AcDec Science Section I Part 1

This provides a structure for collecting and interpreting observations

___________ on the natural world prompt scientists to question the __________ behind
the observed phenomena

This refers to an educated guess on the
explanation of a phenomenon

A hypothesis must be _______, ________, and inclusive of
a _____________ statement

Experiments must either ______ or ________ the original hypothesis

These explain the results of a large number of
experimental observations

Theories constantly evolve as scientists _______ and
_______ more ecological data

This constitutes a broad field, analyzing interactions
across many spatial and temporal scales

Ecology can study ______ or ______ periods of time

Ecology can study ______ or ______ geographic areas

Ecology studies the interactions between _______ ________ and
the _________

This examines human impacts on the
environment, rather than biologic interactions

This refers to a social movement that seeks
to minimize human impacts on the environment

Interactions among species and the environment control the
___________ __________ and ___________ of species

These interactions take place between two organisms

These interactions take place between organisms and their physical environment

The term "ecology" was coined in this year

This German ecologist coined the term Ecology

"Ecology" is derived from the word "oekologie" which takes the greek roots "oikos" and "logos", which mean

Haeckel connected ecology with this man's theory of _______ _______

This explains how favorable heritable characteristics pass down through generations

Organisms with _________ _________ survive to reproduce and pass them on

__________ and __________ change as a result of Natural Selection

This graphic describes the levels of ecology. The smallest level is at the top, and the largest level is at the bottom

The order of the Ecological Pryamid

The weather is made up of

The wind _______ surfaces and _______ particles

Plants in windy environments have evolved to have ______ stems, ______ statures, and _______ leaves to withstand the wind

The long term weather patterns in an area refer to that area's _______

Variations in climate are caused by

High humidity and minimal seasonal temperature fluctuations indicate a __________ climate

Large seasonal temperature fluctuations indicate a _________ climate

This type of tree is well adapted to hurricane force winds

The arrangement of geographical features refers to __________

Varying topography can cause changes in __________ _______

This explains climate differences across mountain ranges

The Orographic Effect is also called

Explain the Orographic Effect

The Orographic Effect explains the climate differences between the ________ ______________, and the _______ _______

The Mountain range that separates the Pacific Northwest and the Great Basin is the _______ ________

The Western side of the Cascade Range is ______ and ______, while the Eastern side is _______ and _______

Climate varies over _______ and _______

Earth's rotation on it's axis controls _______ weather patterns

The Earth's revolution around the Sun controls ________ weather patterns

As Earth orbits and revolves, the intensity of _______ _______ striking a certain area _____

The _________ and __________ regions have the greatest variation in radiation amounts. This means they also have the greatest ________ fluctuation

Large-scale cycles in _______ ______ and the ________ drive global climate shifts

Variations in atmospheric pressure create the ___ ______ _________ _________, also abbreviated as ________

El Niño warms the ocean near the _______, causing warmer and ______ winters in the American ________ and ________

Winters along the _________ pacific coast become cooler and ________

The ENSO cycle occurs irregularly every _____ to _____ years

__ ______ usually follows El Niño and produces the _______ climate shifts

Long-term climate shifts over millions of years drive _______

Earth has experienced many phases of _______ and _______ over the past _____ million years

Earth's warming and cooling cycles likely arise from changes in _________ ________

_________ used to be covered with plant and animal life

Soil contains a mixture of _______ and ________
that support plant life

Soil surrounds the ______ of plants and
provides _______ and _______

In respiration, plant roots absorb _______ and
release _______ ________

______ in the soil allow for the flow of
______ through the soil

Soil stores ______ for the plant’s use

Plants use water to transport ________, repair _______, regulate _________, and _____________

Plants consume _______ _______ in the soil, which animals then ______

Nutrient ___________ vary considerably
across different ___________

An increase in aluminum, hydrogen, and ____________ concentration increases the
soil’s ______, creating a ______ environment

Environmental shortages of certain nutrients restrict the ___________ of specific _______

Soil forms through the __________ of parent material

____________ weathering refers to the physical breakdown of rock through _________ and _________ induced by temperature changes

Water, oxygen, and acids ________ weather the material

The __________ of organic material adds nutrients to the soil

Soil formation can take _______ of years

Different types of soil have significantly different _______ and ________ properties

Soil ____ indicates the composition of the soil

Dark soil contains _______ materials, red and brown soil contains _______ _______, purple soil contains ________ _______, and white soil contains ______, ______, ______, and ________ ________

Soil particles vary in size
Gravel is larger than ___ mm
Sand is between _____ and ___ mm
Silt is between _______ and _____ mm
Clay is smaller than ______ mm

Soil _______ measures the proportions of the different particles in soil

Fine soils contain _______ pores, which _______ root growth

The presence of _____ increases the amount of water soil can hold

The _______ material, ______, and _________ type control the soil depth

Mountains feature ________ soil, while level ground usually generates ______, _______ soil

Soil contains _____ distinct orders

The ______ ______ shows how soil changes as organic material seeps _____

Each layer in the profile constitutes a separate _________

The soil horizons are labeled in _______ order

The first horizon is called the ___ horizon, which is followed by the ___, ___, ___, and ___ horizons

The O Horizon is the surface layer composed of decomposing ______ and ______

The A Horizon is topsoil that consists of the _______ _______ as well as ________ materials from the O Horizon

The B Horizon has _____ organic material, as well as accumulated ______ ______. It is very dense

The C Horizon is ____________ material with very little ________ activity

The R Horizon is called the _______ and consists of solid _______ material

The _______ of water in an environment determines what plants and animals live there

_______ and _______ currents control precipitation patterns

Soil ___________ controls how much water remains locked into the ecosystem

_______ _______ refers to the flow of excess water over the ground

Water percolates ___________ through the soil

____________________ refers to the loss of water through evaporation and transpiration

Transpiration is the evaporation of water ______ a plant, through the _______ of the plant

The _______ of water affects an organism’s ability to use that water

Saltwater comprises _______ of all of Earth's water

The ocean’s salinity of around ________ parts per million is _______ at the equator

Organisms have adapted to soil that is _____ in salt due to it's ______ to salty water

Plants have adapted to salt by

Animals have adapted to salt by

Fish have adapted to salt by

Seabirds have adapted to salt by

Marine mammals have adapted to salt by

Plants convert sunlight to energy-laden _______ compounds in the process of ___________

Photosynthesis involves harnessing sunlight’s _______ to fix carbon into ____________

The amount of ______ determines an environment’s energy productivity

In _________ environments, sunlight penetrates less and less at deeper depths

The pattern of light penetration in the ocean is called a ________ ________ of light availability

Dense forests feature a thick layer of leaves called a _______, that blocks out ______ during the day

Deciduous trees in ________ forests lose their leaves in the ________, letting more _______ penetrate through to the forest floor

There is less ________ during the winter months

______ ______ form the most common type of environment

Water biomes cover ____ of the earth’s surface

Aquatic biomes come in two categories: _____ ____ and _____ _____

The ______ ______, also called the water cycle connects the two environments

It describes the motion of water from the ______ to the ____________ and back

Oceans cover ______ of Earth’s surface

Variations in __________, __________, __________, and _________ _________ create multiple marine ecosystems

The _______ zone refers to the open ocean

This is the order of the ocean's layers

Variations in ______ create separate aquatic habitats based on ______

Microscopic _____________ dominate the pelagic zone and concentrate near ____ ________

Phytoplankton absorb ________ from the water and feed the rest of the
oceanic _______ _______

Sinking carcasses feed deeper marine __________

______, ______ ___________, __________, and _______ prey on these decomposers

The bottom of a body of water forms the _______ _______, which stretches from the rocky intertidal zone to the deep ocean trenches

Organisms in the Benthic Zone are _________ to study

________ from upper layers form the base of the benthic food chain

__________ ________, ________, _____ _________, and _____ ______ feed on detritus or filter nutrients from the water

____________ predators emit light to lure prey

This is where a river meets the ocean ; The salinity depends on the tides ; Organisms that live here include ________ ______, ________, _______, and ________

This is an area near the shore that is high in river sediment ; Organisms that live here include ______, ______, ______, and ______

This is where salt-tolerant trees and shrubs anchor sediment on the shore ; Organisms that live here include _______ _______, ______, _______, _______, and _______

No plants live here ; Organisms here such as _____, _________, and __________ ______ feed on tidal plankton and detritus

_______ _______ _______ mark the boundary between the ocean and the beach

________ organisms, like mussels, stay in place as the tides change

 Mobile organisms like crabs and starfish move to _____ _____ during low tide

Warm shallow coastal areas frequently contain ______ ______ at depths of less than ___ meters

Coral reefs form from collections of tiny microorganisms
called _____ _____

Coral polyps build hard outer skeletons by
extracting _______ _______ from the ocean

The solid skeletons of coral polyps __________ as the polyps ____, building the solid structure of the reef

Algae inside coral polyps ____________ energy

Coral polyps shelter algae from _______

___________ environments link terrestrial and marine environments

Rivers and streams carry nutrients __________ to the sea

_______ _______ streams constitute the smallest streams

The merging of two first order streams forms a ______ ______ stream

The largest classification a river can have is _____ _____. The largest river in the world, the Amazon River, is a ______ ______ stream

These freshwater bodies are cold and shaded, with limited productivity ; Insects break down organic matter

These freshwater bodies have Higher water temperatures, slower current at low elevations, vegetative growth, algae, larvae nesting in plant roots and bottom feeding predators e.g. catfish, suckers

These freshwater bodies have wide channels with high flow volumes ;
Sediment deposition on stream floor feeds bottom-dwellers

In _______, the fast-moving stream flows over a coarse stream bed

Swimming organisms occupy the ______ ______ portions of the stream

Invertebrates feed on ______ ______ on the stream bed

Deep, slow moving stretches of a river form _______

_________ ecosystems exist
at the shores of streams and rivers

Greater _______ _______ leads to profuse and varied vegetation

___________ ___________ are covered by shallow water at least seasonally

_________ ______ encourages submerged water plants, floating vegetation, and cattails

_____, ________, _________, and
___________ reside in
wetlands

Tropical Rainforests have the ________ and ________ climates
Tundras have the _________ and ________ climates
Deserts have the _______ and _______ climates

Terrestrial biomes are
classified according to _______ ______ and the primary form of _____ life

Tropical rainforests near the equator receive over _____ mm of rainfall every year

Because these areas are near the equator, they experience little variation in
_________ and _________

Tropical climates allow plants to grow __________

 Tropical rainforests contain a ______________ amount of the planet’s biodiversity

__________ and _________ trees grow here ;
 Deciduous trees shed their leaves _______

Plants compete for the _______ sunlight under the forest _______ or adapt to require ______ ______

________ _______ ______ and _______ experience seasonal cycles and a warm climate

Seasonal tropic forests and savannas exist in the Tropics of ________ and _______, the latitudes _____
degrees south and north of the equator

Rainfall follows ____ and ____ cycles

Vegetation adapts to the seasonality with lower _____ _______, shorter ________,
seasonal ________, and an abundance of ______ and ______

Fires during the ____ _______ and floods during the ____ _______ create woodlands and savannas

Areas with ____ _________ and long periods without ___________ become hot deserts

 Succulent plants evolved ______, _______ ______ and _______ to store water

Some desert animals compress their entire ____ ______ to fit short periods of ____________

The world's six largest deserts, in order from largest to smallest

Temperate grasslands experience great __________ in temperature, with freezing _______ and warm, moist _______

Frequent _____ and ______ by herbivores limits the growth of trees and shrubs

 Temperate areas with _______ winters form shrublands and woodlands

In temperate areas with rainy winters, since precipitation does not fall during the summer growing season, _______ _______
cannot develop

In temperate areas with rainy winters, short evergreens grow _______ due to the dryness of this environment

The _________ of South Africa and the __________ of North America are coastal shrub lands

 Inland shrub lands lie behind _________ ________ which suck moisture from the air

The ________, ________ ________, and ________ ________ ring North America’s Great Basin

_________ _________ forests exist in areas with prolonged winters

 Trees cannot _________ efficiently in long periods of cold and therefore shed their leaves

 A long growing season in spring and summer allows ________ regrowth

 Deciduous forests occur in _________ _________ and __________

In a temperate deciduous forests, a sub canopy of _______, _______, and _______ _______ lies below the upper canopy

These forests grow in a variety of climates

 In dry areas of evergreen forests, forest fires every ____ to ____ years prevent the development of ______ ________

 The _______ _______ of evergreen trees prevent other plants from growing near them

 Evergreen trees include ______, ______, _______, and ________

________ ________ grow in temperatures which remain below freezing for most of the year

These forests grow above 50° N

The cold climate above 50° N can lower the ____ ___________ to -50° C and freeze the _____