Ecological Concepts and Terminology

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Questions and Answers

What are three ecosystem functions that coral reefs, oyster reefs, and salt marshes have in common, and what services do they provide?

Three ecosystem functions include shoreline protection, nutrient cycling, and habitat provision. Corresponding services are flood risk reduction, increased water quality, and support for biodiversity.

What are the five most important biological lessons learned during the course and why are they significant?

The lessons include the importance of biodiversity, ecosystem interconnectivity, human impact on marine ecosystems, the role of keystone species, and the significance of restoration ecology. These concepts are vital for effective marine conservation and management.

How can positive interactions enhance the yield of conservation projects involving mangrove or salt marsh plants? Provide three examples for each.

Positive interactions can enhance survival and growth through facilitation (e.g., shade, nutrient sharing). Examples include using Rhizophora to enhance growth in Spartina, Zostera aiding in sediment stabilization, and Acropora creating habitats that improve growth rates.

What are alternative stable states, and how is hysteresis defined in ecological contexts?

Alternative stable states refer to different ecological equilibria that an ecosystem can maintain. Hysteresis occurs when a system's response (e.g., recovery of kelp) depends on its previous state, leading to different outcomes after disturbances. Signup and view all the answers

What three oceanographic processes influence the anchovy fisheries off the west coast of the Americas, and what process can lead to fishery collapse?

The processes include upwelling, nutrient enrichment, and ocean temperature patterns. El Niño events can disrupt these processes, leading to fishery collapse. Signup and view all the answers

Define the three types of ecological succession and identify which type typifies salt marsh succession.

The three types are primary succession (starting from bare substrate), secondary succession (following disturbance), and cyclic succession (repeating cycles). Salt marsh succession typically exemplifies secondary succession. Signup and view all the answers

What is ecological succession, and how does it contrast with zonation?

Ecological succession is the process of change in species composition over time, while zonation refers to the spatial arrangement of different communities. Both concepts highlight ecological dynamics but at different scales. Signup and view all the answers

Define fundamental and realized niches, and explain the role of competition in their development.

The fundamental niche is the full potential range of conditions under which a species can survive, while the realized niche is the actual conditions in which a species exists, influenced by competition. Competition restricts a species from occupying its fundamental niche. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Coriolis effect and how does it influence ocean currents?

The Coriolis effect is the deflection of moving objects caused by the rotation of the Earth, influencing ocean currents to curve to the right in the Northern Hemisphere. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the processes that create an Ekman spiral and its significance for zooplankton movement.

An Ekman spiral is formed by the wind's friction with surface water, which causes a downward deflection of water layers, resulting in a spiraling effect; this is important as it helps zooplankton to access different water layers for feeding and movement. Signup and view all the answers

How do the ecological characteristics of salt marshes on the East Coast impact the distribution of fiddler crabs?

Salt marshes provide a habitat with abundant food sources and nesting sites for fiddler crabs, which thrive in their softer substrate compared to the rocky shores of the West Coast. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the concept of trophic cascade and its relationship with food chain length.

A trophic cascade occurs when changes at one trophic level affect species at lower levels; changes in food chain length can amplify or diminish these effects, altering ecosystem dynamics. Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes competitive dominants from other species, and what forces promote coexistence?

Competitive dominants are species that outperform others for resources; coexistence is maintained by factors such as habitat heterogeneity, disturbance regimes, and consumer pressure. Signup and view all the answers

Discuss the contrasting factors that limit the upper and lower elevation range limits of salt marsh plants compared to rocky intertidal organisms.

In salt marshes, competition sets upper limits while physical forces (e.g., flooding) set lower limits; in contrast, rocky intertidal organisms face harsher conditions that prioritize physical forces for both limits. Signup and view all the answers

Identify three factors that can limit the number of food chain links in a food web.

Factors include energy availability, predation pressure, and habitat complexity; these factors limit energy transfer efficiency and species interactions, ultimately constraining food chain length. Signup and view all the answers

How do positive interactions among species contribute to ecological diversity?

Positive interactions, such as mutualism, enhance species survival and reproductive success, thereby increasing overall biodiversity through resource sharing and habitat stabilization. Signup and view all the answers

Define density-dependence and density-independence. How do hurricanes and predation pressure impact oyster mortality differently?

Density-dependence refers to factors that affect population size in relation to its density, while density-independence refers to factors affecting population size regardless of its density. Hurricanes can cause widespread mortality irrespective of population density, while predation pressure typically increases with population density, leading to higher rates of mortality among oysters. Signup and view all the answers

What is the average ocean salinity, and why is the ocean generally saltier than lakes?

The average ocean salinity is about 35 parts per thousand. Oceans are saltier than lakes because they collect dissolved minerals from land runoff and have limited fresh water input, unlike many lakes that have constant freshwater inflow. Signup and view all the answers

What is pH, and how does the increase in CO2 affect ocean pH and coral skeleton deposition?

pH is a measure of hydrogen ion concentration, with a scale typically ranging from 0 to 14. Increasing CO2 lowers ocean pH by forming carbonic acid, which decreases carbonate ions needed for coral skeleton deposition, thus harming coral growth. Signup and view all the answers

Identify four processes that determine the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and describe their underlying mechanisms.

Four processes include: habitat protection (preserving biodiversity), fish population recovery (reducing overfishing), spillover effect (exporting fish to adjacent areas), and resilience to climate change (enhancing ecosystem health). Effective MPAs create safe environments for species to thrive and recover. Signup and view all the answers

Do you defend or refute the statement that sewage pollution has minimal impacts on marine ecosystems? Provide data or examples.

I refute this statement, as studies show that sewage can lead to eutrophication and harmful algal blooms. For example, coastal areas like Chesapeake Bay face significant ecological disruption due to nutrient overload from sewage. Signup and view all the answers

Compare how whales and grunts facilitate primary production in their respective environments.

Whales facilitate primary production by recycling nutrients through their waste, enhancing phytoplankton growth, while grunts facilitate primary production on coral reefs by grazing on algae, allowing more light to reach corals and promoting their growth. Signup and view all the answers

What is the blue water paradox of coral reefs and how is it resolved?

The blue water paradox describes how coral reefs thrive in nutrient-poor waters. This is resolved through mechanisms like nutrient recycling by reef organisms and the symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae, which use sunlight to produce energy for the corals. Signup and view all the answers

Explain convergent and divergent evolution, providing three examples for each.

Convergent evolution occurs when unrelated species develop similar traits due to similar environmental pressures; examples include the wings of bats and birds. Divergent evolution occurs when related species evolve different traits; examples include Darwin's finches with varied beak shapes adapted to different food sources. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Term List

Stress gradient hypothesis: A hypothesis that explains how species distributions are affected by environmental factors.
Hysteresis: A phenomenon where the response to a change in conditions is not the same as the response to the reversal of those conditions.
Alternative Stable States: Different, relatively stable states that can exist in an ecosystem.
Trophic Cascade: A series of changes in the abundance of different species in an ecosystem due to the effects of one species on another.
Paradox of the plankton: The coexistence of many species of phytoplankton in a relatively homogeneous environment.
Riftia: A type of tubeworm that lives in hydrothermal vents and derives energy from chemosynthesis.
Chemosynthesis: A process in which organisms derive energy from chemical reactions, rather than sunlight.
Fringing vs. barrier reef: Describe differences between the two types of reefs.
Disturbance: A natural event or human action that temporarily disrupts a community or ecosystem.
Intermediate Disturbance hypothesis: Explains how species richness is maximized at intermediate levels of disturbance.
Facilitation cascade: Succession in which earlier appearing species alter conditions to make the ecosystem favorable for later appearing species.
Foundation species: Species that create the basis of a habitat.
Keystone species: A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance.
Spartina: Type of grass that is a foundation species of salt marshes.
Crassostrea: Type of oyster that is a foundation species.
Zostera: Type of seagrass that is a foundation species.
Acropora: Type of coral that is a foundation species.
Macrocystis: Type of kelp that is an important foundational species in the intertidal zone.
Rhizophora: A type of mangrove tree, a foundation species in mangrove forests.
Green vs. brown food webs: Discusses the differences based on photosynthetic activity of the dominant producers
Aerenchyma: Air-filled spaces in plants, allowing them to survive in oxygen-poor environments.
Lacuna: Hollow or space within an organism, typically filled with fluid or air.

Questions

Compare and contrast ecosystem services and ecosystem function: Ecosystem function describes the processes within an ecosystem, while ecosystem services are the benefits that humans derive from those processes. Three common functions of coral reefs, oyster reefs, and salt marshes are: (1) primary production, (2) nutrient cycling, and (3) habitat provision.
Five most important biological lessons: The provided text does not list the lessons, just names what is important to study.
Incorporating positive interactions into restoration design: Describes how positive interactions among plants can increase the success of restoration projects for mangroves or salt marshes.
Alternative stable states and hysteresis: Describes how ecosystems can exist in multiple stable states and how hysteresis causes a change in the ecosystem response to be different from the opposite change, as illustrated with graphs.
Oceanographic processes driving anchovy fisheries: The text describes oceanographic processes that drive massive anchovy fisheries off the west coast of the Americas in the temperate zone, and also describes the oceanographic process that can shut those processes down, leading to fishery collapse.
Types of ecological succession: Describe three types of ecological succession: primary, secondary, and tertiary as well as the context of zonation.
Fundamental and realized niche: Describes the fundamental niche (the full range of environmental conditions in which a species can survive and reproduce) and the realized niche (the actual range of environmental conditions in which a species lives due to competition or predation or other factors.
Coral Reefs, and the Role of Positive Interactions: Explains how positive interactions such as mutualisms between coral and algae contribute to the health and stability of coral reefs, which are key to their adaptation to disturbances.
Coriolis Effect: A description of the Coriolis effect, its generation, and its effect on marine currents.
Salt Marsh Dominance on East Coast: Discusses why salt marshes dominate the East Coast of the U.S. while rocky shores dominate the West Coast, including discussion of the influence of acidification, nutrient loading, and overfishing on coral reefs and their response to temperature stress.
Trophic Cascades, Competitive Dominance, and Diverse Food Webs: The information describes trophic cascades, competition, and food web diversity.
Salt Marsh and Mangrove Succession: The text discusses factors influencing elevation range and limits of salt marsh plants and mangrove trees including competition and physical forces in the intertidal zone.
Food Chain Links: Discusses the range of food chain links in natural food webs, and factors influencing the total number of food chain links
Biomass Pyramids: Describes the structure of biomass pyramids in different ecosystem types, emphasizing differences between open ocean and Serengeti Plain ecosystems to help clarify the concepts.
Coral Reef Positive Interactions: Details the role of interactions like mutualism, facilitation, and trophic relationships in coral reefs, focusing on their importance in ecosystem health and resilience to disturbances.
Density Dependence and Density Independence: Distinguishes and compares the impacts of density-dependent factors like predation and density-independent factors like natural disasters on populations.
Ocean Salinity and pH: Discusses ocean salinity, components of salt, and the differences between ocean salinity and freshwater, the concept of pH scale and its relevance to the ocean.

Studying That Suits You

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Description

Test your understanding of key ecological concepts, including the stress gradient hypothesis and the paradox of the plankton. This quiz will cover essential terms related to ecosystems, species interactions, and stability. Ideal for students studying ecology or environmental science.