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Ch 16
n/a
46
Geology
Undergraduate 1
04/24/2014

Additional Geology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Biological Evolution Delivers
Biodiversity
Definition
A species consists of members that can
reproduce sexually and produce viable offspring
Term
Natural Selection
Definition
As the environment changes, nature will
only select individuals best fitted to those
changes
Term
Changes Through Mutations
Definition
Mutations are random changes in genes
Term
Genetics and Population
Definition
Large populations tend to be genetically
stable and slow to evolve:
– Any new variant is quickly swamped by
interbreeding with normal individuals
Term
Allopatric speciation
Definition
Larger population is split into a subpopulation
(peripheral isolate) occupying a different
ecological niche
– Barrier prevents peripheral isolates from
interbreeding with main population
– Mutations and natural selection drive
peripheral isolates along different evolutionary
path from main population
– Peripheral isolates eventually evolve into a new
species
Term
Physical and genetic
isolation of one group
Definition
from the parent
population can drive that
group (peripheral isolate)
along a different
evolutionary path
Term
Genetic divergence could
eventually lead to a
Definition
different
species no longer capable of
interbreeding with the
ancestral population
Term
Ecosystems And Biodiversity
Definition
Each ecosystem is constantly adjusting to
changing conditions and disturbances
Term
Ecosystem Stability
Definition
Inertial stability: The tendency of species
populations to remain stable:
– Examples: Redwood forest, pine forest at
high elevation, and tropical rain forest
– Communities with high inertial stability,
however, may not necessarily recover from a
disaster
Term
Ecosystem Resilience
Definition
Resilience is the ability of a community to
recover from change
Term
Clear-Cutting
Disrupts Stable
Forest
Communities
Definition
•Habitats and niches
destroyed
•Soil eroded
•Food sources
diminished
•Dramatic reduction in
biodiversity
•Entire ecosystem
seriously disrupted
Term
Agricultural Ecosystems
Definition
Humans eliminate biodiversity by simplifying
agricultural ecosystems into single crops like
wheat:
– Lack of diversity makes the agricultural ecosystem
vulnerable to failure
– Requires enormous demands for energy, pesticides,
herbicides and fertilizer
– Harvesting and removing biomass interrupts the
cycling of materials into the soil:
Term
Loss of Biodiversity
Definition
The present loss of biodiversity due to
climatic and human factors is irreversible
Term
Climate Change
Definition
The distribution of plant species is
affected by climate:
– Warm, humid conditions favor tropical rain
forests
– Cold temperatures favor different species of
plants
– Dry, arid climates create desert plants
Term
Patch Dynamics
Definition
An ecosystem is actually a patchwork of habitats
Term
Changes In Communities
Definition
Communities with high inertial stability may
persist for long periods of time
Term
Ecological Succession
Definition
Occurs when more complex communities replace
older, usually simpler, communities of plants and
animals:
– Often requires an initiating disturbance such as
windstorm, flooding, volcanic eruption, that disrupts or
destroys the original ecosystem
– Afterwards, a primary succession takes root
– Primary succession soon followed by other species
– During the non-equilibrium transition, natural
selection will determine which species succeed in the
competitive struggle
– Changes move towards more stable and mature
communities
– There may be several stages involved
Term
Terrestrial Succession
Definition
primary succession (lichens, mosses, ferns)
starts in an area of bare rock or soil and marks
the beginning of development of an ecosystem
Term
A secondary succession begins if vestiges of a
previously-functioning community are present
after a disturbance
Definition
Natural community was destroyed or disturbed, but
the underlying soil remains intact
– Some soils, young trees and plants survive
Term
Aquatic Succession
Definition
Exhibited by lakes, ponds and oxbows
Term
Terrestrial Ecosystem
Definition
A terrestrial ecosystem is a self-regulating
association of plants and animals
characterized by specific plant formations
Term
Earth’s Major Terrestrial Biomes
Definition
Equatorial and Tropical Rain Forest
Term
Equatorial and Tropical Rain
Forest
Definition
Regions of high insolation and average
annual temperature ~25oC
Term
Deforestation of the Tropics
Definition
More than half of Earth’s original rainforest
now gone
Term
Tropical Seasonal Forest and Scrub
Definition
Occur on the margins of the rain forest
Term
Tropical Savanna
Definition
semiarid tropical steppes and deserts
Term
Midlatitude Broadleaf and Mixed
Forest
Definition
Moist continental climates of warm- to
hot-summers and cool- to cold-winters
Term
Temperate Rain Forest
Definition
Lush forests at middle and high latitudes:
– Includes western slopes of Pacific NW in
North America
Term
Mediterranean Shrubland
Definition
Dry summer climate
Term
Midlatitude Grasslands
Definition
Predominance of grass-like plants:
– Trees limited to streams and other sites
Term
Desert
Definition
Deserts cover more than one-third of Earth’s
land area
Term
Limited fauna due to extreme conditions
Definition
– Ringtail cat
– Kangaroo rat
– Lizards
– Scorpions
– Snakes
Term
desertification
Definition
Desertification (expansion of deserts) now
occurring worldwide
Term
Arctic and Alpine Tundra
Definition
Occur at high altitudes and latitudes:
– Extreme northern areas of North America and
Russia
Term
Arctic and Alpine Tundra
Definition
Arctic animals include musk ox, caribou,
reindeer, polar bear, wolf, fox, rabbit,
small rodents and geese
Term
Within a community, which level in the food chain would contain the fewest members?
Definition
Tertiary consumers
Term
Where do plants with deep roots, spreading root systems, water-holding tissue, and leaves with waxy coatings and fine hair most likely occur?
Definition
.
Deserts
Term
Which of the following processes is NOT part of the carbon cycle?
Definition
use of fertilizers on crops
Term
Which of the following cannot be directly used by plants, but rather must first be coverted into usable compounds by lightening and certain soil bacteria?
Definition
Atmospheric nitrogen
Term
What happens in allopatric speciation?
Definition
A small group is separated (isolated) from the larger (main) population and eventually evolves into a new species
Term
Which of the following terrestrial biomes occurs at the highest latitudes and highest altitudes?
Definition
Tundra
Term
0 out of 1 points


The function or occupation of a life form within a community is called a(n) _________
Definition
Niche
Term
An ecosystem is composed of many communities.
Definition
t
Term
Which of the following statements is LEAST consistent with a Mediterranean Shrubland Biome?
Definition
Monsoonal rains
Term
Which of the following statements regarding biodiversity is correct?
Definition
Correctd.
Greater biodiversity in an ecosystem results in greater stability and greater productivity
Term
Which of the following statements about patch dynamics is FALSE?
Definition
Once an individual patch (habitat) arises, it will never fail
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