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Ecology Exam I
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Ecology | the scientific study of the distributions, abundance and relations of organisms and their interactions with the environment; includes the study of plant and animal populations, plant and animal communities and ecosystems |
| scale | order of heirarchy that organisms are classified in; ranges from gene-> cell-> organ----> biosphere |
| O horizon | lies at the top of a soil profile; contain highly fragmented and decomposed organic matter; Soil organisms are responsible for the breakdown of this detritus; absent in agricultural and desert soils |
| A horizon | mixture of mineral material, (clay, silt and sand) plus organic material from the O horizon; Leached over time; burrowing animals mix |
| B horizon | contains all the clays, humus, and other materials that have been transported by the downward movement of water through the A horizon by leaching; distinctive color and banding pattern |
| C horizon | Consists of weathered parent material, worked by the action of frost, water, and the deepest of plant roots; Often contains many rock fragments; under this horizon is often unweathered bedrock |
| influences on soil structure | topography, organisms, parent material, time |
| Major regions of Tropical Rainforest | SE Asia, W Africa, S & C America Usually ~10 deg north & south of equator |
| Tropical rainforest climate | very steady temp (little variation) with extremly high amounts of rainfall (2000-4000 mm/year) |
| Tropical rainforest soil | very nutrient poor, acidic, low organic detritus, very tight nutrient cycling |
| Tropical rainforest biology | large trees, high diversity of species; many more animal species than plant species |
| Major regions for tropical dry forest | usually 10-25 deg latitue, often N & S of rainforest; central Africa, C. America, Mexico, most of India, the Indo-China peninsula and Australia |
| tropical dry forest climate | prolonged dry season lasting 6 to 7 months followed by a 5- to 6-month rainy season; also has variable temp |
| major regions tropical savanah | north and south of tropical dry forest within 10° to 20° of the equator; central and southeastern Africa, northern and central South America, central Australia and the western Indian subcontinent |
| savanah climate | highly seasonal with wet and dry seasons; fires at the end of dry season kill young trees and open up landscape |
| savanah biology | many plant species have become fire resistant; populations of migratory species & grazers are very important (plants growing from basal v. apical meristem) |
| major regions of desert | occur in two bands 30 deg north & south of the equator |
| desert climate | extremely dry with generally little rainfall; always characterized by evapration & water loss to the environment |
| desert soils | low in organic material (lithosols); high salinity due to evaporation; hardpan rich in CaCO3 (caliche) |
| desert biology | plants have adapted to reduct water loss: plant hair with little or no leaves; animal abundance can be low with species richness being high |
| Major regions of shurbland | almost every continent at 30-40 degrees latitude; also known as chaparral, fynbos & mallee |
| shrubland climate | extremely hot dry summers; soils are fragile with low fertility |
| grassland "prarie" regions | largest biome in the US; stretched from Rockies to eastern forests & southern Canada to Gulf of Mexico; in Eurasia it reaches from Europe to eastern China |
| grassland climate | temp & precip tend to coincide with one another, though droughts are possible |
| grassland biology | species rich plant community once supported huge herds of grazers |
Created by:
crystalannskinner
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