bio for majors final

a lake that is clear and has little plant life

oligotrophic

communities are associations of species separated by sharp boundaries

organismic model

the open ocean, or the ______________ zone, is deep, has low nutrient concentrations, and is only warm near the surface

pelagic

per capita birth rate - per capita death rate

per capita growth rate

an example of commensalism in which one organism uses another for transportation

phoresy

_________________ cycles locally only between geological and biological components of ecosystems

phosphorous

what two elements are most commonly limiting for primary production?

phosphorous and nitrogen

although corals are animals, they are limited to the _______________ zone, where light penetrates, because of the presence of photosynthetic algae that inhabitat their inner cell layer

photic

succession on newly exposed site that has no biological legacy is slow because why?

plants must build up the soil and prepare it for secondary succession

many individuals of the same species living together in a defined area form what?

population

the study of factors affecting population size and how these factors change over space and time

population ecology

the instantaneous growth rate of a population describes what?

population growth rate over a short period of time

what are the two phenomena of the water cycle?

precipitation and evaporation

by knowing the per capita growth rate, ecologists can what?

predict population growth because it determines the change in the number of individuals in the population over a period of time

_____________ succession occurs after a glacier retreats

primary

secondary production is thought to be largely limited by ______________ production

primary

succession that occurs on a newly exposed site that has not supported a community of organisms before

primary

insects, snails, slugs

primary consumers

annual plants

primary producers

according to the _____________________, each species is distributed according to its physiological needs, communities gradually merge into one another, and competition does not create distinct vegetational zones

principle of species individuality

the _________________ hypothesis predicts that species richness can be predicted by the total amount of plant material produced over time

productivity

what benefit would a plant receive from synchronizing flowering between the individuals of a species?

promoting pollinator fidelity

all compounds in which nitrogen is found

proteins and nucleic acids

when the amount of bioligical material decreases with increasing trophic level

pyramid of biomass

energy production decreases with increasing trophic level

pyramid of energy

a grassland supports thousands of insects, and insects supports hundreds of predators

pyramid of numbers

the abundance of species decreases with increasing trophic level

pyramid of numbers

species with short life spans, small bodies, good dispersal rates, low parental care, occupying disturbed habitats

r-selected species

which hypothesis proposes that ecosystem function is maximized at a very low level of diversity?

redundancy hypothesis

the term ________________ refers to the differentiation of niches, in both space and time, enabling similar species to coexist in a community

resource partitioning

the practice of repairing or replacing degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment by active human intervention and action

restoration ecology

_____________ succession begins with an existing community that has been dramatically altered

secondary

parasitoids that feed on herbivores

secondary consumers

the measure of production gain by heterotrophs and decomposers

secondary production

the relationship between the available area and the number of species present is called the _____________ effect

species-area

competition-intolerant species

successful early in succession

competition-tolerant species

successful late in succession

what describes a series of changes in the composition and structure of an ecological community through time?

succession

a graph of the proportion of surviving at each age is called a ________________ curve

survivorship

beak sizes are different with G. fortis having a larger bill depth and G. fulinginosa with a smaller bill depth

sympatric

species exist in the same geographic area

sympatric

species that occur in the same geographic area but tend to specialize on different types of food and develop different feeding characters are termed as what?

sympatric

the animal life of _______________ _______________ forest includes bears, lynxes, moose, beavers, squirrels, and few to no reptiles or amphibians

temperature coniferous

water, temperature, and nutrient availability are the main factors that can limit primary production in which ecosystem?

terrestrial

by calculating the number of births per unit time interval minus the number of deaths per unit time interval, ecologists can determine what?

the change in population size over time

why is primary succession often a long process?

the plants must rebuild the lost soil and organic material

data supporting the model of inhibition includes a study in which...

the removal of green algae from an intertidal zone allowed a large red algae to colonize more quickly

the equilibrium model of island biogeography proposes that immigration onto an island is highest when what?

there are no species already present on the island

one of the lines of evidence that suggests that bottom-up effects are important in population density

there is a progressive decrease of available energy passing from plants through herbivores to carnivores and to secondary carnivores

why are food web chain lengths typically short?

they are limited by laws of physics and chemistry

since coral are animals, why are they limited to the photic zone?

they contain photosynthetic symbiotic algae

summarize the work conducted by ricklefs and lovette in 1999

they found a positive correlation between species richness and area

in a human dominated world, k-selected species are at risk of extinction because why?

they tend to have fewer offspring so their populations cannot recover from disturbances

species that are likely to become in danger of extinction in the future

threatened

the hypothesis that predicts that older communities will have higher degree of species richness than newer communities is called what?

time

the ______________ model of succession states that any species can begin succession, but the climax community is reached in an orderly fashion in which earlier species neither help nor hinder invading species

tolerance

competition intolerant species are more successful early in succession, while competition tolerant species appear later in succession

tolerance model

in interactions between plants and microorganisms plants provide energy to microorganisms and microorganisms provide plants with better access to nutrients

trophic mutualism

the canopy cover and density of plant life of temperate deciduous forests is not as dense as warmer ________________ forests, allowing for more abundant ground cover

tropical

which major climate zone has the most species richness?

tropical

herds of antelope, zebra, wildabeest, and predators like cheetahs, lions, and leopards reside where?

tropical grassland

this biome is found in equatorial regions, has a very high species diversity, and contains trees with buttress roots to support their shallow root systems

tropical rain forest

t or f: bears don't suffer from arteriosclerosis (high cholesterol) during hibernation

true

t or f: the loss of biodiversity could disrupt an ecosystem's ability to provide water filtration, maintain soil fertility, and process carbon dioxide

true

extraction from the _____________ biome has the potential to have a significant impact, and ecosystem recovery from the damage would be slow, hurting populations of polar bears and and caribou

tundra

parents have few young and invest much time and resources into raising their young

type I

parents have several young over their lifetime investing a small amount of time into raising their young

type II

parents have large numbers of offspring per event and invest little to no time in their young

type III

which type of survivorship of birds, small mammals, and reptiles?

type ii

_______________ species have large habitat requirements, so that protecting them protects many other species in the same habitat

umbrella

how do the movements of units of energy and chemical elements differ in an ecosystem?

units of energy - pass through only once, dissipating as heat chemical elements - recycled, moving from the physical environment to organisms, back to the environment

nitrogen in blood

uremia

how does the hydrological cycle differ from the cycles of other nutrients?

very little water is chemically changed by the cycle's components

what is unique about the deep water availability in the tundra biome?

water is locked in permafrost

what aquatic biome occurs at the margins of both lentic and and lotic habitats?

wetlands

what biome plays a valuable role in protecting coastal communities from hurricanes?

wetlands

what are some results of hibernation?

-accumulation of feces -low surface-to-volume ratio -liver takes over function of kidneys

role of phosphorous in ecosystems

-all living organisms require it -it is a key component of dna and rna -it is a component of atp

ammonification is the conversion of organic nitrogen to ____________ and ______________

-ammonia -ammonium

what are the 4 main hypothesis that account for species richness differences?

-area -productivity -time -intermediate-disturbance

what 3 major constituents are measured when investigating the dynamics of an ecosystem?

-biomass production -cycling of elements -energy flow

how can scientists evaluate the efficiency of consumers as energy transformers?

-by calculating the production efficiency -by calculating trophic-level transfer efficiency

the relationship between ecosystem function and biodiversity is _______________ ____________ for diversity-stability hypothesis and __________ for the idiosyncratic hypothesis

-consistently strong -weak

examples of organisms that acquire carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and incorportate it into organic matter via photosynthesis

-cyanobacteria -plants -algae

organisms of interest when measuring ecosystems biomass production

-cyanobacteria -plants -algae

reasons for decline of black bears

-deforestation for railroads -unregulated hunting

much of the temperate decidious forest is destroyed because human population used them for what?

-development -agriculture

most significant human activities that lead to deforestation

-development -farming -animal grazing

the main threats to species are those induced by humans; these include:

-direct exploitation -climate change -habitat destruction

what factors could disturb communities?

-droughts -fires -floods -hurricanes -species interactions

what arguments have been used as arguments for the preservation of biological diversity?

-ecosystems have a very high economic value -ecosystems provide clean air and water -humans have an ethical responsibility to protect ecosystems

in mountainous environment, ranges of temperature decrease with increasing elevation through adiabatic cooling, thus temperature and precipitation may change dramatically depending on:

-elevation -leeward vs windward side

of the three models of succession, _____________ is a process in which early species prepare the ground for later species, ______________ is when early species exclude later species, and _____________ is when late species are equally likely to establish

-facilitation -inhibition -tolerance

three levels at which biodiversity is examined

-genetic -species -ecosystem

the 3 major fields of biology encompassed by conservation biology

-genetics -molecular biology -ecology

two major principles incorporated by the theory and practice of reserve design

-landscape ecology -island biogeography

benefits of large parks

-larger number of species will be protected -migrating species have room to move

life history strategy

-length of life -speed of maturation -competitive ability -dispersal ability

all human activities that affect tropical rain forests

-logging -clearing land for cattle

human activites that affect tropical rain forests:

-logging land for agriculture -cleaning land for cattle

what advantages does an organism gain by having 6 sets of chromosomes instead of only two?

-more adaptations to environmental conditions -greater genetic diversity

potential advantages of setting up several small preserves rather than one large reserve of equal total areas

-more species are often included due to variety of sites -broader variety of habitats are contained -risk of extinction by a single event is reduced

unlike _______________ in which both species gain from an interaction, ______________ is an interaction in which one species benefits and the other is unaffected

-mutualism -commensalism

nitrogen cycle

-nitrogen fixation -nitrification -assimilation -ammonification

the ____________ model considers a community to be equivalent to a super-organism, while the ______________ model considers a community to be an assemblage of organisms coexisting because of similar abiotic requirements

-organismic -individualistic

what effects does elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide have on plant growth and herbivory?

-plant growth increased -amount of herbivoery decreased

potential outcomes of global warming

-shift in the timing of flowering so that it doesn't coincide with pollinator activity -emergence of animals from hibernation when food supplies are not adequate

k-selected species exhibit ________________, whereas r-selected exhibit ________________

-slow development, good competitive abilities; rapid development, poor competitive abilities -low mortalitiy rates of young, low reproductive rates; high mortality rates of young, high reproductive rates

major reasons for the transport of introduced species

-sources of timber or meat -agricultural production

what are higher in the headwaters of a river than in its lower reaches?

-speed of current -oxygen level -clarity

mammalian physiology includes the ordinary _______ excreted by ___________

-urea -kidneys

ways in which humans benefit from estuaries

-water filtration -erosion control

what describes the physical environment of a temperate rain forest?

-water from dense coastal fogs condenses -rainfall is abundant -occassionally temeperatures drop below freezing in the winter

other species that declined in arkansas along with the black bear

-white tailed deer -turkey

average trophic-level transfer efficiency

10%

what % of body mass do bears lose?

15-30%

how long is a bear's gestation period?

2 months

how did they try to restore the population of black bears?

260 bears from minnesota were released in 3 different locations

how many bears were left in arkansas by 1940?

40

the maintained body temperature of bears during super hibernation

88°F

illustrates the value of preserving genetic diversity

a chemical that treats cancer is present in some pacific yew plants

in what situation would a population exhibit exponential growth?

a population which reaches a new habitat with an abundance of resources

most prairies are now being used for ___________________, and the original grassland habitats are rare

agriculture

g fortis and g. fulinginosa have similar beak depths

allopatric

species exist in different geographic areas

allopatric

which ones do not display type i survivorship?

animals with a relatively high rate of loss of offspring

light and nutrient availability are the main factors that can limit primary production in which ecosystem?

aquatic

the ___________ hypothesis for species richness predicts that the large island will have a higher species richness than a smaller island

area

the bear state

arkansas

the process by which inorganic substances are incorporated into organic molecules is called _________________

assimilation

_____________ mimicry is the mimicry of an unpalatable species by a palatable one

batesian

involves the absorption and release of chemicals by living organisms

biological

which type of biogeochemical transport mechanism involves the absorption and release of chemicals by living organisms?

biological transport

what components of the ecosystem is carbon cycle among?

biological, geological, and atmospheric

to construct a pyramid of _____________, scientists measure the weight at each trophic level rather than counting numbers of organisms

biomass

this application of restoration uses microbes or plants to detoxify polluted habitats

bioremediation

had one of the widest distribution of any mammal in north america

black bears

tropical rain forest, tropical deciduous forest, tropical grassland, tundra

broad terrestrial biomes

the movement of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again is known as what?

carbon cycle

in the winter, glycerol is used as what for protein synthesis using nitrogen?

carbon source

global warming is threat to coral reefs because high water temperatures and high pH:

causes coral bleaching

net primary production (NPP) is gross primary production minus the energy released during _____________ _________________ oh photosynthetic organisms

cellular respiration

transport mechanism that includes dissolved matter in rain and snow, atmosphere gases, and and dust blown by the wind

chemical

a community that remains in place with little modification until a disturbance begins the succession process

climax community

in a ____________ ______________ biome it is difficult to grow crops becuase of the combination of low temeperatures and low rainfall

cold desert

what biome is found in the dry regions at middle to high latitudes, especially in the interiors of continents and in the rain shadows of mountains?

cold desert

an interaction between cattle and cattle egret is what?

commensalism

organisms in all trophic levels above the primary producers

consumers

in the pioneer stage of the process of facilitation following glacier retreat, the soil is poor and is first colonized by what?

cyanobacteria, mosses, and lichens

earthworms and soil insects

decomposers

in studying lowland forest bird species in polynesia, macarthur and wilson found that the number of species on islands...

decreases with distance from the source pool

__________________ mutualism occurs when an animal protects a plant or an herbivore

defensive

habitat destruction through _______________ has historically been a prime cause of the extinction of species

deforestation

birth and death rates, age distribution, population sizes

demography

reduction of nitrate to gaseous nitrogen

dentrification

summarize wayne sousa's findings on succession in an intertidal zone

early colonists can hinder rather than aid subsequent species

the biotic community of organisms in an area in addition to the physical environment affecting the community

ecosystem

what type of ecology is concerned with the movement of energy and materials through organisms and their communities?

ecosystem

many forest adapted species prefer to live in the middle of a forest. what principle does this illustrate?

edge effect

species that are in danger of extinction throughout all or most of their range

endangered

species that are found only in a particular place or region, and nowhere else are said to be what?

endemic

a lake that has low water clarity and extensive algae growth

eutrophic

the measure of available water and temperature

evapotranspiration

the rate at which water moves into the atmosphere through evaporation from soil and transpiration from plants

evapotranspiration rate

what pattern of growth can be observed by studying the human population?

exponential

early in island succession...

extinction rate is low due to few large populations

mechanism of succession in which earlier species make the area more suitable for subsequent species

facilitation

which the interaction is beneficial but not essential to the survival and reproduction of either species

facultative mutualistic relationship

t or f: bears suffer from osteoporosis during hibernation

false

t or f: different species feed at the same level in the same food chain

false

t or f: dispersive mutualism occurs when two species share a common resource

false

t or f: sharp boundaries are common between neighboring communities

false

_____________ species are large or instantly recognizable species

flagship

the movement of energy through an ecosystem is called energy ____________

flow

a linear depiction of energy flow, where each organism derives energy from the previous organism

food chain

a complex model of interconnected feeding levels, in which there are multiple links between species

food web

the physiologically optimal range of conditions for an organism is called what?

fundamental niche

inbreeding, genetic drift, and limited mating are 3 factors that make small populations more vulnerable to the loss of what?

genetic diversity

random change in allele frequencies attributable to chance

genetic drift

includes weathering and erosion of rocks and elements transported by surface and subsurface drainage

geological

what is thought to be the greatest threat to coral reefs?

global warming

lipid breakdown produces what?

glycerol

in an ecosystem, ________________ primary production is the raw rate at which primary producers synthesize new organic matter

gross

the amount of carbon fixed during photosynthesis

gross primary production

hexaploid redwoods would...

have greater variety in their proteins and have the potential to grow faster

animals that eat plants

herbivores

organisms with 6 sets of chromosomes in each of their cells

hexaploids

which biome is most disturbed by off-road vehicles and salinization due to frequent irrigation?

hot desert

the period prior to denning when up to 20,000 kcals are consumed by bears

hyperphagia

mating among genetically related relatives

inbreeding

the status of __________________ species provides information on the overall health of an ecosystem

indicator

gleason's ___________________ model describes a community as an assemblage of species coexisting due to similarities in physiological tolerances and requirements

individualistic

a community is an assemblage of species coexisting due to shared physiological requirements and tolerances

individualistic model

the _______________-________________ hypothesis predicts that areas with moderate habitat disturbance will have high levels of species richness

intermediate-disturbance

between individuals of different species

interspecific

the marine biome called the ________________ zone is the area where land meets the sea and is alternately submerged and exposed by the daily cycle of tides

intertidal

what biome is distributed worldwide and consists of sandy shore, mudflats, or rocky shore?

intertidal zone

between individuals of the same species

intraspecifc

species moved by humans from a native location to another location

introduced species

species that spread and out compete native species for space and resources

invasive species

a tree supports hundred of insects, and insects support thousands of predators

inverted pyramid

when the amount of biological material increases with increasing trophic

inverted pyramid of biomass

the abundance of species increases with increasing trophic level

inverted pyramid of numbers

species richness on islands is primarily influenced by what?

island size and distance from source pool

disturbance may increase species richness because why?

it causes a progression of species competing for resources as an area re-establishes after disturbance

what happens to slope of an exponential growth curve as the value of rmax increases?

it produces a steeper slope

slow development, low reproductive rates, late reproductive age, long length of life

k-selected species

species with relatively stable populations adapted to existing at or near their carrying capacity

k-selected species

what animals are mainly found in the tropical grassland?

large mammals

standing water

lentic

how do humans affect the temperate rain forest?

logging

as the population size grows it moves closer to carrying capacity and resources become limited

logistic growth

free flowing water

lotic

where is energy lost in each trophic level?

maintenance (body temp) and excretion of waste products such as feces

when is the breeding season for female bears?

may and june

conservation biologists often must make decisions regarding which habitats should be protected. the ______________ country approach suggests that efforts should focus on the most biologically rich countries

megadiversity

____________ __________ exist in many parts of the world, but among the largest are the himilayas in asia, the rockies in north america, andes in south america

mountain ranges

small reserves can be linked together by biotic corridors, which are also called ___________ corridors

movement

humans have planted large areas of the earth with crops, and food crops have allowed an expansion of human populations

mutualism

____________________ are highly prevalent in plant-seed dispersal systems

mutualistic

an important reason why many new introduced species cause so much disturbance in communities is that:

natural prey-predator balances doesn't exist

the free-swimming animals of of the open ocean are called what?

nekton

the amount of energy available to primary consumers

net primary production

species may coexist if they do not occupy identical what?

niches

what is the process by which soil bacteria convert ammonium to nitrate?

nitrification

after hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon, which two elements are required in the largest amounts of living organisms

nitrogen and phosphorous

colonization of soil by alders is important during the early stages of facilitation because alders have a mutualistic relationship with what?

nitrogen-fixing bacteria

mammalian physiology includes the ________________ waste from break down of AA

nitrogenous

the species richness of a community refers to what?

number of different species

in _________________ mutualism neither species can live without the other

obligatory