Ecology and Evolution Concepts Quiz
49 Questions
0 Views

Choose a study mode

Play Quiz
Study Flashcards
Spaced Repetition
Chat to lesson

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What effect does El Niño typically have on global temperatures?

  • It has no significant impact on global temperatures.
  • It causes a decrease in global temperatures.
  • It typically causes an increase in global temperatures. (correct)
  • It leads to fluctuating global temperatures without a trend.

    • How do normal trade winds operate at the equator, before the onset of El Niño?

  • They blow from west to east.
  • They remain stagnant without any movement.
  • They alternate direction every few months.
  • They blow from east to west, pushing warm water towards the western Pacific. (correct)

    • What is a characteristic of Southeast Asia and Australia during a normal year?

  • They undergo wet conditions in summer and dry conditions in winter. (correct)
  • They have dry conditions during the summer monsoon.
  • They are warm and humid with little seasonal variation.
  • They experience frequent flooding year-round.

    • What impact does El Niño have on fishing industries in countries like Peru and Ecuador?

    <p>It causes declines in fish catch, affecting local industries.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the opposite phenomenon of El Niño?

    <p>La Niña</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to warm air as it rises at the equator?

    <p>It cools and loses moisture.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why does cooler air generally lead to cloud formation?

    <p>Cool air has lower energy, causing condensation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role does the Hadley Cell play in moisture distribution?

    <p>It creates dry conditions in the subtropics.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    At what altitude does the air spread out toward the poles in the Hadley Cell process?

    <p>10-15 km</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What climatic conditions are typically found at 30° North and South latitudes?

    <p>Arid desert conditions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary factor that allows warm air to hold more moisture than cool air?

    <p>Higher energy of water vapor molecules</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does descending air behave in terms of moisture content during its journey in the Hadley Cell?

    <p>It loses moisture and becomes dry.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What atmospheric phenomenon results from the circulation patterns of the Hadley Cells?

    <p>Trade winds</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which soil type has the highest water holding capacity?

    <p>Clay Soil</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What property of sandy soil contributes to its quick drainage?

    <p>Large pore size</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does the particle size of clay soil affect its water retention?

    <p>It has small particles which increase surface area.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to clay soil after excessive rainfall?

    <p>It can become waterlogged.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which method can be utilized to identify sand, silt, and clay proportions in soil?

    <p>Sedimentation method</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why do clay soils retain more water compared to sandy soils?

    <p>Due to their small particle size and high surface area.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which soil type retains the least amount of water?

    <p>Sandy Soil</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary reason sandy soil does not hold water effectively?

    <p>It has large spaces between particles.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific during La Niña?

    <p>They become cooler than average.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What impact does La Niña have on hurricane seasons in the Atlantic?

    <p>It creates more active hurricane seasons.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following areas experiences drier conditions during La Niña?

    <p>Southern U.S.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does La Niña affect upwelling off the coast of South America?

    <p>It enhances upwelling, supporting marine life.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What weather conditions are typically observed in Southeast Asia during La Niña?

    <p>Wetter-than-usual conditions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main characteristic of density-dependent factors?

    <p>They are influenced by the population's density.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes density-independent factors?

    <p>Factors that can lead to population decline irrespective of density.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How is fecundity defined in relation to a population?

    <p>The reproductive capacity of an organism or population.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does mortality refer to in population studies?

    <p>The number of deaths per 1,000 individuals per year.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Population momentum is primarily influenced by which factor?

    <p>A large proportion of individuals in reproductive age.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) indicate?

    <p>The average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How is the Crude Birth Rate (CBR) expressed?

    <p>As the number of live births per 1,000 people in a year.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does a Crude Death Rate (CDR) of 8 indicate?

    <p>8 people die per 1,000 in the population each year.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characteristic does Stage 1 of demographic transition exhibit?

    <p>Stable or slow-growing populations due to high birth and death rates.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary role of a keystone species in an ecosystem?

    <p>To control the population of other species</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is an example of natural selection?

    <p>Dark moths surviving better in polluted areas</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What distinguishes primary succession from secondary succession?

    <p>Presence of soil during succession</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which factor is considered a selective force in natural selection?

    <p>Predation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In what way do late successional species differ from pioneer species?

    <p>They have longer lifespans and greater competitive ability</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which scenario is an example of an overshoot and subsequent dieoff?

    <p>Deer consuming all vegetation and causing a food shortage</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What defines the carrying capacity of an environment?

    <p>The maximum number of individuals an environment can sustain</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which resource is often considered limiting in desert ecosystems?

    <p>Water</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characterizes a climax community in ecological succession?

    <p>Relative stability over time</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements about pioneer species is true?

    <p>They facilitate the establishment of later species.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is meant by density-dependent factors?

    <p>Factors that influence growth as population density changes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes an adaptation?

    <p>A characteristic that improves survival and reproduction</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best exemplifies the concept of ecological succession?

    <p>Changes in species over time following a disturbance</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the function of limiting resources in an ecosystem?

    <p>To constrain population growth and distribution</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Ecology and Evolution Concepts

    • Adaptation is a trait that improves an organism's survival and reproduction in a specific environment. An example is a giraffe's long neck, enabling it to reach high foliage.
    • Keystone Species play a disproportionately significant role in an ecosystem. Their presence affects the structure and functioning of the community. Sea otters, controlling sea urchin populations, are an example. They help kelp forests thrive.
    • Natural Selection is a process where traits enhancing survival and reproduction become more common over generations. Darker moths surviving better in polluted air illustrate this.
    • A Pioneer Species is the first to colonize a bare or disturbed environment, like lichens and mosses on volcanic rock.
    • Selective Forces are environmental factors influencing an organism's survival and reproduction. Predation favoring camouflage is an example.
    • Primary Succession is ecological change in environments with no previous life, like bare rock. Mosses and lichens are examples of pioneer species in this process.
    • Secondary Succession occurs where a disturbance has impacted an existing environment, but soil and some organisms remain. This is the recovery of a forest after a wildfire.
    • Late Successional Species dominate an ecosystem during later stages of ecological succession, showing slower growth, greater competitive ability, and longer lifespans. Oak trees are an example.
    • Climax Communities are the final, stable community in ecological succession.

    Carrying Capacity

    • Carrying Capacity is the maximum number of individuals an environment can support over time, based on available resources. A lake's carrying capacity for fish is limited by resources like food and space.
    • Limiting Resources constrain growth, distribution, or abundance of organisms. For example, water is a limiting resource in deserts.
    • Overshoot/Dieoff occurs when a population exceeds the environment’s carrying capacity, leading to a decline.

    Density-Dependent and Independent Factors

    • Density-dependent factors influence population growth affected by population density. They increase in intensity with higher population count. Spread of diseases is a density-dependent factor.
    • Density-independent factors affect population size regardless of their density. Natural disasters are examples of density-independent factors.

    Fecundity and Mortality

    • Fecundity is the reproductive capacity of an organism or population, often measured by the number of offspring produced. Rabbits, with high fecundity, reproduce many offspring per year.
    • Mortality is the death rate in a population, typically expressed as the number of deaths per 1,000 individuals per year.

    Demographic Transition and Fertility

    • Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is a measure of the average number of children a woman has in her lifetime.
    • Crude Birth Rate (CBR) is the number of live births per 1,000 people in a year.
    • Crude Death Rate (CDR) represents the number of deaths per 1,000 people in a year.
    • Demographic transition describes the stages of population change, starting with high birth and death rates, eventually leading to low birth and death rates. It includes stages like pre-transition, early transition, late transition, and post-transition.

    Plate Tectonics and Earth Science Concepts

    • Tectonic plates are large, rigid pieces of Earth's lithosphere that move or interact, causing geological changes.
    • Divergent plate boundaries occur where two tectonic plates move apart, creating new oceanic crust.
    • Subduction zones are convergent boundaries where a plate slides under another.
    • Seafloor spreading creates new lithosphere at divergent plate boundaries.
    • We know where subduction occurs from earthquake activity and deep ocean trenches.
    • Hotspots are locations where plumes of rising magma from deep within the earth create volcanoes and volcanic chains as a moving plate moves over it.

    Soil Layers and Soil Composition

    • Soil layers include the O horizon (organic matter), A horizon (topsoil), E horizon (leached minerals), B horizon (subsoil), C horizon (parent material), and R horizon (bedrock).
    • Parent material is the geological material from which soil develops, providing the minerals.
    • Darkest soil layers contain most organic matter (O and A).
    • The A horizon (topsoil) usually holds the most nutrients because of organic material.
    • The C horizon contains the parent material.
    • Soil texture is determined by the proportions of sand, silt, and clay.
    • Porosity refers to the space between soil particles, and soil permeability reflects its ability to transmit water and air.
    • Water holding capacity shows how much water a soil can retain.
    • Soil type affects water holding capacity. Sandy soils drain quickly, while clay soils hold water well.

    Soil Water Filtration and Ecosystem Services

    • Soil acts as a natural water filter, where particles trap pollutants and contaminants. Organic matter helps filter and bind chemicals.
    • Organic matter improves soil quality, increasing water retention, nutrient-holding capacity, and providing a habitat for soil organisms.
    • Soil provides essential ecosystem services, including nutrient cycling, water filtration, carbon sequestration, and habitat provision.

    Atmospheric Layers

    • The atmosphere has layers like the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere, with changing temperature profiles.
    • The stratosphere contains the ozone layer, absorbing UV radiation.
    • The thermosphere experiences a large temperature increase from solar radiation absorption.
    • Atmospheric pressure decreases at higher altitudes because the weight of air above a point decreases.
    • The uneven heating of the Earth's surface by the sun drives global wind patterns and their corresponding circulation cells.
    • The Coriolis effect deflects wind patterns due to Earth's rotation, creating global wind systems like the trade winds, westerlies, and polar easterlies.
    • Precipitation is more frequent at the equator because warm, moist air rises, cools, and condenses, leading to cloud formation and rainfall.

    Soil Nutrients and Plant Growth

    • Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium are essential for plant growth. These nutrients perform various functions in plant development and maintaining health.
    • Soil pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and organic matter content can affect nutrient availability and plant growth.

    El Niño and La Niña

    • El Niño is a climate pattern characterized by warm water in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, disrupting global weather patterns.
    • La Niña is the opposite of El Niño, with cooler water temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific.
    • Upwelling patterns are affected by both events, impacting marine ecosystems.
    • Both events cause regional climate changes with impacts on weather conditions and ocean productivity.

    Studying That Suits You

    Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

    Quiz Team

    Related Documents

    Ecology & Evolution Concepts PDF

    Description

    Test your knowledge on key concepts in ecology and evolution. This quiz covers topics such as adaptation, natural selection, keystone species, and more. Perfect for students looking to reinforce their understanding of ecological principles.

    More Like This

    Use Quizgecko on...
    Browser
    Open
    Browser
    Browser