Ecology Study Guide

There is much interdependence among the biogeochemical cycles on Earth. Explain how warmer ocean water involved in these cycles.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, would cause rising ocean temperatures, which will cause an increase in evaporation. The added water vapor would further increase global warming.

The effect of carbon dioxide on the atmospheric temperature is BEST shown by graph

C

Consider this northern site of primary succession following the retreat of a glacier. What characteristics would you expect to see among the plant comprising the pioneer species?

small, wind born seeds; survive in poor soils

A farmer had an accident and spilled a chemical into his pond. Several days later, he notices many dead frogs around the pond. That summer, the number of gnats around the pond was higher than ever. This is because

the frogs are a limiting factor for the gnats.

The Cahuilla tribe was a Native American community that lived in the arid area near present day San Diego. The Cahuilla's diet relied heavily upon mesquite beans. In order to preserve the plants only a portion of the beans that were available to harvest were harvested. Why were some of the harvestable beans left on the plant?

to grow into new plants

A Density Independent Limiting Factor is a limiting factor of a population that can affect population growth no matter what the population density. What is a density independent limiting factor that can affect the human population growth of North Carolina?

tornadoes

in an aquatic ecosystem, the algae and phytoplankton are responsible for primary productivity. All BUT ONE factor usually influences the primary productivity of a marine ecosystem.

water temperature.

As a student in an environmental science class, you have been asked to explain the greenhouse effect and the problem we face, in regards to global warming with increasing greenhouse gas emissions. You decide to use an analogy to help your other classmates understand how the increase in greenhouse gases will play a role in the greenhouse effect and global warming. All BUT ONE of these analogies is correct.

The increase in greenhouse gas emissions is like placing an extra log on the fire to produce more heat.

How much has the annual greenhouse gas index increased by percent from 1979 to 2017?

approximately 58%

Carbon dioxide is not considered an organic molecule. Photosynthetic organisms turn it into an organic molecule in the form of a(n)

carbohydrate.

What is shown in the graph?

exponential growth of a population

Coral reefs are among the world's richest ecosystems, second only to tropical rain forests. Like the tropical rainforest, the coral reef ecosystem is in danger. Coral is being harmed by all BUT ONE of the following.

mineral deposit

In an ecosystem, which is NOT a density-dependent limiting factor?

natural disaster

Look carefully at the model. Plants take in and release carbon dioxide. Plants take in carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. What process releases carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere?

respiration.

Wildfires are frequent In the Great Basin shrub steppe. Every time there is a fire outbreak, much of the natural vegetation is destroyed. What is the MOST LIKELY impact of fire on this ecosystem?

A drastic reduction in the animal population due to migration or death by starvation.

Food production has significantly increased over the last century to keep up with the demands of the growing world population. According to the graph shown above, fertilizer use has also increased to improve plant growth during crop production. What is an adverse impact to a local community from the long-term use of the fertilizers?

Biodiversity decrease in nearby ponds from runoff pollutants entering water.

There are some greenhouse gases that are found naturally in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor. There are also greenhouse gases that are not found naturally; they are released from anthropogenic sources only. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are greenhouse gases that also contribute to ozone depletion. Although these chemicals have been banned, they will continue to remain in the atmosphere for many more years. Which anthropogenic sources contributed to CFCs being released into the atmosphere?

CFCs were released from refrigerants, solvents, and aerosols.

Habitat loss is one of the critical causes of loss of species numbers over the last hundred years. Which of these solutions would address the issue of small isolated populations with reduced habitats?

Creating land bridges to connect fragmented habitats

A biology student is studying ways to grow crops in soils that are high in salts and other dissolved solids. To determine whether corn plants can tolerate salty soil conditions, she grows 50 corn plants in typical garden soil and the same amount of corn plants in garden soil plus varying amounts of salt: 0.01 kg, 0.1 kg, and 1 kg of salt. After 6 weeks of growth, there was an inverse relationship between amount of salt in the soil and plant height: the more salt present, the shorter the plants. The student concluded that salt did have an effect on the growth of corn. What was the control in the experiment?

Plants grown in typical soil

The graph illustrates what has happened over an 8 year period, when non-native Nile perch were introduced to Lake Malawi in Africa. Environmental factors remained the same during this period (i.e., temperature, pH, water levels, etc.) Based on the data, what recommendation would you make to African biologists?

Remove or reduce the Nile perch as quickly as possible, as it is clearly out-competing the pike cichlid.

Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida in 1992 causing over $25 million in damages. Biscayne National Park in the Florida Keys. Most of the deciduous and evergreen trees in the area were uprooted and the area was left with only a few smaller trees and some grasses. What type of succession took place in Biscayne National Park after Hurricane Andrew?

Secondary succession

In the United States there are strict fishing seasons and limits, but not all countries enforce similar laws. In Bangladesh there are few if any fishing restrictions. What might be the reason for less restrictions in smaller countries like Bangladesh?

Small countries, such as Bangladesh, are practicing subsistence fishing, taking only the fish needed to survive.

Coral reefs are ideal breeding grounds for a variety of fish and sea creatures, and coral is considered a foundation species. Unfortunately, coral reefs are fragile ecosystems and are easily disrupted. Because coral contain calcium carbonate deposits, one situation poses a growing threat to coral as well as the many organisms that are dependent on them. That situation is

acidification of the ocean caused by increased atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions that dissolve in water.

If the presence in greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere continues to increase at the present rate, scientists predict that in the next 50 to 100 years, atmospheric temperatures could rise by 2oC.All of these could be consequences of global warming EXCEPT

an increase in square miles of polar ice covering Earth.

The single most important limiting factor in any terrestrial biome is

available water.

A newly formed volcanic island has appeared in the Pacific Ocean. Analyze each of the sequences in the primary succession of species colonizing a newly formed island and select the answer choice that reflects the correct sequence

bare rock, lichens, small annual plants, perennial herbs and grasses, shade intolerant trees

Consider this northern site of primary succession following the retreat of a glacier. Plant species at location B. would eventually change to the species seen at location C. because of what factor?

being shaded out by taller spices

According to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change), 1.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide a year are released into the atmosphere due to deforestation. Until the early 1900s, deforestation was the dominant source of increased CO2 in the atmosphere. What has surpassed deforestation as the number one anthropogenic source of carbon dioxide emissions?

burning of fossil fuels

A characteristic of the open-loop system is that it does not use feedback to determine if its output has achieved the desired goal of the input. This means that the system does not observe the output of the processes that it is controlling. Closed-loop systems employ feedback and a reference of correctness. Deviations from the norm are detected and corrections made in order to maintain a desired output. The image shown above is the Carbon cycle. What kind of system is the Carbon cycle?

closed-loop system

Did you know that many Native American tribes used forest fires as a tool? Setting fire to patches of a forest helps clear brush, provides foraging space for deer, and prevents much larger forest fires. This type of activity is an early example of ______________.

ecosystem management

Cutting down forests changes the populations of more than trees. Imagine the organisms that lived in this forest. After the trees have been cut, fewer animals can survive here. What are MOST LIKELY the limiting factors in this case?

food and shelter

A Density Independent Limiting Factor is a limiting factor of a population that can affect population growth no matter what the population density. What is a density independent limiting factor that can affect the human population growth of North Carolina?

hurricanes

A major cause of biodiversity loss and species extinction in North Caroline is due to the introduction of invasive non-native species in the ecosystem. Many invasive species come for the similar climatic conditions where they can thrive, but most arrive by human transport on accident or on purpose. Some examples include: Bradford pears, Japanese honeysuckle, Asian carp, and brown tree snake. What is NOT an impact that an invasive non-native species has on an ecosystem?

improves forest productivity and overall health

Analyze the relationship between CO2 emissions and surface temperature change between 1950 and 2000 using the data presented in the graphs.

increase emissions leads to an increase of CO2 in the atmosphere which may be the cause of the increase in temperature

The graph indicates what about the relationship between atmospheric carbon dioxide and time

over time, the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide increases

The process of respiration is essential in the oxygen/carbon dioxide cycle. Respiration removes ______ from the atmosphere and produces and releases ______ to the atmosphere.

oxygen, carbon dioxide

Each year, the Michigan forest products industry harvests about 12 million tons of wood. Each ton of wood generates about $100 worth of economic activity. That is a total of $1.2 billion worth of economic activity. Thanks to sustainable forestry measures, Michigan's forests are growing considerably faster than they are being harvested. ALL BUT ONE is a principle of sustainable forestry practice. That is

pass legislation to limit the harvesting of trees throughout the state.

Biodiversity's relevance to the human condition is becoming an international political issue. One organization, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, has analyzed the drivers for loss of biodiversity throughout the world's biomes. If the U.S. was to enact legislation to help alleviate this crisis, loss of biodiversity worldwide, what areas should receive priority?

pollution and climate change

Which factor is a density-dependent limiting factor on the population of a species?

predation

Coal, oil, and natural gas

release carbon dioxide when they are burned.

The oceans absorb carbon through three processes that draw atmospheric carbon dioxide into the oceans: the physical carbon pump, the biological carbon pump and the carbonate pump. Molecules of CO2 enter the ocean by diffusing into the sea surface waters and dissolving as part of the physical carbon pump. All BUT ONE variable influences how much CO2 will diffuse in any given location. That is

salinity.

According to the World Resource Institute, biodiversity is the variety of the world's organisms, including their genetic diversity. In a world of genetically modified (GM) crops, agriculture is greatly reducing the genetic diversity of the plants on Earth. If we ignore genetic diversity while we develop GM products, we risk a disease or pest emerging that will wipe those types out. One answer to this problem is seed banks. Storage of material in the form of seeds is one of the most widespread and valuable ex-situ approaches to conservation. All BUT ONE is an advantage of seed banking over other ex-situ methods of biodiversity conservation. That is

seed banks are expensive to maintain.

Which of these physical factors would have the GREATEST effect on the types of plants that could thrive in an ecosystem?

temperature and rainfall

Many factors determine the health of an aquatic ecosystem. Which choice lists ONLY abiotic factors?

the oxygen content of the water, the water temperature, and the chemical composition of the bottom mud

Consider the wetland habitat pictured here. Imagine a very hot summer with little rain. What would be the limiting factor for the populations of all of the animals living here?

water

This recolonization of an area that has been totally destroyed (as in the above example), is an example of

primary

Greenhouse gases are measured by their ability to trap outgoing solar radiation and convert it to heat, warming the atmosphere. Depending on their persistence in the atmosphere, their global warming potential (as compared to carbon dioxide) can increase or decrease. Which terms and values most logically completes the table for the missing values at A and B?

A is methane B is <1

The table shows the tolerance range of some common freshwater organisms to different pH ranges in water.Acid rain causes the pH of rivers, lakes, and streams on Earth to change. Based on the data table, which animal population will be the LAST to die out due to an increase in acid rain?

Frogs

Ocean acidification is of considerable concern to environmental scientists as it could impact ocean biodiversity significantly. One of the impacts is the weakening of calcium carbonate shells in invertebrates, which releases carbon into the ocean. What describes the relationship between ocean acidification's causes and effects?

Increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere cause a decrease in ocean pH. The dissolution of calcium carbonate shells increases carbon in the ocean. This is a positive feedback loop, where the ocean's pH will continue to drop.

A national park needs to perform selective logging in their forested area. In order for logging trucks to access the area, roads will need to be installed across a previously undisturbed area of forest. The forest is home to many species of trees (hickories, oaks, and maples), multiple herbivores (deer, rabbits, squirrels), and higher level consumers as well (wolves, hawks). Which of these is an environmental impact due to an increased road construction in the park?

Increased predation and fatalities at the edge of the habitats adjacent to the road

According to the theory of global warming, which statement is the MOST LIKELY reason for the current climate change?

The atmosphere is reradiating more heat to Earth.

Consider the data for competing predators, wolves and mountain lions, in several counties. If the wolf population in Clay County increases and approaches 80 wolves, what would we expect to happen to the mountain lion population?

The mountain lion population would drop below its current level.

As part of their research on cell reproduction, Ms. Kelly's biology class designed various experiments to determine the best conditions for budding, or asexual reproduction, in common yeast cells. The students added sucrose as a source of food for the yeast and each group added water of a different temperature to the yeast-sugar mix. They used a light microscope to observe and count the yeast cells.Based on the recorded data, what observation did the students make regarding the growth of yeast cells?

The number of yeast cells increased as the temperature of the water increased.

Carbon dioxide is naturally present in the atmosphere as part of the Earth's carbon cycle. Human activities are altering the carbon cycle, by adding more CO2 to the atmosphere and by influencing the ability of natural sinks, like forests, to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. While CO2 emissions come from a variety of natural sources, human-related emissions are responsible for the increase that has occurred in the atmosphere since the industrial revolution.Consider the graph above. Notice the trend in atmospheric carbon dioxide as recorded at recording stations over Antarctica. Hypothesize how the schematic of the carbon cycle might change if urbanization and deforestation continues unchecked.

The photosynthesis carbon sink will decrease in gigatons; the carbon dioxide output due to combustion will increase.

Which factor would INCREASE the carrying capacity for white-tailed deer in an Eastern temperate forest ecosystem?

The re-introduction of the American chestnut tree, which produces many seeds, and used to live in North Carolina

The carbon dioxide data (red curve), measured as the mole fraction in dry air, on Mauna Loa constitute the longest record of direct measurements of CO2 in the atmosphere. They were started by C. David Keeling of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in March of 1958 at a facility of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA started its own CO2 measurements in May of 1974, and they have run in parallel with those made by Scripps since then. The black curve represents the seasonally corrected data.The last four complete years of the Mauna Loa CO2 record plus the current year are shown. The dashed red line with diamond symbols represents the monthly mean values, centered on the middle of each month. The black line with the square symbols represents the same, after correction for the average seasonal cycle. Considering the trends world-wide in green energy resource development and usage, what impact has this field had on the overall carbon dioxide emissions?

none; emissions increasing

What is one biotic factor that affects the size of a population in an ecosystem?

number of predators present

Biodiversity can be measured by the number and relative abundance of species in an ecosystem. Select the statement that best addresses a solution to the issue of loss of biodiversity in a North American ecosystem.

Inspect ships moving through international waters to prevent the introduction of invasive species, which can potentially outcompete native species

The red-cockaded woodpecker is found in the pine forests of Georgia. It eats insects found in the barks of the pine trees and nests in the trees.How will a reduction in the number of pine trees MOST LIKELY affect the red-cockaded woodpecker?

It will decrease in number.