Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| different climates are caused by 3 main factors |
|
Definition
incoming solar energy per unit of land
water circulation (ocean currents)
air circulation over the earth's surface |
|
|
Term
| 3 major factors that determine global air circulation patterns |
|
Definition
uneven heating of the earth's surface
rotation of the earth on its axis
properties of air, water, and land |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
desert
grassland, tundra, chaparral
forest
mountain |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
an area where evaporation exceeds precipitation
tropical, temperate, cold |
|
|
Term
grassland biome
3 main types
2 other types |
|
Definition
regions with enough avg precipitation to support grasses and few trees
tropical (savannas)
temperate (prairies)
cold (arctic tundra)
alpine tundra
chaparral |
|
|
Term
forest biome
3 main types
1 other type |
|
Definition
undisturbed areas with moderate to high avg annual precipitation and various average temperatures
tropical rainforest
temperate deciduous forest
boreal forest
temperate rainforest |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| high-elevation, forested islands of biodiversity areas where dramatic changes in altitude, climate, soil, and vegetation take place over a short distance; mimics changes in latitude |
|
|
Term
saltwater or marine
aquatic life zones |
|
Definition
| estuaries, coastlines, coral reefs, coastal marshes/wetlands, intertidal zones, barrier islands, mangrove swamps, and oceans |
|
|
Term
freshwater
aquatic life zones |
|
Definition
| lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, inland wetlands |
|
|
Term
4 major types of organisms that live in aquatic life zones
+ example |
|
Definition
plankton - zooplankton
nekton - turtle
benthos - lobster
decomposers - bacteria |
|
|
Term
advantages of living in water
7 |
|
Definition
physical support from water buoyancy
fairly constant temperature
nourishment from dissolved nutrients
water availability
easy dispersement of organism, larvae, eggs
less exposure to UV
dilution of dispersal of ??? |
|
|
Term
disadvantages of living in water
4 |
|
Definition
can't tolerate a wide temperature range
exposure to dissolved pollutants
fluctuating population size for many species
dispersion separates many aquatic offspring from parents |
|
|
Term
| limited factors of aquatic environments |
|
Definition
temperature
access to sunlight
dissolved oxygen content
nutrient availability |
|
|
Term
| vertical zones in an ocean |
|
Definition
coastal zone
euphotic zone
bathyal zone
abyssal zone |
|
|
Term
Ecological services of marine ecosystems
(natural capital) |
|
Definition
climate moderation
CO2 absorption
nutrient cycling
waste Tx
reduced storm impact
habitats and nursery areas
genetic biodiversity
scientific info |
|
|
Term
economic services of marine ecosystems
(natural capital) |
|
Definition
food
animal and pet food
pharmaceuticals
harbours and transport
coastal habitats for humans
recreation
employment
oil and nat. gas
minerals
building materials |
|
|
Term
| human factors affective marine systems |
|
Definition
coastal development
overfishing
fishing trawlers
runoff of nonpoint source pollution
point source pollution
habitat destruction
introduction of invasive species
climate change
pollution of coast wetlands and estuaries |
|
|
Term
| types of freshwater life zones |
|
Definition
standing (lentic)
flowing (lotic) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
littoral zone - water lilies
limnetic zone -
profundal zone
benthic zone |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| boundary btw cool and warm water layers in lakes |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
oligotrophic
eutrophic
mesotrophic |
|
|
Term
| 3 stream aquatic life zones |
|
Definition
source zone
transition zone
floodplain zone |
|
|
Term
ecological services of freshwater systems
(natural capital) |
|
Definition
| climate moderation, nutrient cycling, waste Tx, flood control, groundwater recharge, habitats for many species, genetic resources and biodiversity, scientific info |
|
|
Term
economic services of freshwater systems
(natural capital) |
|
Definition
| food, drinking water, irrigation water, hydroelectricity, transportation, recreation, employment |
|
|
Term
| human factors affecting freshwater systems |
|
Definition
impact of dams and canals on rivers
impact of flood control levees and dikes along rivers
impact of pollutants from cities and farms on streams, rivers, and lakes
impact of drained wetlands |
|
|
Term
| What 3 characteristics do ecologists use to describe a biological community |
|
Definition
physical appearance
species diversity
niche structure |
|
|
Term
| factors affecting species diversity |
|
Definition
latitude
depth
pollution
theory of island biogeography |
|
|
Term
| 5 major categories of species |
|
Definition
native species
non-native species
indicator species
keystone species
foundation species |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| those species that normally live and thrive in a particular community |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| those species that evolve somewhere else and migrate into, or are deliberately/accidentally introduced into a community |
|
|
Term
indicator species
+example |
|
Definition
species that serve as early warning of damage or danger to a community
monitor environmental quality
e.g. trout (presence is an indicator of water quality) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
species that play roles affecting many other organisms in a community
e.g pollination by hummingbirds, bees, bats, etc |
|
|
Term
Foundation species
+example |
|
Definition
species which play a major role in shaping communities by creating and enhancing habitat that benefits other species
e.g. beavers creating dams |
|
|
Term
| 5 basic types of interactions |
|
Definition
competition
predation
parasitism
mutualism
commensalism |
|
|
Term
| interspecific competition |
|
Definition
| competition between species for shared or scarce resources such as space and food |
|
|
Term
| ways to avoid competition |
|
Definition
resource partitioning:
i.e. using it at different times
i.e. using different ways
i.e. parts of a different resource
move |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| when one species feed directly on all or part of a living organism of another species |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
speed
hiding/camouflage
chemicals |
|
|
Term
| predator avoidance traits |
|
Definition
speed
highly developed senses
protective shells and spines
mimicry
camouflage
chemical
warning colouration
behavioural strategies |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
occurs when changes in species' genetic compositions reciprocally affect each other's evolution.
bats and moths |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| occurs when one species feeds on part of another organism (usually by living on or in the host) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
two species interact in a way that benefits both species
*mutual exploitation |
|
|
Term
types of mutualism
+examples |
|
Definition
1. pollination mutualism
insects and flowering plants
2. nutritional & protection mutualism
clownfish and sea anemones
3. inhabitant mutualism
bacteria in GI |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
species interaction that benefits one species but has little to no effect on the other species
e.g. plant that roots on tree trunk with harming tree |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
over long periods, a series of communities with different species can develop in lifeless areas where there is no soil or bottom sediment
*1st step is soil formation |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
start the soil formation process by attaching to bare rock
e.g. moss |
|
|
Term
early successional plant species
+example |
|
Definition
grow close to ground
large pop. quickly
short lives
e.g. small perennial grasses |
|
|
Term
midsuccessional plant species
+example |
|
Definition
fertile soil
plenty of sunlight
shade intolerant
e.g. herbs, low shrubs |
|
|
Term
late successional plant species
+ example |
|
Definition
shade intolerant
e.g. trees |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| occurs in areas where the natural community of organisms has been disturbed, removed, or destroyed by some soil or bottom sediment remains |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
as succession occurs species get replace by new species
some species facilitate this while others hinder, or tolerate it |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
one set of species makes an area suitable for species with different niche requirements
e.g. lichens build up soil |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| early species hinder the establishment and growth of other species |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
late successional plants are unaffected by plants at earlier stages of succession
e.g. trees vd ferns |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a change in environmental conditions that disrupts a community or ecosystem |
|
|
Term
| three aspects of stability |
|
Definition
inertia or persistence
constancy
resilence |
|
|
Term
How do individuals of a species distribute themselves?
+examples |
|
Definition
1. clumping (elephants)
2. uniform (creosote bush)
3. random (dandelions) |
|
|
Term
| What limits the growth of populations? |
|
Definition
availability of resources
population size |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the existence, abundance, and distribution of a species in an ecosystem are determined by whether the levels of 1+ physical/chemical factors fall within the range tolerated by that species |
|
|
Term
| limiting factor principle |
|
Definition
| too much or too little of any aiotic factor can limit or prevent growth of a population, even if all the other factors are at or near the optimum range of tolerance |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| an environmental factor that tends to limit population size. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
many small offspring
little or no parental care
early reproductive age
adapted to unstable environment etc
high pop. growth (r)
high pop. size flutuation (k)
generalist
low ability to compete
early successional speacie |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
fewer, larger offspring
high parental care
later reproductive age
most offspring survive to ^
larger adults
adapted to stable conditions
low pop. growth rate (r)
pop. size stable (k)
specialist niche
high ability to compete
late successional species |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| all factors that act to limit the growth of a population |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| max pop. a given habitat can sustain |
|
|
Term
| exponential vs. logistic growth |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| types of population curves |
|
Definition
1. stable
2. irruptive
(surge crash)
3. cyclic fluctuations/boom-bust cycles
(top-down vs. bottom-up)
4. irregular |
|
|
Term
| density independent population controls |
|
Definition
natural disasters
severe freeze
pollution |
|
|
Term
| density dependent population controls |
|
Definition
predation
parasitism
infectious disease
competition for resources |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the science of the relationship between living organisms and their environment |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the capacity of the earth's natural systems and human cultural systems to survive, flourish, and adapt into the very long-term future |
|
|
Term
| 3 principles of sustainability |
|
Definition
1. reliance on solar energy
2. biodiversity
3. chemical cycling |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
natural resources + natural services
supported by solar capital |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the degradation of resources that are "common-property" |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the amount of biologically productive land and water needed to provide the people in a region with indefinite supply of renewable resources, and to absorb and recycle wastes and pollution |
|
|
Term
| 4 major causes of environmental problems |
|
Definition
1. population growth
2. wasteful & unsustainable resource use
3. poverty
4. exclusion of environmental costs in market prices of goods & services |
|
|
Term
| 4 major components of earth's life-support system |
|
Definition
1. atmosphere
2. hydrosphere
3. geosphere
4. biosphere |
|
|
Term
| factors that sustain life on Earth |
|
Definition
1. one-way flow of energy
2. cycling of nutrients
3. gravity |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| dry weight of all organic matte contained in its organisms |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
hydrologic
carbon
nitrogen
phosphorus
sulphur |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
species
genetic
ecological
functional |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| comparative # of individuals |
|
|
Term
| 3 conditions necessary for evolution of a population by NS |
|
Definition
1. genetic variability
2. heritable
3. differential reproduction |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| everything that affects a species survival and reproduction |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| extinction of one species creates an opportunity for another |
|
|
