Biology 191 Exam 4

Front 1

Ecosystem

Back 1

Consists of all the organisms living in a community as well as the abiotic factors with which they interact

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Two main processes in an ecosystem

Back 2

1. Energy Flow: autotrophs convert in organic carbon into organic carbon that the heterotrophs can use.

2. Chemical Cycling: Includes nitrogen and phosphorus cycles

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1st law of thermodynamics

Back 3

energy is transferred not created nor destroyed

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2nd law of thermodynamics

Back 4

every exchange of energy increases the entropy of the universe

Front 5

Conservation of Mass

Back 5

matter cannot be created nor destroyed

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Detrivores

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(Decomposers) They derive energy from detritus, nonliving organic matter

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Primary Production

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The amount of energy created by the primary producers (autotrophs) This sets the energy "spending" limit for an ecosystem

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Gross Primary Production (GPP)

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Total energy produced by vegetation via photosynthesis (measured over a period of time)

Front 9

Net Primary Production (NPP)

Back 9

NPP= GPP - autrophic respiration

This calculates the amount of new biomass available to consumers

Front 10

Net Ecosystem Production (NEP)

Back 10

Measures the total biomass accumulation during a given period. This is computed by measuring the net flux between CO2 and O2

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Factors that control primary production

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Light and Nutrients

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Limiting Nutrient

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An element that must be present in order to achieve primary production. Aquatic ecosystems require nitrogen and phosphorus

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Redfield Ratio

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C: 106, N:16, P:1 (Optimal nutrients needed for algae growth)

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eutrophication

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loading of nutrients into a system that results in algae production

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cultural eutrophication

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eutrophication caused by humans

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Limiting Element for cynobacteria blooms

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phosphorus

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Lake Atitlan

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An oligotrophic lake that began experiencing harmful cynobacteria blooms due to hurricanes destroying water treatment plants, people pumping their waste into the water

Front 18

What affects primary production in terrestrial ecosystems

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higher temperature and higher moisture creates higher primary production

Front 19

evapotranspiration

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plant transpiration and evaporation from landscape. Is affected by precipitation, temperature and sunlight.

Front 20

Nutrients that limit the soil

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1. Young soil limited by nitrogen

2. Old soil limited by phosphorus

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Plants get nutrients from...

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nitrogen fixing bacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, root hairs on plant roots, and many plants release enzymes that increase the availability of limiting nutrients

Front 22

Secondary Production

Back 22

Amount of chemical energy in food converted to new biomass during a given period of time.

Front 23

Production Efficiency

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(Net secondary production)/(assimilation of primary production) times by 100. Shows how well certain species are at converting food into energy. Insects have higher production efficiency compared to birds and mammals.

Front 24

Trophic Efficiency

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The percentage of production transferred from one trophic level to the next. It's about 10%.

Front 25

Turnover Time

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(Standing Crop Density)/ (Production Density/day)

Front 26

Decomposition Rates

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1. Determined by temperature, moisture, and nutrient availability

2. Rapid Decomposition results in more productive ecosystems which caused there to be less nutrients in the soil.

Front 27

Carbon Cycle

Back 27

Phosynthesis fixes inorganic carbon into carbon, fossil fuels bring stored carbon into the environment

Front 28

Nitrogen Cycle

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Main reservoir is the atmosphere, some bacteria including cyanobacteria can fix nitrogen gas.

Front 29

What happens to Nitrogen in anaerobic conditions

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We get denitrofication. (NO3- becomes N2 gas)

Front 30

Aquatic Environments (cyanobacteria) are most often limited by...

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phosphorus (Although they are limited by nitrogen too)

Front 31

Interspecific Interactions

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Interactions between different species

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Competition

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(-,-) Occurs when two species compete for the same resource

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Competitive Exclusion

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Local elimination of a compering species (This occurs often)

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Fundamental Niche

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The niche that can potentially be occupied by a a certain species

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Realized Niche

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the niche actually occupied by a certain species

Front 36

Leibig's Law of the Minimum

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There are always limiting resources that prevents uncontrollable growth

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Resource Partitioning

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Species that occupy different niches exploit different resources

Front 38

Character Displacement

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When species with similar traits occupy the same region, their differences will be more pronounced than if they did not live in close proximity to each other.

Front 39

Predation

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(+,-) One organism kills the other for food

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Prey Adaptations

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1. Cryptic Coloration: Camouflage

2. Aposematic Coloration: Bright Colors convey that a prey is poisonous

3. Batesion Mimicry: A harmless species mimic a harmful species

4. Mullerian Mimicry: two unpalatable species mimic each other

Front 41

Herbivory

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(+,-) Refers to interactions in which herbivores eat parts of a plant or algae. Some plants have evolved ways to prevent this.

Front 42

Symbiosis

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Situation where two or more species live in direct and intimate contact with one and other.

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Parasitism

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(+,-) Interaction where the parasite derives its nourishment from its host. More dense populations have higher parasitism burden.

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Mutualism

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Both species are positively affected. Example: Bull horn acacia trees and ants. The tree provides shelter and the ants protect the tree from other pest.

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Commensalism

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(+,o) One species benefits the other one isn't affected. Examples: Whales and Barnacles.

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Facilitation

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(+,+) or (o,+) Is an interaction in which one species has positive effects on another species without direct and intimate contact. Example: beaver's making a dam.

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Species Diversity

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Variety of organisms from different species that make up the community.

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Species Richness

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The number of different species in a community

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Relative Abundance

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How abundant a species is in an environment

Front 50

Shannon Diversity Index (H)

Back 50

Shows how diverse an area is. The highest amounts of diversity exists around a pH of 7. Communities with a higher biodiversity are more stable.

Front 51

Trophic Structure

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Feeding relationships between organisms in a community.

Front 52

Food Chains

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Link trophic levels from producers to top predators

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Food Web

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A branching food chain with complex trophic interactions

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Dominate Species

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Highly Abundant Species because they are most successful at getting resources and avoiding predation.

Front 55

Keystone Species

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Have a unique pivotal role in the community. (Doesn't have to be positive or abundant)

Example: Starfish in the tide poos in California

Front 56

Ecosystem Engineers

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Foundation Species that cause physical changes in the environment. Example: Beavers with their dams

Front 57

Bottom-Up Model

Back 57

Proposes a unidirectional influence from low to higher trophic levels

Front 58

Top-Down Model

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Trophic cascade model. Proposes that control comes from the top.

Front 59

Biomanipulation

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Deliberate altering of an ecosystem by adding or removing species. Used to improve water quality in polluted lakes

Front 60

Disturbance

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Any event that changes a community

Front 61

Intermediate Disturbance Levels

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A community that experiences some disturbances but not a crazy amount. Provides the highest amount of species richness.

Front 62

ecological succession

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the sequence of community and ecosystem changes after a disaster

Front 63

Primary Succession

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Occurs when vegetation or microorganism colonize a piece of land that hasn't had any life. Occurs after big disturbances like glacier receding.

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Secondary Succession

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When vegetation or microorganism colonize an area that has recently experienced a disturbance but had like there prior to the disturbance.

Front 65

Species Area Curve

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When all other factors are help constant, larger geographic areas have more species

Front 66

Lake Tahoe clarity driven by...

Back 66

small watershed to lake ratio

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paleolimnology

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looks at the record of fresh water lakes by studying the bottom core of sediment at the bottom of the lake. (Tahoe has a lot of Iron in top layer)

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Air Pollution's affect on Tahoe

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Inversion in the atmosphere causes pollutants to settle in the lake

Front 69

Reasons Water Quality is Declining

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Historically: Lumber Removal

Intermediate Years: The lake recovered

Recent Years: Air Pollution, lake warming, and the loss of wetlands (tahoe keys), cultural eutrophication

Front 70

Fate of endemic Species in Tahoe

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72% of invertebrates in the benthic zone have disappeared, tahoe has 10 endemic species that are at risk because of invasive species

Front 71

Legal Introduction of Invasive Species (In Tahoe)

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Lake Trout was introduced so people could get larger fish, mysid shrimp were also introduced and ate all the filtering zooplankton

Front 72

Illegal Introduction of Invasive Species (In Tahoe)

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Asian Clams (excrete feces that make good conditions for algae growth), Invasive plants (make good habitats for invasive species), Bass another big fish

Front 73

Culural Imperialism

Back 73

When people bring species from there home to make their new home like their old one.

Front 74

Climate

Back 74

Statistical averages (weeks, decades) Over a 30 year period.

Front 75

Deviation

Back 75

Anomalies from the average

Front 76

Climate Change

Back 76

can mean change up or down in various variable including precipitation and temperature.

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Climate Forcing

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When an event causes climate change like El nina or El nino

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Eocene

Back 78

A global warm period about 50 million years ago

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Predicted Future Climate (Globally)

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1. Change will be greatest towards to poles

2. There will probably be global changes in precipitation

Front 80

Climate Change Effects (Sierra Nevada) (Good understanding)

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1. Less Mountain Snow

2. Less water to go around in the summer

3. Increased drought, changes in vegetation

4. Increased need for management

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Climate Change Effects (Globally) (Good Understanding)

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1. Sea level rises

2. Ecosystem change

3. Melting of the polar ice

4. Coral Reefs disappear

Front 82

Climate Change Effects (Sierra Nevada) (Medium Understanding)

Back 82

1. Changes in how well forest grow

2. Increased habitat for invasive

3. Shifts in Farming crops

Front 83

Climate Change Effects (Globally) (Medium understanding)

Back 83

1. Increase intensity of hurricanes

2. Increase drought in some places

3. Increase in rain/ snow in some places

Front 84

Climate Change Effects (Low understanding)

Back 84

How will people and ecosystems react to the change

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Affects of Global Warming on Agriculture

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1. More extreme weather

2. Loss of farm land new coasts

3. Increased amount of pests

4. Loss of biodiversity

Front 86

How climate change will affect health

Back 86

Disease will spread more. Examples: Malaria, West Nile, and Lyme Disease