Term
| Summarize the ecological importance of and the ecosystem services provided by salt marshes |
|
Definition
| filter water and restrict wave movement |
|
|
Term
| how are salt marshes formed? |
|
Definition
| S. alterniflora colonizes an area, contributes to peat and the rise of the sediment. A higher marsh develops and plants diversify |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| partially decomposed organic material |
|
|
Term
| Why does peat accumulate in northern salt marshes more than in southern salt marshes along the Atlantic coast of North America? |
|
Definition
| colder winters in North kill plants? |
|
|
Term
| Why is the low marsh considered to be a stressful environment for salt marsh plants? Why are the physical stresses lower in the high marsh? |
|
Definition
| more physical stresses(salt) and water movement |
|
|
Term
| marsh plant adaptation to salt water |
|
Definition
| actively exclude salt, salt glands on leaves |
|
|
Term
| marsh plant adaptation to low amounts of freshwater |
|
Definition
| large vaculoes, succulent strategy in pickleweed |
|
|
Term
| marsh plant adaptation for low oxygen? |
|
Definition
| Aerechymal tissue allows for gas exchange |
|
|
Term
| marsh plant adaptation for soft sediments |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| competition -> S. alterniflora grows when there is no S. patens |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| physical stress -> S. patens doesn't grow lower even in the absence of S. alterniflora |
|
|
Term
| positive interactions in salt marsh plants |
|
Definition
| Spartina = ecosystem engineer -> ameliorates environment |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| oxygenation, temperature modification -> decreased evaporation -> maintains salinity at a lower level |
|
|
Term
| negative interactions in slat marsh plants |
|
Definition
| competition among plant and grazing |
|
|
Term
| historical foodweb vs. trophic cascade |
|
Definition
| negative interactions, all direct vs. negative and positive interactions, direct and indirect |
|
|
Term
| purpose of Bertness et al study |
|
Definition
| The purpose of the study was to prove shoreline development/ eutrophication degrades salt marshes in Southern New England. |
|
|
Term
| how was the Bertness study done? |
|
Definition
| The study was done by surveying 14 slat marshes and testing to see if nitrogen levels effected plant distribution. |
|
|
Term
| results of Bertness study |
|
Definition
| The impact of increased nitrogen delivery to salt marshes was the higher dominance of phragmites and the increase in Spartina’s tidal elevation. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| made of all photosynthetic tissue, with no vascular tissue containing the pigments chlorophyll a, chlorophyll c, and fucoxanthin |
|
|
Term
| morphology of kelp, bottom-up |
|
Definition
| holdfast, stipe, pneumatocyst (gas bladder), fronds |
|
|
Term
| heteromoprhic alternation of generations of kelp |
|
Definition
| kelps go through diploid and haploid life stages and have free-living gametophytes. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| diploid sporophytes -> meiosis -> haploud zoospores -> gametophytes -> mitosis -> diploid sporophyte development |
|
|
Term
| zonation in New England kelpbeds, shore -> out |
|
Definition
| kelp zone, mussel urchin zone, urchin and algal crust |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| wave dislodgement limits urchins |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| reduced wave action, urchins persist |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| interactions in New England kelp beds |
|
Definition
| triangle, urchins and mussels have posotive interactions, everything else is negative |
|
|
Term
| urchin barrens and kelp forests = alternative stable states |
|
Definition
| Are is either full of urchins or full of kelp forests. Urchins aren’t getting enough kelp delivered to them, maybe because there are too many urchins or not enough kelp. |
|
|
Term
| what can trigger alternative stable states between urchin barrens and kelp beds? |
|
Definition
| El Nino's can mess with the density of nutrients |
|
|
Term
| Describe the experimental evidence that kelp plants can impact the structure of rocky intertidal communities. |
|
Definition
| The larger the kelp canopy, the less barnacles there are. Barnacles move through the kelp and fish eat them during certain phases of the barnacle life cycle. |
|
|
Term
| how do El Nino conditions cause a decline in kelp abundance? |
|
Definition
| An El Nino event lowers the amount of nutrients and therefore the kelp abundance. |
|
|
Term
| Characteristics of the phylum Cnidaria |
|
Definition
| radially symmetric, have two layers of tissue, have a single opening to the gut, have a nerve system, do excretion through diffusion from cells, and have stinging cells called cnidocysts. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A polyp is the attached structure of the cnidarian |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Medusa is the free swimming structure which looks like an upside-down polyp. |
|
|
Term
| three classes of cnidarians |
|
Definition
| Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa, Anthozoa |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| generally have both polyps ad medusa in life cycle (hydroids) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Benthic polypoid colony -> medusa -> fertilized egg -> planula larva |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| medusa is the more dominant phase (jellyfish), exclusively marine |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| budding polyp -> ephyra -> sexual medusa -> planula larva -> polyp |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| polyps (corals and anemones) |
|
|
Term
| sexual reproduction of Anthozoa |
|
Definition
| gametes -> planula -> polyp |
|
|
Term
| asexual reproduction of Anthozoa |
|
Definition
-polyps dividing by binary fission -> colonial explansion
OR -fragmentation -> breaking of corals and reattachment |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A hermatypic coral is a reef building coral or a stony coral. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A corallite is the bottom of the coral. |
|
|
Term
| parts of the coral, inside to outside |
|
Definition
| gastrodermic, mesoglea, epidermis |
|
|
Term
| Modes of nutrition in hermatypic corals |
|
Definition
| Nocturnal feeding, DOM, Symbiotic associations with dinoflagellates |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Mutualistic relationship where the zooxanthellae provides carbohydrates via photosynthesis and removes dissolved excretory products, and also making oxygen and lipids. The symbiont gets protection, habitat and nutrients. The growth of coral is dependent on Zooxanthellae. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| release of symbionts from host tissue. |
|
|
Term
| favorable environment for coral reef development |
|
Definition
| light, less than 70m depth (less than 25 mostly), Less than 1-2 hour emergence to air, 23-25 degrees C temperature, 32-35 psu salinity, and sedimentation |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| around the shore, ring around island |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| some distance between shore and reef |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| ring of reef, like the island is underwater (pushed down?) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| attached to the wall of the gut, extrude through the mouth or body wall, secrete digestive enzymes and dissolve organic material from sediments or neighbor. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| “tentacles on steroids” that are an inducible defense. |
|
|
Term
| exploitive competition in reef community |
|
Definition
| shading (light reduction), limited food, limited space |
|
|
Term
| interference competition in reef community |
|
Definition
| direct physical interactions |
|
|
Term
| ecosystem services provided by coral reefs |
|
Definition
| biodiveristy, ecotourism, sequestor carbon, protect shorelines and coastal communities, supply food and natural products like drugs |
|
|
Term
| Summarize the evidence that coral reef health is declining in the Caribbean and globally. |
|
Definition
| Absolute percent coral cover is declining and there is a decline every year. |
|
|
Term
| Natural and human caused events that contribute to decline in coral reef health |
|
Definition
| El Nino events cause temperature fluctuations and more disturbance. Climate change and tropical storms also contribute. Change in trophic structures due to overfishing and natural variation. |
|
|
Term
| Temperature and coral reef ecosystems |
|
Definition
| Temperature fluctuations can lead to a loss of zooxanthellae. |
|
|
Term
| is thermal stress different in different places? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| is coral bleaching in the CAribbean likley this year? |
|
Definition
| yes, increased thermal stress is predicted |
|
|
Term
| what role does disease play in the decline of coral reefs? |
|
Definition
| coral diseases and urchin die-offs due to disease |
|
|
Term
| What are some of the major global challenges (or threats) to coral reef ecosystems? |
|
Definition
| Over-harvesting, pollution, disease, and climate change |
|
|
Term
| What is the outcome of increased populations of the crown-of-thorns sea stars? |
|
Definition
| -The outcome is a decrease in coral covering. |
|
|
Term
| What is thought to have contributed to the increase in the large recruitment of crown-of-thorn sea stars? |
|
Definition
| due to differential larval survival and settlement on reefs. Increased nutrients and phytoplankton mean more zooplankton and food for larvae. Predators of the sea star have also been overfished. |
|
|
Term
| phase shift in coral reed structure in Jamaica |
|
Definition
| either high coral cover or high algal cover |
|
|
Term
| why have herbivore populations decreased in coral reefs? |
|
Definition
| overfishing of fish and urchins |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Purpose of Anthony et. al |
|
Definition
| Investigate effects on ocean acidification on three physiological processes: bleaching, productivity, and calcification. |
|
|
Term
| methods of Anthony et. al |
|
Definition
| Use two kinds of coral and an algae and test difference carbon dioxide levels and temperatures. |
|
|
Term
| major findings of Anthony et. al |
|
Definition
| Increase in bleaching with an increase in carbon dioxide (pH goes down). Calcium carbonate decreases are carbon dioxide increases. Productivity decreased as carbon dioxide increases. The higher the temperature is, the more bleaching occurs. Not all organisms are affected. |
|
|
Term
| major findings of Anthony et. al |
|
Definition
| Increase in bleaching with an increase in carbon dioxide (pH goes down). Calcium carbonate decreases are carbon dioxide increases. Productivity decreased as carbon dioxide increases. The higher the temperature is, the more bleaching occurs. Not all organisms are affected. |
|
|
Term
| increase in carbon dioxide -> |
|
Definition
| increase in pH and increase in bleaching |
|
|
Term
| calcium carbonate decrease |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| carbon dioxide increases -> |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| the higher the temperature -> |
|
Definition
| the more bleaching occurs |
|
|
Term
| How might the genetic and physiological differences observed among different clades of zooxantellae (Symbiodinium) contribute to coral reef persistence or expansion in the face of climate change? |
|
Definition
| Different clades may have different variations of resistance to temperature change. |
|
|
