Plant Ecology and Temperate Deciduous Forests

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Questions and Answers

What type of trees dominate temperate deciduous forests?

Evergreen trees

Shrubs

Hardwood deciduous trees (correct)

Coniferous trees

Which season allows sunlight to reach the understory in temperate deciduous forests?

Spring (correct)

Fall

Summer

Winter

What is the primary role of decomposers in temperate deciduous forests?

Cyclically pollinating plants

Competing with producers for nutrients

Breaking down fallen plant material and enriching soil (correct)

Absorbing sunlight for photosynthesis

Which group of land plants evolved approximately 470 million years ago?

Vascular plants Signup and view all the answers

What is a major characteristic of vascular tissue in plants?

It extends from roots to leaves Signup and view all the answers

What is a distinguishing feature of deciduous trees?

They drop leaves in winter Signup and view all the answers

The presence of which type of tissue is a synapomorphy for vascular plants?

Xylem and phloem Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest Zone is true?

It serves as a mixing zone between boreal and deciduous forests. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following organisms primarily exploits urban environments?

Pigeons Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic is NOT associated with successful urban plants?

Rely on natural pollination Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the ecological roles of earthworms in urban environments?

Mixing and aerating the soil Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic is unique to lichens compared to other organisms?

Photosynthesis in extreme temperatures Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about insects is false?

All insects undergo complete metamorphosis Signup and view all the answers

Which pair of traits best describes the adaptability of insects in urban environments?

Diverse feeding habits and flight capabilities Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic feature of spiders that distinguishes them from insects?

Six pairs of appendages Signup and view all the answers

What role do lichens serve in urban environments?

Indicators of air quality Signup and view all the answers

What role does phloem play in plant biology?

Transports sugar-rich sap downwards from leaves to roots. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement correctly describes secondary growth in plants?

It increases the diameter of the tree via vascular cambium. Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes gymnosperms from angiosperms regarding seed development?

Gymnosperms develop seeds inside cones, while angiosperms develop seeds inside fruits. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about fruits is correct?

Fruits help protect seeds and enhance dispersal. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about pollen dispersal methods is accurate?

Gymnosperms are primarily wind-pollinated. Signup and view all the answers

In the plant life cycle, what does the term 'alternation of generations' refer to?

Plants switching between haploid and diploid phases. Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic differentiates temperate deciduous forests from boreal forests?

Higher biodiversity compared to boreal forests. Signup and view all the answers

Which type of cells primarily contribute to the formation of growth rings in trees?

Xylem cells. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary economic importance of coral reefs?

Shoreline protection, harbors, fishing, tourism Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true regarding the coral and zooxanthellae symbiosis?

Coral tentacles assist in the heterotrophic feeding process. Signup and view all the answers

What is the average growth rate of branching corals?

10 cm/year Signup and view all the answers

What geological structure primarily composes coral reefs?

Calcium carbonate skeletons from coral Signup and view all the answers

Which factor is NOT a limitation for coral growth?

Low current speeds in water Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT an ecological function of wildlife underpasses?

Reduce human-animal conflict Signup and view all the answers

What is a common consequence of urban management strategies, such as wildlife corridors?

Reduced collision rates near wildlife underpasses Signup and view all the answers

Which group of organisms primarily builds coral reefs?

Order Scleractinia (stone corals) Signup and view all the answers

What type of reproductive strategy involves embryos developing in eggs within the mother?

Ovoviviparity Signup and view all the answers

Which structural adaptation helps bony fishes maintain buoyancy in water?

Swim bladder Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of modern amphibians?

Ability to reproduce on land without water Signup and view all the answers

What type of circulatory system adaptation evolved to support the transition from aquatic to terrestrial life?

Systemic and pulmonary circuits Signup and view all the answers

Which mollusc class is the largest and predominant in terms of species diversity?

Gastropods Signup and view all the answers

Which adaptation allows gastropods to cope with different environments?

Coiled shells Signup and view all the answers

What defines the feeding strategy of most fish species?

Swallowing prey whole Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant threat to salmon populations in Canada?

Pollution and habitat disruption Signup and view all the answers

Which factors primarily contribute to changes in river light conditions?

Clarity variations due to productivity and environmental inputs Signup and view all the answers

What are the natural sources of oxygen levels in rivers?

Mixing, submerged plants, and algae Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following groups are considered primary producers in streams?

Phytoplankton and algae Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic distinguishes cyanobacteria from eukaryotic algae?

Presence of thylakoid membranes for photosynthesis Signup and view all the answers

How do excess nutrients from anthropogenic sources impact river ecosystems?

They lead to eutrophication and oxygen depletion Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following organisms primarily contributes to nutrient cycling in rivers?

Filter feeders such as bivalves Signup and view all the answers

What is indicated by a high Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in river water?

High levels of organic pollution Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following factors can limit oxygen levels in rivers?

Formation of high stratification and warm water temperatures Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Temperate Deciduous Forest Overview

Found in moderate climates
Dominated by hardwood deciduous trees
Key characteristics include: four distinct seasons, nutrient-rich soils from annual leaf fall, moderate precipitation and temperature promote decomposition, high biodiversity compared to boreal forests
Seasons and climate: spring has understory sunlight due to leafless trees, summers are warm, winters are cold and snowy, precipitation is moderate and evenly distributed throughout the year
Biodiversity includes producers (primarily plants, trees being the main focus), consumers (numerous birds and small mammals, larger mammals are grazers and carnivores/scavengers), and decomposers (fungi and invertebrate such as insects, worms, gastropods, crustaceans, nematodes)
Fallen plant material enriches the soil throughout the year
Tree species are of mixed age and species
Deciduous trees drop their leaves in winter. Examples include maple, oak, beech, and elm.
Coniferous trees retain leaves throughout the winter. Examples include red and white pine, hemlock, and white cedar.
Ontario's Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest Zone is a mix of deciduous and boreal forests with varied tree species. There is a transitional nature in the species present
Historical impact involves heavy logging during colonization.

Plant Evolution and Land Plants

Land plants evolved approximately 470 million years ago from green algae.
Early challenges include the method of obtaining water from soil and limited capacity to restrict water loss.
Phylogeny of land plants is shown by a Monophyletic group descended from green algae. The groups are Bryophytes (non-vascular plants) and Vascular Plants (Tracheophyta).

Vascular Plants (Tracheophyta)

Synapomorphy: Presence of vascular tissue (xylem and phloem)
Four key groups of vascular plants include Lycophytes, Ferns, Gymnosperms, and Angiosperms.
Vascular tissue extends from roots to leaves.
Vascular tissue is organized in rings near the stem's exterior
Xylem carries water and minerals from roots to leaves. Structure includes hollow conduits with lignin for support.
Phloem carries photosynthates from leaves to roots, including carbs, amino acids, nitrogen, ions, hormones, and RNA. The nucleus and cytoplasm are lost during development.

Tree Growth and Structure

Primary growth increases height and length.
Secondary growth increases diameter via vascular cambium by producing new xylem and phloem.
Growth rings show seasonal differences in xylem (wood) cell size.

Gymnosperms vs. Angiosperms

Both are seed-producing vascular plants.
Gymnosperms have seeds developing on cones, are pollinated by wind, and examples include pines, yews, junipers, and cedars.
Angiosperms have seeds developing within fruits and are pollinated by wind, water, or animals. Examples include diverse flowering plants.

Seed Dispersal Mechanisms

Gymnosperms' seeds fall to ground or are wind dispersed with specialized structures.
Angiosperms use fruits to aid in dispersal by animals or wind

Pollen and Reproduction

Gymnosperms are wind-pollinated, and Angiosperms are pollinated by wind, animals, or water.
Gymnosperms' seeds develop on cones, while Angiosperms' seeds develop within fruits.

Key Concepts in Plant Lifecycle

Plants alternate between haploid and diploid phases (both phases undergo mitosis).
Seed plant life cycle is dominated by a diploid (2n) stage. Gametes are pollen (male) and ovule (female). A zygote develops into an embryo within the seed.

General Characteristics of Birds

About 10,000 bird species globally
Bipedal vertebrates with feathers, toothless beaks, complex behaviors, and adapted forelimbs.
Specialized bills adapted for diverse diets
Categories include Palaeognathae (large flightless birds), Galloanserae (e.g., Galliformes- pheasants), and Neoaves (modern birds).

Mammals (Mammalia)

Key traits: Hair, mammary glands, internal fertilization, warm-blooded, and care for young until independence.
Have hair made of keratin. Specialized hairs include vibrissae (whiskers) and porcupine quills.
Specific Mammalian species in temperate deciduous forests include rodents (e.g., porcupines, chipmunks), deer (herbivores), and mammals that hibernate.

Top Consumers (Raptors)

Examples include hawks, eagles, falcons, and owls.
Diet is carnivorous or scavenging on smaller animals.
Traits include excellent eyesight, talons, and curved beaks.

###Lower Consumers: Songbirds • ~3,000 species, use complex songs for communication and territory. • Sexual dimorphism: Females are often dull-colored for predator evasion. • Diet includes insects, invertebrates, fruits, nuts, seeds. • Predators are birds of prey and mammals. Woodpeckers are birds that are specialized feeders.

Reptiles Overview

Ectothermic (depend on environmental heat sources).
Lay shelled eggs (oviparous), and some are ovoviviparous or viviparous.
Sensitive, with poor eyesight and hearing.
Examples in temperate forests include snakes.

Amniotes

Key characteristics include shelled eggs, preventing moisture loss.
Eggs have adaptations such as outer shells.

Fungi

More closely related to animals than plants.
Key traits: Produce chitin, are heterotrophic, and reproduce both sexually and asexually.
Important ecological roles include carbon cycling and interactions with plants

Urban Landscapes

Urban areas are full of life but are typified by disturbance.
Characterized by human-propagated plant monocultures with both native and non-native species coexisting.
Urban organisms face significant pressures including pollution, physical barriers (pavements), and human interaction.
City areas are generally 10-15 degrees warmer than rural areas.
Various organisms show adaptation in different ways, including avoidance

Urban Flora and Fauna: Plants

Desirable plants include trees, grass, and ornamental flowers, while weeds are less desirable.
Successful plants in urban areas often grow quickly from seed and tolerate high levels of nutrients and toxic contaminants.
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of fungi/yeast and cyanobacteria/green algae. They are often found in extreme habitats like bare rocks and the arctic.
Earthworms contribute to nutrient cycling in urban areas by breaking down matter and mixing the soil.
Insects are a diverse group in urban areas.

Urban Flora and Fauna: Animals

Urban animals often adapt via avoidance, exploitation, or adaptation. Examples include: Raccoons, red foxes, pigeons, rats.

Life History Trends in Urban Birds

Urban birds show trends towards smaller body size, broader dietary and habitat niches, longer lifespans, and are often not as territorial. Common urban birds include feral pigeons, house sparrows, barn swallows, and others.
Example of the Peregrine Falcon, fastest animal on Earth, showing adaptations in hunting for urban prey.
The urban carnivore, bobcat, shows adaptability to urban environments, but it encounters challenges like road barriers and exposure to disease. The domestic cat may become an invasive species in many ways, including population overgrowth and impacting other species.

Urban Management Strategies

Wildlife underpasses or corridors to facilitate gene flow between fragmented populations.
Urban areas create pressures to various species through pollution and physical barriers like pavement.

Coral Reefs Overview

Important geological structures in marine habitats.
Show high biological diversity. Provide shoreline protection, harbors, fishing, and tourism.
Composition is primarily of coral, coralline algae, sponges, and other organisms cemented together.
Coral growth relies on several factors for the reefs to thrive.

Coral Reef Structure and Growth

Reef-building corals belong to the Order Scleractinia (Stone Coral).
Corals have skeletons of calcium carbonate
Colonies of similar polyp organisms are interconnected by cenosarc tissue with each polyp within the cenosarc tissue able to regenerate asexually
Coral growth forms are encrusting, massive, branching, and foliaceous which are influenced by growing conditions
Growth rates are significantly variable.

Coral Growth Factors and Limitations

Coral thrives in several environmental requirements such as average salinity (around 35ppt), surface temperatures higher than 20°C, high light levels for symbiosis, and low turbidity with weak currents.
Challenges impacting corals include ocean acidification, sea-level change, competition from bioerosion, overfishing, and pollution. Various types of reefs exist in different areas, such as shelf reefs, oceanic reefs (fringing reefs, barrier reefs, atolls).
Coral reefs have different ways of reproduction, such as asexual or sexual reproduction which depends on species.
Natural disturbance from hurricanes and storm waves can lead to significant mortality.

Coral Reef Decline and Threats

Natural disturbances, such as hurricanes and large storm waves, can significantly affect coral reefs.
Man-made disturbances have a large impact including coastal development and the runoff from agriculture. Factors such as pollution and sedimentation also cause significant damage to coral reefs.
Coral bleaching is caused by several factors such as temperature stress, disease, and expulsion of zooxanthellae.
Global warming is now causing over 50% loss of coral over the last century

Coral Reef Fisheries and Diversity

Coral reefs support diverse fish species. Fish play a large role in roles like feeding and reproduction for the reef.
Overfishing leads to dramatic decreases and a possible transition to algae dominated ecosystems which are at risk of overfishing (around 60%).

Freshwater Biomes

Freshwater biomes include lakes, rivers, and streams.
Lakes are considered lentic (still water) while rivers and streams are lotic (moving water).
Differences exist in characteristics including climate and topography factors influencing nutrient input and oxygen availability.

Characteristics of Rivers and Streams

Rivers and streams are defined by moving water.
Size and chemical composition of waters vary dramatically, and are influenced by terrain, runoff, rain, and groundwater.
Nutrient levels in these water systems range from low to extremely high, with sources like rain and runoff.
River conditions are affected by light quality, sediment movement, nutrients, oxygen levels, and other factors.

Producers in Streams

Primary producers in streams include photosynthetic organisms such as large/small plants and algae along margins and phytoplankton in the water column.
Key phytoplankton groups include cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae (green algae like chlorophylls a, b; carotenoids; starch storage, and cell wall components of cellulose and pectin), and stramenopiles (diatoms)

River Consumers and River Composition

Key consumers in rivers include insects, other invertebrates (crustaceans and shellfish), and vertebrates (fish).
Microhabitats in rivers reflect the non-linear nature of stream flow from pools, runs, riffles, and rapids which influence various water column, benthos, and riparian zones (areas transitioning between land and river).

Ecological Processes and Human Impacts on Rivers

Natural sources for nutrient cycling in rivers are weathering and erosion, while human-made sources include urban and agricultural runoff, and wastewater discharge.
Excess nutrients can cause eutrophication and oxygen depletion.
High biological oxygen demand (BOD) points to high organic pollution leading to oxygen stress for freshwater aquatic organisms.
Human activities like climate change impact water temperature and oxygen levels creating alteration to flow patterns, affecting the distribution of sediment and nutrients.

Freshwater Animals as Indicators of Environmental Disruption

Many amphibian species are threatened with extinction, in part due to habitat loss, pesticides, and fungal diseases.
Pollution from various sources including construction, agriculture, and road salt can significantly impact freshwater biodiversity.
Studying these living organisms provides insights into the health of the habitat and how they are reacting.

Biodiversity Loss and Conservation Biology

Diminished biodiversity has negative effects on resilience and new discoveries (medical, industrial).
Humans depend on biodiversity and areas with high indigenous richness are under conservation priorities.

Subphylum Vertebrata (Craniata)

Vertebrates are a prominent subphylum of the Animal Kingdom characterized by a cranium enclosing the brain, and endoskeletons made of cartilage or bone.
The evolution of bone provides increased structural support compared to cartilage and is crucial for the attachment of muscles and movement

Teleost Fishes (Class Actinopterygii)

Teleost fishes account for 96% of all living fish species.
Found in diverse environments (high altitudes to deep ocean depths)

Transition from Bony Fishes to Tetrapods

Key adaptations for transition include bone replacing cartilage as the skeletal structure and the evolution of lungs, double circulation, and adaptations for limbs and land movement.

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Description

This quiz explores key concepts related to plant ecology, focusing on temperate deciduous forests and their unique characteristics. Test your knowledge on important topics such as plant evolution, vascular tissue, and ecological roles of various organisms in these ecosystems.