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38 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Continental shelf
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extended perimeter of continent; in
photic zone |
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Biosphere
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the global sum of all ecosystems
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Ecosystem
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an ecological community together with its
environment, functioning as a unit |
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Ecology
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the scientific study of the interactions between
organisms and their environments. |
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The environment can be divided into which two major components?
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abiotic and biotic
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biotic
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living factors: include all living organisms in the area.
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abiotic
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Consists of nonliving chemical and physical factors: temperature, forms of energy available, water, and nutrients.
Strongly influence the patchy distribution (global and regional) and special adaptations of organisms. |
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Birds and mammals can tolerate the greatest temperature extremes because they are ________.
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endotherms
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Reptiles are more limited in the climates they can tolerate because they are __________.
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ectotherms.
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Oceans cover about ______ of the Earth’s surface.
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71%
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what are the two major factors
that shape aquatic communities? |
light and availability of nutrients.
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intertidal zone
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where the ocean meets land, the shore is pounded by waves during high tide and exposed to the sun and drying winds during low tide.
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continental shelf
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submerged portions of a continent, that includes the pelagic realm, (open water) and benthic realms, (sea floor).
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phytoplankton
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microscopic algae and. cyanobacteria
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zooplankton
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small drifting animals such as fish, and marine mammals.
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pelagic zone/realm
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all open water
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photic zone
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200m down, top portion of the water where light penetrates. Includes the intertidal and continental shelf. photosynthesis by Phytoplankton and zooplankton live here.
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aphotic zone
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Called the twilight zone. Below the photic zone, not enought light for photosynthesis.
200m-1000m small fish and crustaceans, and some light exists. below 1000m- completely dark. Most animals here are deposit feeders. |
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How does temperature affect freshwater communities?
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during summer, lakes may have separate temperature levels with the cool water at the bottom where fish will spend most of their time unless decomposers deplete the oxygen.
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How does nitrogen and phosphorous affect freshwater environments?
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nitrogen and phosphorous are nutrients for algae which stimulate excess growth. Heavy algae reduces light into the water and when the algae die, there is a serious lack of oxygen.
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What is are algal blooms and why are they dangerous?
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nitrogen and phosphorous are nutrients that usually limit the amount of phytoplankton.
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Explain how the properties of a river change between its source and its outlet, and how this impacts the biotic components of this biome.
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At the outlet, the water is cool and clear, fast moving and narrow, low in nutrients. Downstream, the river widens and is slower, sediments and phytoplankton usually make the water murkier.
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Estuaries
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are productive areas where rivers meet the ocean
– The saltiness of estuaries ranges from less than 1% to 3% – They provide nursery areas for oysters, crabs, and many fishes – They are often bordered by extensive coastal wetlands |
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Coral reefs
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are found in warm tropical waters, in photic zone.
– Produced by animals that secrete calcium carbonate and have a symbiotic relationship with single-celled, photosynthetic algae – Reefs support a huge diversity of invertebrates and fishes |
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Explain why species in widely separated biomes may have similar features.
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Widely separated biomes may look similar because of convergent evolution, the appearance of similar traits in independently evolved species living in similar environments.
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Freshwater biomes include...
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akes, ponds, rivers, streams, and
wetlands |
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what are important abiotic factors of freshwater ecosystems.
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Current, sunlight, temperature and nutrients
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Terrestrial ecosystems are grouped into eight major types of biomes, what are they?
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1 savannas
2 desserts 3 grasslands 4 chaparral 5 broadleaf forests 6 tundra 7 rainforest 8 coniferous forests |
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tropical
forests |
occur in the warm,
moist belt along the equator – Warm, long days year round; abundant rainfall (>60 inches/yr) – The most diverse ecosystem on Earth |
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savanna
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Drier, tropical areas and some
nontropical areas are characterized by the savanna. − Dominated by grassland and scattered trees. − 3 seasons: cool and dry, hot and dry, and warm and wet; 12-20 inches of rainfall/yr |
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Deserts
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– They are characterized by low and unpredictable rainfall (<12 inches/yr)
– Some are very hot (daytime 140 F) – Growth and reproduction are keyed to rainfall |
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chaparral
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this biome is a
shrubland with cool, rainy winters and dry, hot summers – Limited to coastal regions – vegetation is adapted to periodic fires |
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What is desertification?
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the conversion of semiarid regions to desert.
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Why are fires important in some biomes?
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burnt shrubs (highly flammable) use food reserves in their roots to regenerate.
Some chaparral shrubs will only germinate after a fire. burnt vegetation fertilize the soil with mineral nutrients, promoting re-growth of the plant community. |
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Temperate grasslands
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found in the interiors of the
continents, where winters are cold – Drought, fires, and grazing animals prevent trees from growing – Farms have replaced most of North America’s temperate grasslands |
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Temperate broadleaf forests
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grow where there is sufficient moisture to support the growth of large trees.
– Characterized by deciduous trees and rich soils. – Hot summers, cold winters; high annual precipitation; distinct seasons; 5-6 month growing season. |
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northern coniferous
forest |
or taiga, is the largest terrestrial biome on Earth.
– Long, cold winters, and short, occasionally warm, wet summers – The soil is thin, nutrient poor, and acidic. |
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arctic tundra
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lies between
the taiga and the permanently frozen polar regions – It is a treeless biome characterized by extreme cold, wind, and permafrost – Permafrost is continuously frozen subsoil |