Bio Chapter 36

Front 1

1. What is surprising about the food chain described in the first 2 paragraphs? INTRO

Back 1

The food chain is surprising because instead of animals eating animals on the outside, smaller animals are eating larger animals from the inside.

Front 2

2. What is a community?

Back 2

A community is an assemblage of all the populations of organisms living close enough together for potential interaction.

Front 3

3. What are the 4 basic characteristics used to describe a community?

Back 3

Its diversity, its prevalent form of vegetation, its response to disturbances, and its trophic structure.

Front 4

4. What two components are used to describe biodiversity?

Back 4

The biodiversity of a community – the variety of different kinds of organisms that make it up – has two components. One is a species richness, or the total number of different species in the community. The other is the relative abundance of the different species.

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5. How could a community be similar with one of these components, but very different with the other component?

Back 5

Two different communities can have the same four species – species A, B, C, and D – but the ratio relationship between the species is different.

Front 6

6. What is described by the trophic structure of a community?

Back 6

A Community’s trophic structure determines the passage of energy and nutrients from plants and other photosynthetic organisms to herbivores and then to carnivores.

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7. What are the 3 main types of interactions among members of a community?

Back 7

Competition, predation, and symbiosis.

Front 8

8. What determines if two species will be competitors?

Back 8

As population increases in density, competition for limited resources may eventually slow that population’s growth.

Front 9

9. What is the “competitive exclusion principle”?

Back 9

Says that two species so similar that they compete for the same limiting resources cannot coexist in the same place.

Front 10

How is it demonstrated in barnacles?

Back 10

The Balanus barnacles cannot survive above the water level, because they dry out. However, the Chthamalus barnacles can survive above the water level, and usually only inhabit this area that the Balanus barnacles are not in. However, when the Balanus barnacles are removed, the Chthamalus barnacles spread to this underwater area. But it the Balanus barnacles are re-introduced, they quickly push the Chthamalus barnacles out of the way.

Front 11

11. Name several factors that determine a species’ ecological niche.

Back 11

species’ niche, the species’ role in its community, or the sum total of its use of the biotic and abiotic resources of its habitat, are determined by several factors; temperature range, time of day they feed, and type of food they consume.

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12. What is “resource partitioning”? Do you think it occurs rapidly or slowly? Why?

Back 12

The division of environmental resources by coexisting species such that the niche of each species differs by one or more significant factors from the niches of all coexisting species.

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13. How can you differentiate between a predator and a prey? How do herbivores fit into these categories?

Back 13

In predation, an interaction where one species eats another, the consumer is called a predator and the food species is known as the prey. With a herbivore, the plant is the prey.

Front 14

14. What is co-evolution? Give an example of how predation can lead to co-evolution.

Back 14

Co-evolution is a series of reciprocal adaptations in two species. This can be demonstrated in the relationship between the caterpillar of the butterfly Heliconius and a plant, the passionflower Passiflora. The Passiflora has developed a toxic chemical that protect its leaves from most herbivorous insects, but the Heliconius caterpillars have digestive enzymes that break down the toxins. However, some of these Passiflora plants produce yellow sugar deposits that look like Heliconius eggs; female butterflies avoid laying their eggs on this plant, thus no hatchlings will feed on the leaf. However, the sugar deposits attract other insects to prey on heliconius eggs and larvae.

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15. What seems to be the primary reason that plants have developed a wide range of chemical toxins to avoid being eaten?

Back 15

The primary reason is probably that plants cannot run away from herbivores.

Front 16

16. Name a chemical defense used by an animal and one used by a plant to avoid herbivory or predation.

Back 16

The vivid markings of a poison-arrow frog warn of deadly alkaloids in the frog’s skin. The Passiflora produces toxic chemicals that protect its leaves from most herbivorous insects.

Front 17

17. What is camouflage?

Back 17

Camouflage is a skin pattern or color that allows an animal (or plant?) to blend into its surroundings.

Front 18

18. What is a “keystone species”?

Back 18

A keystone species is a species that exerts strong control on a community structure because of its ecological role, or niche.

Front 19

19. Why are sea otters considered to be a keystone species here in the Pacific Northwest?

Back 19

Sea otters are considered to be a keystone species because they eat sea urchins, which feed on kelp. If the sea otters’ numbers decrease, then the sea urchins become more abundant, making the kelp forests almost nonexistent.

Front 20

20. What is a symbiotic relationship? What are the three main categories of symbiosis?

Back 20

A symbiotic relationship is an interaction between two or more species that live together in direct contact. The three main types of symbiotic relationships are parasitism, commensalisms, and mutualism.

Front 21

21. How do parasites usually differ from predators?

Back 21

Parasites are usually smaller than predators.

Front 22

22. How did natural selection affect both the parasite and the host in the case of the Australian rabbits?

Back 22

The parasite that was introduced into the Australian rabbits killed a huge percentage of them, but the parasite selected for some rabbits, who for whatever reason were less affected by the parasite. This trait was passed on to younger generations, until the parasite had little effect on the Australian rabbit population.

Front 23

23. How does commensalisms differ from parasitism?

Back 23

In commensalism, one partner benefits without significantly affecting the other.

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24. How does mutualism differ from these two?

Back 24

Mutualism benefits both partners in the relationship.

Front 25

25. Describe several of Dr. Gilliam’s arguments for the advantages of relatively frequent, low intensity fires.

Back 25

First, following a fire in a forest, the variety of nonwoody plants, herbs, usually increase – nutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium increase. Next, in grasslands, if there is no fire, shrubs and trees will replace the grasses.

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26. In what form does energy enter the model terrarium ecosystem? In what form does energy leave it?

Back 26

26. In what form does energy enter the model terrarium ecosystem? In what form does energy leave it?

Front 27

27. How is this energy flow different from the movement of materials in the ecosystem?

Back 27

Chemical elements such as carbon and nitrogen are cycled between abiotic components and biotic components of the ecosystem. The plants acquire these elements in inorganic form from the air and soil and fix them into organic molecules.

Front 28

28. What is a trophic structure of a community?

Back 28

A trophic structure of a community is a pattern of feeding relationships, consisting of several different levels.

Front 29

29. Who are the producers? What process do they perform?

Back 29

Photosynthetic producers are organisms that use light energy to power the synthesis of organic compounds. They perform photosynthesis.

Front 30

30. How do the secondary consumers differ from the primary consumers?

Back 30

Primary consumers are herbivores, which eat plants, algae, or autotrophic bacteria. Secondary consumers are carnivores which eat the consumers from the level below.

Front 31

31. Who are detrivores?

Back 31

Detrivores derive their energy from detritus, the dead material produced by all the trophic levels

Front 32

32. How do the decomposers differ from the detrivores?

Back 32

Decomposers break down organic materials into inorganic ones.

Front 33

33. Why is a food web considered to be a more realistic view of a community, compared to a food chain?

Back 33

Because the relationships between animals are not linear.

Front 34

35. Why is the owl considered to be both a secondary and a tertiary consumer?

Back 34

The owl is considered both a secondary and a tertiary consumer because many of the small mammals and birds it eats are primary as well as secondary consumers.

Front 35

36. What percentage of visible light is converted to chemical energy by photosynthesizers? What is this called?

Back 35

Of the visible light that reaches plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, only about 1% is converted to chemical energy by photosynthesis.

Front 36

37. Why does the energy budget of a community usually look like a pyramid? (Fig. 36.11, for example)

Back 36

Because only 10% of the energy available at each trophic level becomes incorporated into the next higher level.

Front 37

38. What can be concluded by comparing the two energy pyramids in Fig. 36.12?

Back 37

It takes more energy to feed meat-eating humans than Vegetarian humans.

Front 38

39. Why is meat considered to be a “luxury” food?

Back 38

Because it is expensive and energy-inefficient to produce meat for consumption…possibly uses 100 times more energy than if people directly ate plants

Front 39

40. What is an “abiotic reservoir”?

Back 39

an abiotic reservoir is the part of the ecosystem where a chemical accumulates or is stockpiled outside of living organisms.

Front 40

41. What drives the global water cycle?

Back 40

the global water cycle is driven by heat from the sun.

Front 41

42. What are the three main processes involved with the water cycle? Which one is primarily the work of plants?

Back 41

Three main processes: precipitation, evaporation, and transpiration. Transpiration is primarily the work of plants.

Front 42

43. How does human activity influence the water cycle?

Back 42

One of the main sources of atmospheric water is transpiration from the dense vegetation making up tropical rain forests. People are destroying these forests, changing the amount of water vapor in the air. Also, by pumping large amounts of groundwater to the surface for irrigation, humans are increasing the rate of evaporation over land, which is not substituted with more rainfall.

Front 43

45. How does carbon get recycled back into the abiotic reservoir?

Back 43

Returned by respiration.

Front 44

46. What is eutrophication? Why does it cause a depletion of oxygen in lakes?

Back 44

Eutrophication is an increase in productivity of an aquatic ecosystem {Eutrophication is a process where added nutrients in ponds and lakes cause photosynthetic organisms such as algae and cyanobacteria to multiply rapidly, resulting in an algal bloom.} Heavy bacterial and algal growth greatly reduces oxygen levels at night, when the photosynthesizers respire.

Front 45

47. How was Dr. Schindler able to determine that phosphorus was a major influence on the eutrophication of a lake?

Back 45

he divided a lake into two basins; carbon and nitrogen were added to one basin, and phosphorus, carbon, and nitrogen were added to the other. There was tremendous algal bloom within weeks after adding phosphorus, but no change with just the carbon and nitrogen.

Front 46

48. What are the major threats that Dr. Schindler believes face freshwater ecosystems today?

Back 46

Acid precipitation, warming of the climate and changes in land use can affect lakes.

Front 47

49. What is a zoned reserve, and why are they being developed?

Back 47

A zoned reserve is an extensive region of land that includes one or more areas undisturbed by humans. Zoned reserves are being developed for the development of a social and economic climate in the surrounding lands that is compatible with the long-term viability of the protected core area.

Front 48

Interspecific competition

Back 48

If two different species are competiting for the same LIMITED resource. ....the growth of both populations may be inhibited

Front 49

intraspecific competition

Back 49

Competition within a species

Front 50

symbiotic relaitonships

Back 50

2 species taht have very close contact - one lives within the other species

Front 51

What is Parasitism?

Back 51

benefits one species, harms the other. Parasite and host...ex. flea and dog, lice and chimps, bacteria and people, tapeworms and people, ...coevolution involved. Over time, becomes less harmful.

Front 52

What is commensalism?

Back 52

One species benefits...the other is neutral. ex. whale and barnacles

Front 53

What is mutualism?

Back 53

Both benefit. ex. cleaner fish and larger fish, clown fish and sea anemone, bacteria in our gut that makes vitamin K,

Front 54

formula for Cellular respiration

Back 54

C6H12O6 -> 6CO2 + 6H2O

Front 55

photosynthesis formula

Back 55

6CO2 + H2O + sunlight -> 6O2 + C6H12O6

Front 56

key idea of Darwin

Back 56

Organisms interact with each other and the non-living environment and are influenced by each other and the non-living environment

Front 57

2 main points of ecology

Back 57

1) organisms exist in a web of interactions 2) Big difference between matter and energy - especially how they move around in an ecosystem

Front 58

What is predation?

Back 58

Predator and prey interaction...very important interaction in evolution

Front 59

What is a keystone predator?

Back 59

one species that has a very strong influence on diversity (pisaster[sea star])

Front 60

matter

Back 60

has mass and volume
matter has cycles; due to action of detrivores and decomposers. [chemical cycling, nutrient cycling, carbon cycle]

Front 61

reservoir for carbon

Back 61

ocean, atmosphere

Front 62

efficiency of energy conversions

Back 62

not 100% efficient...some is turned into heat

Front 63

what is Resource partitioning?

Back 63

Long term effect - when species use different resources, its better for the species

Front 64

eutrophication

Back 64

an increase in productivity of an aquatic ecosystem