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
