Flashcards
EEB
Flashcards do conjunto (37)
- 1What are the two types of elevation characteristics of tropical rain forests?1. Montane
2. Lowland - 21. How much of the Earth's Rainforests been converted to other land uses? 2. What percentage of forests in the tropics have been converted to agriculture? 3. What percentage of the world's forests are intact? (Primary rainforests)1. One half
2. 70-95%
3. 36% - 3Tropical rain forests cover what percentage of Earth's surface?3-7%
- 4What percentage of Earth's land, animal and plant species do tropical forests contain?50%
- 5Why do tropical rainforests have rapid decomposition cycling?High temperatures & humid environments allow for quick decomposition of dead plant material
* Nutrients are in high demand so tree roots are shallow
* Because of shallow roots/nutrition, nutrients absorbed before they go deeper into soil - 6What are the four layers of vegetation in tropical rainforests?1. Emergents
2. Canopy
3. Understory/under-canopy
4. Shrub Layer - 7What are the adaptation methods of understory levels in tropical rainforests?Saplings wait for larger plants/trees to die and create space for them to grow in the gap - saplings can remain dormant until this opportunity arises
Some plants climb up trees to find sunlight (Lianas) - 8Name of plant that grows down a tree by sending aerial roots down the tree & what are they classified as1. Stranger figs
2. Epiphytes (Grow on a host but do not take nutrients from the host itself) - 9Percentage of forest cover the Amazon rainforest has lost in the last 50 years17%
- 10Why are there more species in the tropics?1. More time for species to evolve
2. Higher productivity due to sunlight
3. Predictability (no seasons)
4. More predation, reducing interspecies competition
5. Spatial heterogeneity meaning more niches/microhabitats - 11What are some effects of OHV's on golden eagles? Plus other threats?1. Negatively affects egg laying
2. Leads to decreased territory occupancy
3. Reduces nest survival
4. Tourism leads to visiting nest sites which decreases nest attendance
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1. wind energy development; electrocution; vehicle collisions; lead & rodenticide poisoning - 12The Boreal forest covers what percentage of Earth's land?14%
- 13The Boreal Forest Biome occupies a formerly ____ regionGlaciated region - bears signs of glacial moraines, cold lakes, bogs, rivers
- 14What is a glacial moraine?A moraine is a glacially formed accumulation of glacial debris (soil, rock)
- 15What is the significance of fire in the Boreal Forest?- The ecosystem of the Boreal is shaped by fire.
- Fire is important for forest vegetation dynamics (i.e. Tree clearance & regrowth)
- Biodiversity is driven by fire - "pyrodiversity" - 16What is podzolization?The process of forming podzols (soil found in the Boreal)
- Involves the leeching of upper layers; accumulation of material in lower layers; and the creation of layers - 17How have some plants/trees adapted to the harsh conditions of the Boreal?1. Needles of conifers resistant to freezing and good at sustaining moisture
2. Flexible branches resistant to snow cover
3. Shallow roots adapted to shallow soils - 18Define heterotroph and autotroph1. Heterotroph: Organisms that cannot produce their own food & rely on intaking other organic materials for energy
2. Autotroph: Organisms capable of producing its own food by synthesizing energy from sunlight or chemical energy - 19What effects do climate change have on the Boreal?1. Rising temperatures melt the permafrost layer
2. Increases fire regimes
3. Increases insect outbreaks that affect tree health
4. Already 1.5 degrees C. warmer - 20What threats do Canada's Boreal forests face?1. Industrial activities damage & fragment habitats; change water & nutrient cycles, contaminate wilderness w/toxic chemicals
2. 90% of Canada's boreal forest is open for mining exploration & claim staking
3. Oil and gas - Under Canada's boreal forests is an oil deposit the size of Florida - the oil sands (Alberta has 88k oil & gas well sites) - 21What are the two types of grasslands?1. Temperate
2. Tropical - 22What are the characteristics of temperate grasslands?1. Wide range of temperatures
2. Semiarid climate
3. C3 & C4 photosynthetic pathway
4. Nutrient rich soil
5. Low to moderate biodiversity - 23What are the characteristics of tropical grasslands?1. High biodiversity
2. Homogenous climate (warm)
3. Nutrient poor soil - leeching, acidic
4. Lots of rain
5. C4 photosynthetic pathway - 24What are photosynthetic pathways? What determines which kind is used by plants?1. Types of photosynthesis - which take forms of 'pathways' or how plants make energy
2. Depends upon environmental conditions (climate) - 25Conditions for C3 photosynthetic pathways1. Mid temperatures from 18-24 degrees
2. Annual or perennial
3. Most productive in spring & fall
4. Incl. oats, wheat, rye
5. Cool seasons = temperate - 26Conditions for C4 photosynthetic pathways1. Higher temperatures 32-35 degrees
2. Warm, tropical climate
3. Annual or perennial
4. More efficient than C3
5. Incl. Switchgrass, corn, bermudagrass - 27Why is fire important to the structure of grasslands?1. They ensure the structure of grasslands - without fire wiping out certain vegetation, secession towards shrubs and trees --> eventually forest
- 28What are two of the greatest threats to grasslands?Nitrogen deposition: from fossil fuel combustion and agriculture
Land conversion: 47% of temperate grasslands have been converted to agriculture/urban development
** 85% of temperate grasslands are lost & 97% of tallgrass prairie lost
** Grasslands are the most altered terrestrial ecosystems on Earth - 29Affects of Nitrogen deposition from agriculture in grasslands1. Amount of N exceeds nutritional needs of ecosystem, results in nitrogen saturation
2. Soil fertility declines
3. Carbon uptake diminishes
3. Decreases in species richness, plant cover - 30What are the dynamics of the temperate forest?Disturbances: Tornados, hurricanes, drought, flooding, landslides, pests, fire, storms
* Also by people - much has been cleared, logged, burned for settlement/agriculture - 31What are rain shadows?When precipitation is blocked by something i.e. a mountain and so the area sheltered by the mountain does not receive much precipitation
** So one side of the barrier is wet and cool, the other is dry and warm - 32What are some characteristics of a desert?1. Extreme temperature & precipitation - can range from -4 to 38 in the course of a day; very little precipitation
2. Low biodiversity and productivity
3. Low humidity - evaporation exceeds rainfall - 33What are the three types of soils in the desert & how are they defined?1. Aridsoils: Dry - most desert soils are this type
2. Entisols: New soils i.e. sand dunes
3. Edapic deserts - soil porous and drains water too quickly for vegetation to grow - 34What are two classifications for plants in the desert?1. Xerophiles: Adapted for dry environments
2. Thermophiles: Adapted for hot environments - 35What does crepuscular mean?An animal that is active at dawn and dusk - is a faunal adaptation to dessert extreme desert climate
- 36What are some threats to deserts?1. Military activity/occupation
2. Urbanization
3. Mining
4. Irrigation/water extraction
5. Dump sites for nuclear waste
6. Oil and gas
7. Climate change - 37What are the threats of climate change on deserts?1. Longer heatwaves, higher temperatures, more drought
2. Threat of species extinction b/w already living in extreme conditions
3. Deserts are expected to expand due to desertification (also caused by human activities i.e. over grazing, farming)
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- Undergraduate Ecology FlashCards sobre EEB, criado por Skye E em 25-04-2017.
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- Skye E
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