Ecology Final 340 Kuehn
Taiga characteristics
"Boreal forest" is the largest coniferous forest. Largest variation formation on earth. high latitudes of the northern hemisphere; occupies glaciated land in a region of cold lakes, bogs, and rivers. Dominated by a cold continental climate. Extreme temperature fluctuations (100 C)
Density is _____
"Patchy" .. microdifferences (physical/chemicals conditions)
Solifluction terraces
"flowing soil" in attic tundra. form on sloping ground.
Species Richness
#'s of species"
Define ecological density
(helps with population density). Determine numbers per unit living space. (ex. bobwhite quail #'s/mile of hedgegrow).
Define monogamy
1 female to 1 male. prevalent among birds (seasonally 90%). Both parents needed to rear young. Rare among mammals
Headwater streams are orders _____
1 ro 3
Reproductive effort may vary with latitude examples:
1. Birds in temp regions have larger clutch sizes than those at lower latitudes 2. mammals at high latitudes have larger litters than those at lower temperatures.
What factors influence distribution
1. Environmental conditions (environmental tolerances) 2. Geographic barriers 3. Competition and predation
What are the four heat transfers between organisms and environment?
1. Evaporation 2. Convection 3. Conduction 4. Thermal Radiation
Tropical rain forests 5 vertical layers (from small to large)
1. Ground cover (herbs and ferns) 2. Understory (shrubs and saplings) 3. Lower canopy 4. Upper canopy (medium-spaced crowns) 5. Emergent canopy (Trees widely spaced)
Ways organisms spend energy
1. Growth. maintenance, defense 2. Energy in sexual reproduction
List and briefly explain 5 condition that might lead to evolution (ex change in allelic frequencies) within a populations?
1. Mutation (change in genes) 2. Gene flow (result of migration) 3. Genetic Drift (Founder's effect-*****) 4. Non-random mating (Mates are selective) 5. Natural Selection (Survival of the fittest--positive adaptions)
The five soil formation factors
1. Parent material 2. Climate factors 3. Biotic factors 4. Topography 5. Time
3 Ecological periods of population
1. Pre-reproductive 2. Reproductive 3. Post-reproductive
What are the investments in reproduction?
1. Production 2. Care 3. Nourishment of offspring
What are the two categories of life parts?
1. Unitary organisms (single unit) 2. Modular organisms (part of a whole)
There are five regions where shrublands are found
1. Western NA (Chaparral) 2. Mediterranean Sea 3. Central Chile 4. South Africa Cape 5. S/SW Asutralia
Grasslands three vertical layer
1. aboveground (tillers) 2. ground layer (thatch) 3. below ground (rooting)
Clutch size and latitude hypothesis
1. clutch size is related to food supply (More food spring in temperate zones) 2. periodic climatic catastrophes (temp regions) restricted population when resources are plentiful---> organisms have larger clutches 3. Seasonal variation of resources. Population regulated by winter; more food for survivors
Savannas two layers of vertical structure
1. grasses 2. trees/shrubs
Two conditions of natural selection
1. variation in heritable characteristics. 2. variation results in differences in individuals survival, growth, and reproduction
Molecule first formed in C3 plants after initial CO2 fixation
3-phosphoglycerate (PGA)
Medium sized streams are orders _____
4 to 6
Rivers are orders greater than ______
6
Combined value of evaporation + transpiration
AET
What are the products of the light reactions of photosynthesis that are utilized in the Calvin Cycle?
ATP and NADPH
Number of an individuals species in a specific area
Abundance
Define life tables
Account book of life (survivorship) and Death Age specific mortality relationships begins with a COHORT
The process where one (ancestor) species gives rise to multiple species that exploit different features of the environment
Adaptive radiation
Attraction of H2O molecules to other materials (ex. glass wall of a capillary tube)
Adhesion***
The rate depends on the moisture in the air
Adiabatic lapse rate
What are unique features of a population?
Age structures distributions (time and space) density birth/deaths rate growth rates respond to competition, predation
Grazers feed on _______
Algae
What is the largest and most continuous tropical rain forest?
Amazon basin
Define reproductive barrier
An important factor in maintaining species is that they remain reproductively isolated
Equation/law dealing with attenuation of light in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
Beer
_______ is the study of the spatial or geographical distribution of organisms, both in the present time and history past.
Biogeography
A ______ is a classification of plant formations and associated animal life into biotic units based on the predominant plant types. there are at least eight major terrestrial forms.
Biome
Define precocial
Born in advanced state and able to feed itself almost immediately ( ex. giraffe)
What is the statement that describes the results of this reaction? C6 H12 O6 + 6O2 --->6 CO2 + 6 H20 + energy
C6 H12 O6 is oxidized and O2 is reduced
Many plants adapted to arid environments utilize the ______ photosynthesis pathway to fix CO@ during the night
CAM
Sorensen's coefficient of community (CC)
CC = 2c / (s1 + s2)" 2c = # of species common to both" s1 = number of species in community 1" s2 = number of species in community 2
Shredders feed on ______
CPOM
Define ordinal data
Categorical---ordered categories (ex. young, middle, old age)
Define nominal data
Categorical---unordered categories (ex. hair, color, sex)
The _________ is a basic measure of soil availability and typically increases in soil with higher clay and organic matter contents
Cation exchange capacity
Measurable, gradual change over a geographical region in the average
Cline
At the _______ level of organizations ecological systems, an ecologist might focus on the factors that affect the relative abundance of various plant and animal population (species) in the area.
Community
Organismal Concept (Clements,1916)"
Community - integrated unit (super-organism)" Each species is a component of the whole" Cells--> Tissue --> Organ --> Organism" Development of a community through time (succession) was viewed as ~ development of the organism"
How is population affected by density?
Competition for resources between members of same species for food/habitat.
Heat transfer through solid solid material
Conduction
Heat transfer between/within fluids (ex air)
Convection
The independent evolution of a similar characteristic in two different species, not derived from a common ancestor is referred to as _____
Convergent evolution
What are the impacts of human on grasslands?
Conversion to agricultural lands; monoculture (Bread basket); replacement of native species; fertilization, pest control, irrigation
Results from earth's rotation
Coriolis
Leaves that live for only a single year or grown season are classified as _______
Deciduous
Essay Question: What are the leaf area index for deciduous, coniferous, and tropical rain forest. Then be able to calculate the LA.
Deciduous LA 3-5 Coniferous LA 2-4 Rain Forest LA 6-10 Area of a circle is (pi)r2 LA = total leaf area/ projected ground area
Conversion of MO3--->NO2-->NO-->N2O-->N2
Denitrification
What are 2 major attributes and a populations
Density and Distributions
r and k species selection
Developed by r. MacArthur, E.O Wilson, and E. Pianka 2 habitats 1. variable in time and are short-lived 2. relatively stable, long lived, and constant
Forest ecosystems characteristics
Differences in climate, bedrock, and drainage create a variety of soil conditions; Plant productivity influenced by soils, temps, and length of the growing season; end of the growing season in broadleaf deciduous forests is marked by autumn colors.
The movement of molecules from an area of highs concentration to an area of less contraction is called
Diffusion
A specific type of natural selection where the mean value of a trait (ex. beak size) is shifted toward one extreme is called _______
Directional
Presence/absence of a species in an area
Distribution
Coniferous forest ecosystem characteristics
Dominate the cool temperate and boreal zones. Occur in a broad circumpolar belt across the northern hemisphere and on mountain ranges; Low temperatures limit the growing season. Dominated by needle leaf evergreen trees.
Shrubland vegetation
Dwarf sclerophyllous (broadleaf evergreen shrub); Sclerophyllous vegetation-- adapted to reduce water loss during summer; small leaves, thickened cuticles, glandular hairs, sunken stomata.
Lakes that received large amounts of organic matter from surrounding land, particularly in the form of humic materials that stain the water brown, are called ________ lakes
Dystrophic
Environmental sources of heat control the rates of metabolism and activity among ______ organisms
Ectotherms
Zone of leaching in soils
Eluviation
Animals that maintain a fairly constant internal temperature independent of external environment temperatures are called
Endotherms
The minimum and maximum values of an environmental factor (ex. temperature) that an organism can survive, grow and reproduce are referred to as an organism's _________
Environmental tolerance
An ecologist conducts a greenhouse experiment to examine the effect of nitrogen concentration on the biomass productivity of Eucalyptus seedlings. What is the dependent variable in the experiment?
Eucalyptus biomass productivity
Essay Question : Look at oligotrophic and eutrophic
Eutrophic lakes-- high SA to volume ratio; abundant nutrients (high production). Low dissolved material in hypolimnion. Oligotrophic lakes-- Low SA to volume ratio. Low in nutrients (low productions) High dissolved material in hypolimnion.
Human impacts on lakes
Eutrophication; silt and pesticides; exotic species; wetland destruction
Leaves that live for more than a year are classified as _________
Evergreen
define polygandry
Exception not the rule*; A female with 2 or more males.
Filtering/ gathering collectors feed on _____
FPOM
Type of global air (wind) circulation cells
Ferrel
Amount of water held by soil against the force of gravity (ex. capillary forces)
Field Capacity
The proportionate (genetic) contribution that an individual makes to future generation is called an organism's ______
Fitness
CAM plants keep stomata closed in daytime but open at night, thus reducing loss of water. Photosynthesis in CAM plants (i.e. Calvin Cycle) can continue to operate because they ______
Fix CO2 into organic acids during the night.
______ influences reproductive effort
Food availability,
Shrubland characteristics
Found on western margins of the continents between 30-40 Degree latitude. Shrub growth is dominant or codominant; the climate is "mediterranean"--hot/dry summers and cool/moist winters.
Deciduous forest ecosystem characteristics
Four vertical layers that are highly developed and unevenly aged; animal diversity is associated with vertical stratification and plant growth forms --highest on and just below the ground layer.
Grasslands in euroasian
From E. Europe to W. siberia. Mesic meadow steppes in the N. to semiarid grassland in S.
Essay Question: Lavel and briefly describe the major horizons of soil.
From top to bottom: organic layer (has organic material), Topsoil (leaching occurs here. includes eluviated layer), subsoil (clay and sand accumulation), and weathered/ bed rock (parent material of soil).
Arctic tundra
Frozen plane that is located at the highest latitudes of Northern hemisphere. Tundra--100% plant cover, wet to moist soils. (Polar desert <5% plant cover, dry soil.
the total collection of all alleles across all individuals in an inter-breeding population at any given time is called the population's _______
Gene pool.
In streams and rivers, invertebrates that live and feed on wood detritus are called ______
Gougers
Within any ecosystem there are two major chains.
Grazing and detrital
In a temperate deciduous forest, the concentration and diversity of animal life is greatest in the ______
Ground layer
Define Cohort
Group of individuals born in the same period of time (~1000 or proportion of 1)
Define population
Group of potentially interbreed and interacting individuals of the same species living in the same place at same time (reproductively isolated from other populations)
Major Ocean Circulation Patterns
Gyres
Major ocean circulation patterns
Gyres
Ability of the physical environment to support life
Habitability
He was a german zoologist that first coined the term ecology
Haeckel
Grazers of the grassland
Herbivores, saprovores, carnivores.. above ground--mammals 1-5 g/m2 (bison); invertebrates 1-50 g/m@ (Grasshoppers) Belowground---invertebrates (nematodes) >135 g/m2
A plant growing in a sun would be expected to a ______ maximum photosynthesis rate than a plant growing in shade
High
The ______ of water is the amount of heat energy that required to increase a gram of water one degree celsius
High specific heat
Environment is not ______
Homogenous
attraction of H2O molecules to each other
Hydrogen bonds
Ground level of grassland positive impacts
Increases soil moisture; stabilizes temperatures; decreases runoff and erosion; habitat for animals.
Define convergent evolution
Independent evolution of similar characteristics
List in increasing order the main levels of biological organization that we are concerned with in the field of ecology?
Individual organisms, population, community, ecosystem, landscape, biome, biosphere
______ are not distributed evenly through out the geographic range of a population
Individuals
Letic
Inland depressions containing standing water. Can be permanent or ephermal, or FW or saline.
Define semelparity
Invest all stored energy into reproduction. "suicidal act of reproduction". Give birth and die--salmon/
Define Iteroparous
Invest energy periodically into reproduction. "Repeating reproduction" They have early or late tradeoffs.
What is a characteristic of a poikilotherm?
It can allocate more of its energy to biomass production to metabolic heat.
Life History Definition
Its lifetime pattern of growth, development, and reproduction
Essay question: Look at the graphs representing a sun tolerate and shade tolerate plant. Briefly discuss what is the meaning of LCP, LSP, and their differences between sun and shade plants. Why do we see such differences?
LSP-- the light saturation point; this is when the photosynthesis rate has come to its max--> it can no longer make more in production. LCP-- is the compensation point; this is when the light has been compensated from respiration to production (in other words, when you replaced what you used). Sun plants have allowed LCP and a higher LSP Shade plants have a higher LCP and a lower LSP
Techonic basins
Lake formation. Depression formed by movement of earths crust .... Graben--down faulted depressions
Deltaic
Lake formation. Isolated on deltas, often receives salt. River activity
Glacial basins
Lake formation. Most important agent. Gradual erosion and deposition. Pleistocene was the last ice age.
Volcanic Basins
Lake formation. depressions formed
Refers to standing water environments
Lentic
Determining density example
Lepomis 100 individuals marked (M) 150 individuals resampled (n)-- 4 were marked N/M=n/resampled N/100=150/4 N=3750
The value of PAR above which not further increase in photosynthesis occurs is referred to as the _______ point
Light saturation
Shoreline zone of a lake
Littoral
The Position occupied by a gene on the chromosome is called the _______
Locus
Evaporation definition
Loss of moisture
Refers to flowing water environment
Lotic
Small number of young effects
Major investments in one and parental care. Expend more energy per young (altrical or precocial); amount of parenting are varies
A __________ climate is characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters
Mediterranean
Rank-Abundance diagram
Method for comparing patterns of species richness and abundance is to plot the relative abundance of each species against rank"
What are some balance trade offs organisms fitness is constrained by?
Modes of reproductive (sexual/asexual); age at & allocation to reproduction; number of size eggs, young, and seeds produced; amount of parental care.
Late tradeoffs of iteroparous
More growth, later maturity, increased survivorship, less time for future reproduction. optimal timing for reproductive success
Define uniform dispersal
More or less evenly spaced. Animals-Competitor (territoriality); Plants- competition (crown/root space)
Dominates (may be the)
Most #'s! Greatest biomass" Occupy the most space" Largest contributor to energy flow" Often control or influence the community! Keystone species!
Lotic
Moving water bodies. Streams/rivers
Lincoln or peterson index equation
N/M=n/R
The Electron acceptor in the light dependent reaction is ____
NADP+
Total plant primary production minus respiration costs
NPP (Net primary production)
Biotic Community
Naturally occurring assemblages occupying " the same environment/habitats and interact " (directly/indirectly)
The major grazer in grassland biomes
Nematodes
Conversion of NH3--> NO3/NO2
Nitrification
Conversion of N2-->NH2
Nitrogen fixation
Individuals do _________ all the space. Give an example
Not occupy.. (ex. deer population -- difference may avoid half of this area. land use patterns (humans), lack of cover, food, etc.)
Define abundance/density
Number o individuals in the population and define its size.
Bird wingspan would be considered ______ data
Numerical
Define Discrete data
Numerical--- integer values, counts (can be continuous--height/weight)
Classification of streams and rivers
Orders
Dystrophic Lakes receive large amounts of ______
Organic material (humic) that stain the water; or or in contact with peaty substrates; have highly productive littoral zones.
Define reproductive effort
Organisms allocation of energy and time in reproduction; depends on species. (15-30%-annuals, 12-20%- perennials, 25-40% grain crops, 7-48%-reptiles)
Individualistic Concept (Gleason,1926)"
Organisms are independent from one another" Co-occurrence of species " Similarity in requirements and tolerances" Not to strong interactions or common" evolutionary history"
Define mating
Pair formation vary in pari bonding (relationship), vary in parental care from each sex
Define mating system
Pattern of mating between males and females in a population.
C4 plants use the enzyme ______ to initially fix CO2
Pep-carboxylase
Define acclimation
Phenotypic changes in an individual in response to changing environmental conditions--reversible (e.g. physiologic)
the ability of a genotype to give rise to a variety of phenotypic expressions under different environmental conditions is called ________
Phenotypic plasticity
Trophic efficiency equation
Pn/Pn-1
Essay question: In biochemical cycles, what are the two main things that we are interested in quantifying (Define). In addition, provide a simple diagram of general biochemical cycle.
Pools- Reservoirs of the element Processes- Flow, flux between pools---what connects pools. Atmosphere ---> photosynthesis---> Plant biomass Plant biomass---> litterfall---> soil soil or plant biomass---> respiration ----> atmosphere
A groups of individuals of the same species occupying a given area is referred to as a _______
Population
Define random dispersal
Position is independent from others.
Define adaptation
Process of becoming better suited to one's habitat (abiotic and biotic environment)
Bottom sediment zone of a lake
Profundal
Essay question: Why do the amount of rainfall and the composition of vegetation differ greatly on the opposite sides of a mountain range?
Rain shadow which is the dry region on the leeward side of a mountain range resulting from a reduction in rainfall. The formation of a rain shadow is when air is forced to go over the mountain. As it rises, the air mass cools and loses its moisture as precipitation on windward side. The descending air, already dry, picks up moisture and precipitates on the leeward side. Prevailing winds push the moisture up the mountain and then the arid air falls down the other side.
Natural Grassland characteristics
Rainfall 250-700 mm/year. The plant diversity/productivity reflects the amount of rain.
Tropical savannas characteristics
Range of vegetation types in the drier tropics/subtropics with seasonal rainfall. Grass found cover with scattered trees or shrubs. Distribution of woody vegetation. Land surfaces of little relief, fire-adapted, woody vegetation short lived, seasonal precipitation controls plant activity and productivity.
anatomical cooling adaption in animals (ex. antelope)
Rete
The enzyme that that catalyzes initial Carboxylation (CO2 fixation) during C-3 plants photosynthesis is called _______
Rubisco
Capture-recapture and mark-recapture
Sampling method for mobile animals. Based entrapping, marking, and releasing a known number marked animals (M) into the population (N). Population is resampled and the ratio of marked ® to sampled (n) individuals in the 2nd sample represents the ration for the entire population. N/M= n/R
Texture of soil
Sand- 0.05-2 mm Silt- 0.002-.05 mm Clay- <0.002 mm
This biome is likely to have a population of giraffe
Savanna
Define clumped dispersal
Scattered groups (most common). Results from responses to habitat difference. Daily or seasonal weather patterns. Reproductive patterns. Social behavior. Resources.
In streams and rivers, the group of invertebrates that feeds on coarse particulate organic matter (mostly leaves that fall into the stream) are referred to as ________
Shredders
Dominant vegetation type in the Chaparral
Shrubs or shurblands
Dominants"
Single or few species predominate in a community
El nino
Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The surface pressure is between the SE tropical Pacific and Australian/Indonesian. A lot of rain
Define promiscidity
Special form of polygamy; males an females mate with many. for no pair bonds.
Dominant vegetation in taiga
Spruce
_________ are opens in the leaves of terrestrial plants that allow for uptake of CO2
Stomata
Alpine tundra
Strong winds, snow cold, and widely fluctuating temperatures. UV is especially intense on clear days; summer soil temp is 0-40 C. Steep topography induces rapid runoff.
What are the effects of grazing?
Structure/growth reflects grazing pressure; critical growth tissues (below ground); stimulates new growth; change in species
Ground level of grassland negative impacts
Suppresses growth; allows for plant invasion
In this biome you are most likely to find black spruce
Taiga
This biome is most likely to have a population of moose
Taiga
Define solar radiation
The electromagnetic energy or stream of photons produced by the sun. (waves or photons)
What is an ecosystem?
The environment where organisms carry out their "struggle for existence"
define homeostasis
The maintenance required for the exchange of energy and materials between the organisms and the external environment
Define Demography
The study of populations (change) births (natility) deaths (mortality)
Individuals can only occupy areas that can meet ______
Their requirements
Abiotic Decrease factor (environmental resistance)
Too much or too light light Temperature too high or too low Unfavorable chemical environment (too much or too little of critical nutrients)
Abiotic decrease factors (environmental resistance)
Too much or too little light Temperature too low or too high Unfavorable chemical environment
A process of temporarily dropping body temperature to the temperature of the environment for part of the day is called _____
Torpor
________ efficiency if the ratio of photosynthesis in a given trophic level to the productivity of the trophic level on which if feeds
Trophic
The highest diversity of plant and animal life occurs in ______
Tropical rain forests
This biome is most likely to find dwarf willow
Tundra
In terms of temperatures, which of the following is the proper sequences for terrestrial ecosystems in North America (coldest to warmest)
Tundra, taiga, shrubland, warm desert
In terms of precipitation received, which of the following would be proper sequence for terrestrial biomes in North america (lowest to highest)?
Tundra, taiga, temperate forest, temperate rain forest.
Define Survivorship curves
Type 1-- Mortality is low early in life (high parental care) Type 2-- a constant mortality (equal probability of life/death) Type 3-- Mortality high early in life (low parental care.
Where are the nutrients and moisture found in savannas?
Under the trees
Explain tree as a population
Unitary/Modular. Appear to be single units, but of collections (ex. leaves, roots) of modules (parts)
Carbon balance focuses on the balance between _______
Uptake of CO2 in photosynthesis balanced with the loss of CO2 during respiration
Arctic tundra vegetation
Very simple, few species; productivity low (3 months) most of it in underground. (ex. lowground- cotton grasses, well drained sites-dwarf willows, exposed sites-lichens.)
He was an early biographer/naturalist
Wallace
Savannas typically occur in ______
Warm areas with seasonal rainfall in the tropics
The ratio of carbon fixed (photosynthesis) per unit of water lost (transpiration ) is called ______
Water use efficiency
On a global basis where do we find latitude desert ecosystems and why?
We find the desert between 15 and 30 degree latitude. At these latitudes, the desert is receiving fry air that warms as it descends from the Hadley cell to earths surface. There is a rainfall and humidity. Little to no vegetation, such as cacti or sagebrush. Adapted to dry conditions.
Food chain
a descriptive diagram that represents the flow of energy from prey to predator"
Define polygyny
a male with 2 or more females
Define ecotype
a population adapted to its unique (often abrupt) local environmental conditions
Which of the following elements is considered a plant micronutrient? a. iron b. nitrogen c. phosphorus d. oxygen e. carbon
a. Iron
Assimilation Efficiency equation
a/i
Define microevolution
adaptations that occur in a population (population genetics)
Population will have an ______
age structure unless organisms have a seasonal life cycle. (reproduction -- certain age classes) (Mortality-- prevalent in other age classes)
The rate of adiabatic cooling depends on the ____
amount of moisture in the air.
Define disruptive selection
at the both extremes, but not in the middle.
What are the condition of water potential that are required for a continued movement of water from the soil into and through a plant via transpiration?
atm < leaf < root < soil
Define life expectancy
average # of years to be lived in the future
Which of the following is an example of categorical data that an ecologist might record for a bird? a. beak length b. feather color c. wingspan d. feather number e. none of the above
b. Feather color
Which of the following is considered a biotic component of the ecosystems? a. climate b. microbes c. soil d. water e. All of the above
b. Microbes
In a grassland, usually most of the living plant biomass occurs in the form of __________
below ground stems/roots
Define biomes
biotic units and are classified by predominant plant types
Define Altricial
born in an undeveloped state and requiring care and feeding by the parents (ex. us)
A major ungulate grazer in grassland biomes
buffalo
Which of the following DOES NOT represent a possible source of HEAT GAIN for an organism? a. thermal radiation b. solar radiation c. evaporation d. convection e. conduction
c. Evaporation
Define development plasticity
change in the allocation of biomass to different tissues---irreversible
Define weather
combination of variables at a specific place and time ( temperature, precipitation)
Define ecological biogeography
contemporary organisms
Researchers Rosemary and Peter Grant discovered that beak size frequency of Galapagos Island Medium ground finish populations varies with all the following following except: a. rainfall b. seed hardness c. seed size d. seed color e. all of the above
d. seed color
who came with Theory of natural selection
darwin
Define Adiabatic cooling
decreased in air temperature through air expansion rather than heat loss
As Altitude above sea level increases, both air pressure and air density will ______.
decreases
In this biome you are more likely to find saguaro
desert
What is the major energy source in a lotic system
detritus (SPOM, FPOM, DOM)
If birds with larger beaks are favored by the environment, it is likely that ______ selection will occur?
directional
Needle leaf evergreen adapted for survival in an environment with a ________
distinct growing season
Tropical rain forest characteristics
dominated by broadleaf evergreen plants. High NPP and rates of littler production. Equatorial zone 0 to 10 degrees N/S. Temperatures are warm (25 C). Most known biological diversity.
Thermal radiation definition
emission of radiation
Define macroevolution
evolution at a large scale (speciation or extinction)
r selected species traits
ex. cochroach Many small offspring little or no parental care/protection early reproductive age small adults many don't make it to reproductive age high populationgrowth rate generalist niche low ability to compete adapted to unstable climate/environment population size fluctuate
k selected species traits
ex. elephant fewer, larger offspring high parental care and protection later reproductive age most offspring survive to reproduce larger adults adapted to stable climate and environment lower population growth rate specialist niche high ability to compete population size fairly stable
Abiotic Growth factors (biotic potential)
favorable light favorable temperature favorable chemical environment
What is the primary function of the calvin cycle
fix and reduce CO2 to simple sugars
Define directional selection
go to only one extreme, but not both.
Invertebrates that feed on the algal/microbial coatings of stones and rubble in streams and rivers are referred to as _____
grazers
The absorption and re-radiation (back down to earth's surface) of infrared radiation by gases in the atmosphere is called the _______.
greenhouse effect
Functional type
group of species based on their common response to the environment
Guilds
groups of species that exploit a common resource - potential for strong interactions
Each subpopulations has it own:
growth, birth, and death rates
Convection definition
heat transfer between a fluid
Conduction definition
heat transfer between two objects
Below ground grassland characteristics
highly developed; most fibrous roots (upper 15 cm); some tap (1-2 m); underground stems (rhizomes)--storage and propagate (fire adapted).
A ______ individual has the same two alleles at the same locus on homologous chromosomes
homozygous
In the electron transport system, ______ accumulate in the outer compartment o the mitochondria.
hydrogen
Where is permafrost found and what is it definition
in the taiga; ;perennially frozen subsurface,
Allogenic
independent of organisms
Species Evenness
indicates the distribution of individuals among the total species"
What is the correct ecological hierarchy (from smallest to largest)
individual organisms, population, community, and landscape.
Percent similarity (PS
is based on the rela0ve abundance of species within the communi0es being compared (0 to 100)
Arctic Tundra animal diversity
is low; inverts near the surface; dominant vert are herbivores (arctic hare); carnivores (wolf, arctic fox)
Define distribution
its spatial location and is based on the presence or absence of individuals
Vegetation of grasslands
leafy shoots (tillers) underground rhizomes. Leaf blade and rude-like sheath. Tillers grow together (bunch or tussock) or grow laterally (sod or turf)
Compared with plants growing in high light, plants growing in shaded environments produce _____ rubisco
less
Early Tradeoffs of iteroparous
less growth, earlier maturity, reduced survivorship, potential for future reproduction
Define Subpopulations
linked together by migration (aka metapopulation)
Define Climate
long-term pattern of weather. this determines long term availability of solar energy, heat and water.
Large number of young effects
minimal investment and no parental care; disturbed and unpredictable habits.
An individual's fitness is determined by
number of offspring that survive to reproduce. (tradeoffs to max reproductive effort).
Lakes that typically have a low surface area to volume ratio
oligotrophic
Individuals are not dispersed as _______
one large population
Define historical biogeography
origin, dispersal, extinction
The removal of electrons from a compound is known as ______
oxidation
Population Efficiency equation
p/a
Growth Production efficiency
p/i
Mortality curve
plots qx against age (x)" Typically J shaped" High juvenile mortality" Higher mortality with old age
Water is a ____ ____ Bond
polar covalent
Abundance is a function of :
population density (numbers per unit space m2). Crude density, can vary from location to location
Define evolution
process by which the properties of populations change over generations
Succession
progressive changes in community" structure through time in response to environment" Gradual sequential change in species" Opportunistic early ---> late successional" r vs. k selected ?"
Diversity indexes
provide a way to quantify the relationship between species number and relative abundance"
Probability of survival (px)
px=1-qx
Mortality rate (qx)
qx=dx/Nt dx= # of deaths a time interval Nt=#alive at the beginning
Define fecundity
rate of production of young (size and age relate to this)
Relative abundance
represents the % each" species contributes to the total # of individuals" of all species"
Autogenic
result from activities of organisms
In the vicinity of the equator, air typically ____, ____, and _____
rises, cool, and precipitates
Herbivores with compartmentalized digestive systems that house microbes that facilitate the breakdown of cellulose are known as ______
ruminants
What biome has the large diversity of herbivores?
savannas
Define sexual selection
selection of a mate among competing males. Females ensure male fitness.
Acquisition of a mate
selection of mate is important (best fit); only so many males and females present; males not very selective; female very selective
The vegetation of tundra is dominated by ________
short plants such as sedges and willow
Define biogeography
spatial or geographical distribution of organisms
Define Stabilizing selection
stabilizing in the middle. the intermediate between the extremes
Define Population's geographic range
the area that encompasses all individuals of a species
Define phenotypic variation
the change in geographic range of species of neighboring populations
Define siblicide
the killing of sibling(s) as a behavior pattern typical in various animal groups (birds/snakes)
Define ecology
the scientific study of the processes influencing the distribution and abundance of organisms. the interactions among/between organisms and their environment, and the transformation and flux of energy and matter.
Buttresses, which are broad overgrowths at the base of trees, are best developed in ______
tropical rain forests
Frozen, treeless plains dominated by sedges, lichens and dwarf willows at high latitudes are referred to as ______
tundra
The force exerted on a plant cell wall by the water contained in the cell is called _______
turgor pressure
Define polygamy
two or more mates (female or male). On is freed from parental duties.
Shrublands lack an _____
understory; ground litter is highly flammable. Chapel---a large fuel load build up; many species require fire for seed germination
Define gene
unit of hereditary information (DNA)
The portion of sunlight that is available to plants for photosynthesis is called ______
visible light
The oxygen liberated in photosynthesis comes from ______
water
Gougers burrow into _______
waterlogged wood.