Biology Chapter 52: An Introduction to Ecology

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary factor that restricts the growth of plant roots in the tundra biome?

Permafrost (correct)

Strong winds

Short growing season

Limited annual precipitation

Which of the following biomes is characterized by a mixing of its waters called turnover in the spring and autumn?

Streams

Wetlands

Oceans

Lakes (correct)

What is the approximate salt concentration of freshwater biomes?

10-15%

Less than 0.1% (correct)

1-2%

3-5%

Which of the following human impacts is associated with the temperate forest biome?

Logging Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the process by which two evolutionarily unrelated species may live within the same type of biome but on different continents?

Convergent evolution Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following biomes is characterized by a nutrient-rich and productive transition zone between a river and the sea?

Estuary Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary human impact associated with the ocean pelagic zone?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following biomes is characterized by a dominant vegetation of deciduous trees?

Temperate forest Signup and view all the answers

What is the approximate percentage of the Earth's surface covered by oceans?

75% Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following biomes is characterized by a strong current and a downstream flow?

Rivers Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a component of climate?

Sunlight Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary factor affecting population size in population ecology?

Environmental factors Signup and view all the answers

Which biome is characterized by low and highly variable precipitation, generally less than 30cm per year?

Desert Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary adaptation of plants in desert biomes?

Reduced leaf surface area Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a human impact on chaparral biomes?

Urbanization and agriculture Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of tropical rain forests?

Vertically layered with competition for light Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a characteristic of savanna biomes?

Large herbivores Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of ecosystem ecology?

Energy flow and chemical cycling Signup and view all the answers

Which biome is characterized by highly seasonal precipitation with rainy winters and dry summers?

Chaparral Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of temperate grassland biomes?

Highly seasonal precipitation with dry winters and wet summers Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Ecology and the Biosphere

Ecology is the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and the living and nonliving components of their environment.
There are four levels of ecological study: population ecology, community ecology, ecosystem ecology, and biosphere ecology.

Climate and Biomes

Climate has four major components: temperature, precipitation, sunlight, and wind.
Biomes are major life zones characterized by vegetation type or physical environment.
There are two main types of biomes: terrestrial and aquatic.

Terrestrial Biomes

Tropical rain forests: high temperature and rainfall, vertically layered, and intense competition for light.
Deserts: low and variable precipitation, plants adapted for heat and desiccation tolerance, and animals adapted for water conservation.
Savannas: warm year-round, dominated by grasses and forbs, and large herbivores such as wildebeests and zebras.
Chaparral: highly seasonal precipitation, dominated by shrubs, and many plants adapted to fire and drought.
Temperate grasslands: highly seasonal precipitation, mammals include grazers and small burrowers.
Coniferous forests: dominant vegetation includes evergreen conifers, and animals include large mammals and migratory birds.
Temperate forests: significant precipitation, dominant plants are deciduous trees, and many mammals hibernate and birds migrate.
Tundra: cold winters, permafrost restricts plant root growth.

Aquatic Biomes

Oceans: 75% of the Earth's surface, 3% salt concentration, and two types of aquatic biomes: marine and freshwater.
Marine biomes: estuaries, intertidal zones, ocean pelagic zones, coral reefs, and marine benthic zones.
Estuaries: nutrient-rich and productive transition zones between rivers and seas.
Intertidal zones: periodically submerged and exposed by the tides.
Ocean pelagic zones: expansive open water, vulnerable to overfishing, pollution, ocean acidification, and global warming.
Coral reefs: formed from calcium carbonate skeletons of corals, highly diverse species.
Marine benthic zones: consist of the seafloor below surface waters, including deep-sea hydrothermal vents.
Freshwater biomes: salt concentration less than 0.1%, influenced by soil and biotic components.
Lakes: undergo mixing of waters called turnover in spring and autumn.
Wetlands: inundated by water, support plants adapted to water-saturated soil.
Streams and rivers: water flow from headwater to downstream, vulnerable to pollution and damming.

Other Ecological Concepts

Convergent evolution: two evolutionarily unrelated species may live in the same type of biome on different continents.

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Description

Explore the basics of ecology, including population ecology, community ecology, and ecosystem ecology. Learn about the interactions between organisms and their environment.