Ecology and Climate Quiz

Ecology and Climate

• Ecology is the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environment
• Carl Linnaeus was the first to define ecology as the "economy of nature"
• Abiotic factors impacting biomes include nutrient distribution and climate
• Hadley cells drive atmospheric circulation at the equator
• A biome is defined as the largest regional ecosystems with specific soil and climate conditions
• Global precipitation and temperature are driven by ocean currents
• A desert biome forms in areas with low precipitation and high temperatures
• Salinity is critical for defining aquatic ecosystems
• The Gulf Stream distributes heat from equatorial regions

Productivity and Biodiversity

• The ultimate energy source for the biosphere is electromagnetic radiation
• GPP stands for Gross Primary Production
• NPP (Net Primary Productivity) is calculated as GPP minus Respiration
• Tropical rainforests support the most biomass globally
• Tropical regions have high biodiversity due to stability and productivity
• The range of global terrestrial NPP is 0.1-3.2 kg C/ m²/year

Ecosystems and Dynamics

• A defining characteristic of ecosystems is that they are complex dynamic systems
• Ecosystem dynamics are driven by interactions between species and their environment
• Feedback in ecosystems relates outputs to inputs, amplifying or reducing effects
• Earth is viewed as a self-regulating superorganism within the Gaia Hypothesis
• Climate is driven by atmospheric dynamics

Predation, Parasitism, and Mutualism

• Excluding dingoes increased kangaroo populations significantly; a result of removal of predators
• Co-evolution is the simultaneous evolution of predators and prey in response to each other
• Predator-prey cycles demonstrate an evolutionary "arms race" between bats and moths
• Beneficial mutualisms are an example where both species benefit from the interaction. Both species can survive independently in non-obligate mutualisms

Invasive Species and Management

• Approximately 5,000 invasive species exist presently in the U.S.
• The Lacey Act prohibits the trade in illegally taken wildlife.
• Zebra mussels were successfully controlled
• Invasive species cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars annually.

Global Dilemmas

• Eutrophication is caused by excess nutrients in water.
• Zebra mussels significantly impact aquatic food webs in ecosystems
• "Dead zones" are characterized by low oxygen levels.
• Salinization is caused by excess salts from human activities
• Invasive species negatively impact ecosystems, often causing habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity

Multiple-Choice Quiz; Predation, Ecosystems and Global Dilemmas

• Co-evolution in predator-prey interactions involves simultaneous evolutionary adjustments of both parties in response to each other
• Elton documented the predator-prey cycles that involve lynx and hares lasting around ten years
• Skunks and ducks experiments demonstrated that removing predators does not automatically lead to increases in prey populations; some studies have indeed shown that prey survival may decrease
• Temperature and food availability control hare populations
• Parasitism results in harm or death for the host;

Ecology, Ecosystems, and Biodiversity

• Biotic factors affecting the environment include distribution of nutrients, predator-prey relationships, overall effects of climate, dissolved oxygen levels, salinity, current, and tides.
• The biosphere is made up of the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere.
• The primary energy source powering the biosphere is the sun
• Ellen Richards was a pioneer in environmental chemistry in the late 1800s and early 1900s
• Partitioning in lizard populations is determined by feeding times, temperature, and size
• A biome encompasses all of earth's components; Atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere;
• The Keeling curve represents a long-term record of Carbon Dioxide levels.
• Habitat fragmentation from natural and/or human activities decreases biodiversity
• Eutrophication is caused by an excess of nutrients in the water.
• Salinization is caused by excess salts in the soil from improper irrigation