose their leaves in fall and go into dormancy unlike conifers

When are organisms trapped in tidal pools?

low tide

When is the intertidal zone exposed to air?

low tide

What is carrying capacity?

maximum number of individuals in a population that the environment can support (R=0)

What is biotic potential?

maximum rate at which a populate could increase under ideal conditions

What are plankton?

microscopic algae, plants, and other organisms that float on the surface of water biomes and need sunlight to survive

What is added to the soil when the simple plants die?

more organic matter with nutrients

What does the problem of pests becoming more resistant and humans having to spray more pesticides?

more people will be exposed to toxic chemicals

How many species of flowering plants does the tropical rainforest contain?

more than 1000

How many species of trees does the tropical rainforest contain?

more than 700

How many species does the tropical rainforest contain?

more than half that live on earth

What does the hole in the protective ozone layer allow?

more ultraviolet light to reach earth causing increase in skin cancer

What grows on the taiga's forest floor?

mosses and lichens

What happens after lichens break down rock?

mosses arrive, trap moisture, and prevent soil erosion

Chaparrals may contain?

mountain slopes and plains

The carbon dioxide and water vapor absorb what?

much of the infrared radiation reflecting off of Earth

Lichen are what kind of symbiotic relationship?

mutualism

Where are estuaries located?

near coastlines and border land

Where is the tropical rain forest found?

near the equator in Arica, South America, Australia, and Pacific Islands

What is happening to the population when (B+I) < (D +E)?

negative growth in which population is decreasing (R<0)

What do nitrogen and sulfur turn into?

nitric, nitrous, sulfurous, and sulfuric acids

Examples of pollutants that cause acid rain?

nitrogen and sulfur pollutants

Does sunlight penetrate the bottom of lakes?

no

Does taiga have permafrost?

no

Is there sunlight in the aphotic zone?

no

What happens because sunlight doesn't penetrate the bottom of lakes?

no plants grow after a certain depth

What are mosses?

non-vascular plants that get water through osmosis and have no phloem or xylem

Describe precipitation in temperate rainforest.

not uniform throughout year but one long wet season and dry summer

What are density-dependent limiting factors affected by?

number of individuals in a given area

Describe the tropical rainforest soil.

nutrient poor and acidic

Soil in Chaparral?

nutrient poor with low moisture

Because ponds are filled with plant material, what do they have high amounts of?

nutrients

What is temperate deciduous forest soil rich in?

nutrients from layers of decomposing leaves

Examples of saltwater biomes?

ocean, estuaries, seashores (tidal areas)

Example of a place where primary succession usually begins?

on a bare rock after volcanic eruptions or retreating glaciers

Where are deserts found?

on every continent

Where are prairies found?

on every continent

Example of epiphyte in the tropical rainforest?

orchid growing on trees for support in which the tree is neither helped nor harmed (bromeliads and orchids)

What are lichens?

organisms that do not need soil to survive and grow on rocks

The population size __________ (varies) around its own carrying capacity.

oscillates

How long have humans been in the exponential growth phase?

over 300 years

The changing of nitrogen and sulfur causes?

pH of rain to be less than 5.6

What is the biosphere?

part of Earth where life exists and is interconnected with the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and geosphere

Where is the taiga found?

parts of Canada, Alaska, and Russia at latitudes between 50°N and 60°N

What does sunlight do in the photic zone.

penetrates

Within the first two years, what kind of plants develop?

perennial weeds

What plants take over 5 to 15 years?

pine seedlings and young saplings

Lichens and mosses are known as?

pioneer species

Where does primary succession begin?

place without any soil like a bare rock after volcanic eruptions or retreating glaciers

What are ponds mostly filled with?

plant material

What are annual plants?

plants that conduct its life processes (growing, maturing, having its own seeds, and dying) within a year

What are perennial weeds?

plants with a life cycle that spans over many years

Animal species of the tundra?

polar bears, arctic hare, caribou

What is acid rain caused by?

pollutants in air from combustion of fossil fuels

Describe the tundra's soil?

poor because of permafrost/frozen desert

Density-independent limiting factors limit a population's growth regardless of?

population density

What is logistic growth due to?

population facing limited resources (food) which gives rise to carrying capacity and is represented by an S shaped curve

What is happening to the population if (B+I) > (D+E)?

population is increasing (R>0)

What is exponential growth characteristic of?

population that has been recently introduced into an area

What is exponential growth?

population with no predation, parasitism, or competition, no immigration or emigration, and in an environment with unlimited resources which is characteristic of a population that has been recently introduced into an area

What is the intertidal zone?

portion of the shoreline (either sandy or rocky) that is covered with water at high tide and exposed to air at low tide

Examples of density-dependent limiting factors?

predation, competition, parasitism, disease, buildup of wastes

A population with exponential growth doesn't have?

predation, parasitism, immigration, emigration

Factors that can cause a population to crash?

predation, parasitism, severe competition, end to resources, too much waste that poisons the environment

Two types of ecological succession?

primary and secondary

After the deaths of the simple plants, grasses, and wildflowers which cause the soil to thicken, what can survive in it?

shrubs and small trees

After the early soil forms, what grows next?

simple plants such as mosses and ferns

_____ of a population is always changing.

size

After R strategists such as insects, what moves into the area?

small birds and mammals

What organisms are trapped in the tidal pools?

small fish, clams, crabs, other mussels

What is the focus of primary succession?

soil building which is turning bare rock into an ecosystem

What are the ocean's two main life zones?

Photic Zone and Aphotic Zone

Describe the tundra's summer.

short and cold with 24 hours of sunlight a day

In what situation does (B+I) > (D+E) happen?

when resources are unlimited

In what situation does (B+I) = (D+E) happen?

when there are just enough resources

In what situation does (B+I) < (D +E) happen?

when there are limited resources

Nickname for the Prairie?

"The Bread Basket of the World"

Examples of moving new species with serious consequences?

"killer" honey bees and zebra mussel

Exponential growth is usually _______________.

short-lived

Temperate deciduous forest's mild climate and rich soil support what?

wide variety of plant and animal life

Describe estuaries.

1. mix of salt and fresh water 2. located near coastlines and border land 3. extremely fertile 4. nutrient levels are higher than both salt and freshwater 5. Example: Chesapeake Bay

Factors that influence biotic potential?

1. age at which reproduction begins 2. life span during which the organisms are capable of reproducing 3. number of reproductive periods in the lifetime 4. number of offspring the organism is capable of having at one time

Limiting factors in water biomes?

1. amount of salt (salinity) 2. amount of dissolved oxygen 3. sunlight

Layers of vegetation of the temperate deciduous forest?

1. canopy- tree tops that shade the ground below 2. understory- shrub layer 3. forest floor- dark and moist layer of dead leaves, twigs, and seeds

Disadvantages of pesticides?

1. cause cancer in humans 2. ensures development of resistant strains of pests through natural selection

What is population growth based on?

available resources

What are animal weeds?

first organisms to inhabit a previously uninhabited area

Examples of nethons?

fish, turtles, whales

Biological solutions to get rid of pests without using dangerous chemicals?

1. crop rotation- change the crop planted in field 2. introduce natural enemies of pests 3. natural plant toxins 4. insect birth control

Layers of vegetation in the tropical rainforest?

1. emergent 2. canopy 3. understory 4. forest floor

Describe seashores.

1. influenced greatly by tides 2 made up of intertidal zone

What are the other ocean zones?

1. intertidal 2. Netric zone 3. Bathyal 4. Abyssal 5. Benthic floor

Why are plankton important?

1. key producers in water biomes 2. first step in many aquatic food chains

Two types of freshwater biomes?

flowing freshwater and still freshwater

Consumers in the tropical savanna?

1. large herbivores such as antelope, gazelle, elephants 2. large carnivores such as lions, hyenas, leopards

Describe lakes.

1. larger and deeper than ponds 2. plant growth is limited to the shoreline 3. sunlight does not penetrate to the bottom so there are no plants after a certain depth

What are nicknames for the tundra?

"the cold desert" and "the land of the midnight sun"

What is the population size/growth rate equation?

(B+I) - (D+E) birth +immigration - death + emigration

Describe the photic zone.

1. made up of euphotic (sulingt) and disphotic (twilight) zones 2. sunlight penetrates 3. plant and animal life is abundant

Describe tundra animals.

1. migrate to tundra during short summer 2. number of individuals is high, but number of species is low

The explosion of the Zebra Mollusks population caused?

1. millions of dollars of damage 2. threatening of several indigenous species with extinction

Three of Earth's systems that interact with the biosphere?

hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere

Names for prairies in different countries/continents?

1. USA: prairie, plains 2. Asia: steppe 3. South America: pampas 4. Africa: veldt, savanna 5. Australia: savanna

After these photosynthetic organisms die, what happens?

1. organic material accumulates on lake bottom, which reduces depth of lake 2. detritivore use up oxygen as they decompose dead organic matter which make it impossible for some fish to survive

Describe what happens to a population in a graph of classic population growth.

1. organisms become accustomed to new environment after initial period of slow growth 2. population explodes and grows exponentially 3. grows until it reaches carrying capacity 4. after undetermined amount of time, population may crash due to factors such as predation, parasitism, competition, end to resources, buildup of wastes

Describe ponds.

1. small, shallow bodies of water 2. sunlight penetrates all the way to the bottom 3. mostly filled with plant material 4. very high amount of nutrients

Describe the Aphotic zone?

1. sunlight does not penetrate 2. no plants 3. animal life is highly specialized 4. many organisms have special adaption known as bioluminescence

Seven most common biomes?

1. tundra 2. taiga 3. temperate deciduous forest 4. temperate rainforest 5. tropical rainforest 6. grassland (praire, tropical savanna, chaparral) 7. desert

Chaparral's annual rainfall?

15-40 inches

How much precipitation does the tropical rainforest get yearly?

200 to 225 cm

Precipitation in prairie?

25 to 75 cm precipitation yearly

Precipitation in the taiga?

35 to 40 cm yearly which is mostly snow

Chaparral's average winter temperature?

46°F

Describe the tundra's winter.

6 to 10 months long with no daylight

Chaparral's average summer temperature?

72°F

Temperatures in the tropical savanna?

90°F in dry season, 70°F in summer

Example of estuary?

Chesapeake Bay

What kind of roots do tropical rainforest plants have?

shallow roots

Exponential growth is represented as?

J shaped curve

What letter represents carrying capacity?

K

What are the zones in freshwater biomes?

Netric Zone, Benthic zone, Littoral zone

Another name for the temperate rainforest?

Pacific Coastal Forest

Initially what strategist are animals in the new soil?

R strategists such as insects

Logistic growth is represented as?

S shaped curve

Grassland biome includes?

Tropical Savanna, Prairie, Chaparral

What are estuaries?

areas where a river meets an ocean

When does soil start to form?

as lichens, forces of weather, and erosion help break the larger rocks into smaller pieces

What is Chaparral a cross between?

a grassland and a forest

Finally in about 100 to 150 years, what is present?

a mature hardwood forest of trees like oak, maple, and hickory

Chaparral consumers?

aardvark, coyotes, lynx, chipmunks

What percentage of water on earth has high concentrations of salt?

about 95%

Describe plant and animal life in the photic zone.

abundant

What has caused the formation of a hole in the protective ozone layer?

accumulations in the air of chlorofluorocarbons used for refrigerants and aerosol cans

Describe fish that live in streams.

adapted to fast moving water

What is the effect of the decomposed lichens?

add small amounts of organic matter to the rocks to make soil

When does secondary succession take place?

after an established community has been destroyed or disrupted

What does the atmosphere include?

air (oxygen) blanketing earth's solid and liquid surface

How far does sunlight penetrate in ponds?

all the way to the bottom

What is biological control?

alternative to widescale spraying with pesticides

Changes in ____________ produce effects similar to changes in latitudes.

altitude

Is the Bathyal zone photic or aphotic?

aphotic

Describe littoral zone.

area near shore rich with organisms

How do toxins affect the ecosystem?

enter into the food chain through cattle and chicken feeds and cause ill effects on humans because of carcinogens and teratogens (causing birth defects) that accumulate and remain in body's fatty tissues

The carrying capacity can change as?

environmental conditions change

Tropical rainforest also has a number of?

epiphytes

By disrupting freshwater ecosystems, what have humans caused?

eutrophication

What has caused the greenhouse effect?

excessive burning of fossil fuels causing concentrations of carbon dioxide in air to increase to such high levels

What does the increase in lake nutrients cause?

excessive growth of algae (algal bloom) and other plants

Where is the Bathyal zone?

extends from the edge of netric zone to base of continental shelf

What is sod?

extensive root systems found in grass in prairies

Deserts have ______ temperatures where it is very ___ during the day and ______ at night.

extreme; hot; cool

What are density-dependent limiting factors?

factors that increase directly as the population density increases

What are density-independent factors?

factors whose occurrence is unrelated to the population density

Temperature in the tropical rainforest?

fairly constant around 25℃ but humidity makes it feel hotter

Why are prairies important?

farming areas where cereal and grains grow (wheat, rye, barley, corn)

Human activities that can lead to secondary succession?

farming, logging, mining

Describes streams and their flow

faster a stream flows, the greater the amount of dissolved oxygen in it (faster water flows=more oxygen)

Secondary succession occurs much __________ than primary succession and has different _______________ _______________.

faster, pioneer species

What does the geosphere include?

features of the earth's surface such as continents, rocks, and sea floor

Example of when secondary succession can occur?

forest fire, hurricane

Rainfall in tropical savanna is not enough to support?

forests

Where is the temperate deciduous forest found?

found below 50°N latitude such as New Jersey

Describe Zebra Mollusks.

found in Detroit and native to Asia but population exploded because of no natural predator to limit population

Two types of water biomes?

freshwater and saltwater

Depending on the tide, how deep can the Netric zone be?

from a few cm at low tide to 200 meters

Where is the Netric zone located?

from intertidal zone out to the edge of the continental shelf

Define Ecological Succession.

gradual replacement of one plant community with another through natural processes over time

Climax community in prairies?

grasses

In years 2 to 4/5, what other plants develop?

grasses, annual weeds, and perennial weeds

What grows after the new soil thickens?

grasses, wildflowers, and other plants that take over and replace lichens and mosses

Describe the grass in prairies

has extensive root systems called sod

Describe plants in deserts.

have evolved adaptions to help them survive in the extreme temperatures and dryness

When is the intertidal zone covered with water?

high tide

Describe nutrient levels in estuaries.

higher than both salt and freshwater

Describe animal life in the aphotic zone.

highly specialized

Animals in deserts have adapted to what?

hot temperatures

Tropical rainforest also has a __________ number of animals such as monkeys, bats, large cats.

huge

However, what population has been in the exponential growth phase for over 300 years?

humans

Changes in a population's size are determined by what four factors?

immigration, births, emigration, deaths

Where does secondary succession begin?

in a place that already has soil and was once the home of living organisms

Where else does primary succession happen besides bare rocks?

in areas where the soil has been removed

Where is the tundra found?

in parts of Canada, Alaska, and Siberia at latitudes around the North Pole

What is global warming?

increase in temperature due to high levels of carbon dioxide and water that absorb infrared radiation

Regarding tundra animals, the number of ___________ is high, but the number of _________ is low.

individuals, species

What animals are abundant in the tundra?

insects, particularly flies and mosquitoes

Climax communities do not always mean big trees because?

it depends on the ecosystem/biome

In the end as eutrophication continues, what happens to the lake?

it disappears

Still freshwater include?

lakes and ponds

In lakes, plant growth is limited to?

shoreline

What does the melting of the polar ice caps cause?

raising of the level of the seas, tremendous changes in weather patterns, major coastal cities underwater

Soil in deserts?

ranges from gravel to sand and is nutrient poor

What is exponential growth?

rapid population increase due to an abundance of resources which is represented as a J shaped curve

Organic material accumulating on lake bottoms causes?

reduction of depths of lakes

Describe tundra plants.

resistant to drought and cold and do not have deep roots

Soil in prairie?

rich and fertile

Describe temperate deciduous forest soil.

rich in nutrients from layers of decomposing leaves but not as rich as rainforest

Flowing freshwater include?

rivers and stream

Examples of freshwater biomes?

rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds

What causes eutrophication? Why?

runoff from sewage and manure from pastures because they increase nutrients in lakes

The intertidal zone can either be ________ or ________.

sandy, rocky

Advantages of pesticides?

save lives by increasing food production and by killing animals that carry and cause disease

Another name for Chaparral?

scrub

Detritivores using up oxygen to decompose dead organic matter makes it impossible for?

some fish to survive

What is a limiting factor?

something that keeps the size of a population down

What do many organisms in the deep ocean have?

special adaption known as bioluminescence

What is the population like when (B+I) = (D+E)?

stable (R=0)

What is a climax community?

stable group of plants and animals that is the end result of succession

What is the intertidal ocean zone?

strip of land between high and low tides (organisms in tidal pools)

What do plankton need to survive?

sunlight

Describe the Netric zone.

surface and the organisms in it known as nethons which are free swimmers

Producers in the tropical savanna?

tall, wild grasses; acacia tress; small shrubs

Temperate deciduous forest has wide range of what?

temperatures that cause four seasons

Effect of water moving slower and debris settling on the bottom of rivers?

tend to have more nutrients and less dissolved oxygen (more nutrients=less oxygen)

What happens when lichens die?

they decompose

What happens to the soil when the simple plants die?

thickens so grasses, wildflowers, and other plants begin to take over and replace the lichens and mosses

How do mosses get water and why?

through osmosis because they have no phloem or xylem

Why do mosses grow on rocks?

to hold newly made soil in place

Because the taiga has no permafrost, what can grow?

trees such as firs, hemlocks, and spruces

Chaparral producers?

trees such as oak, shrubs with thick waxy coverings to conserve water

Describe the Tropical Savanna.

tropical, rolling grassland scattered with shrubs and isolated trees

What can oceans be divided into?

two main life zones

Rather, a population with exponential growth has?

unlimited resources

Examples of density-independent limiting factors?

unusual weather, natural disasters, human activities

Most noticeable animals in prairies?

usually grazing mammals (bison, prairie dog, pronghorn, coyote)

What is algal bloom?

vast growth of algae that stops all light from passing and uses up dissolved oxygen causing organisms to die

What is a biome?

very large geographical areas that have similar climates and ecosystems

Describe the weather in the taiga.

warmer and more wet than the Tundra

Describe rivers.

water moves slower than streams and debris settles on the bottom

Seasons in prairie?

wet season followed by season of drought

How would global warming have disastrous effects for Earth?

would cause: 1. polar ice caps to melt which would raise level of the seas and tremendous changes in weather patterns 2. major coastal cities to be underwater

Can the microclimate be different that the larger area it is in?

yes

Do many animals live in the taiga?

yes

Does each particular environment have its own carrying capacity?

yes

In approximately 25 to 50 years, what will develop?

young pine (conifer) forest