Back to AI Flashcard MakerBiology /Chapter 40: Population Ecology & the Distribution of Organisms Part 1
Chapter 40: Population Ecology & the Distribution of Organisms Part 1
This flashcard deck covers key concepts from Chapter 40, focusing on population ecology, the distribution of organisms, and the factors influencing terrestrial and aquatic biomes.
What influences the distribution of terrestrial biomes?
Earth’s Climate
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
What influences the distribution of terrestrial biomes?
Earth’s Climate
What are aquatic biomes?
Diverse and dynamic systems that cover most of Earth
What limits the distribution of species?
Interactions between organisms and the environment
What do biotic and abiotic factors affect?
Population density, dispersion, and demographics
What are population dynamics influenced strongly by?
Life history traits and population density
What is ecology?
The scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their environment
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
What influences the distribution of terrestrial biomes? | Earth’s Climate |
What are aquatic biomes? | Diverse and dynamic systems that cover most of Earth |
What limits the distribution of species? | Interactions between organisms and the environment |
What do biotic and abiotic factors affect? | Population density, dispersion, and demographics |
What are population dynamics influenced strongly by? | Life history traits and population density |
What is ecology? | The scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their environment |
What is population? | A group of organisms of the same species living in the same geographic area |
What is a community? | A group of populations of different species |
What is an ecosystem? | A community of organisms in an area and the physical factors with which those organisms interact |
What is a landscape? | A mosaic of connected ecosystems |
What is a biosphere? | The global ecosystem (the sum of the planet’s ecosystem) |
What does the global ecology examine? | The distribution of organisms on Earth |
What does landscape ecology focus on? | Factors controlling exchange of energy, materials, and organisms across ecosystems |
What does ecosystem ecology look at? | Energy flow and chemical cycling in an ecosystem |
What does community ecology look at? | Interactions between species. |
What is population ecology? | How an organism's structure, physiology, and behavior meet the challenges posed by the environment |
What is the most significant influence on the distribution of organisms on land? | Climate |
What is climate? | Long-term, prevailing weather conditions in a given area |
What are the four major components that make up climate? | Temperature, precipitation, sunlight, and wind |
What are global climate patterns determined by? | The input of solar energy and Earth’s movement |
What exerts seasonal, regional, and local effects on climate? | The changing angle of the sun over the year, bodies of water, and mountains |
What are biomes? | Major life zones (ecosystem) characterized by vegetation type (in terrestrial biomes) or by physical environment (in aquatic biomes) |
What causes latitudinal patterns of biome distribution? | The latitudinal patterns of climate over the Earth’s surface |
What is a climograph? | A plot of the annual mean temperature and precipitation in a particular region |
What are the 6 biomes? | Desert, grassland (temperate), temperate broadleaf forest, tropical forest, northern coniferous forest, arctic and alpine tundra |
What is plotted on the x-axis of a climograph? | Annual mean precipitation (cm) |
What is plotted on the y-axis of a climograph? | Annual mean temperature (C) |
Some arctic tundra ecosystems receive as little rainfall as deserts but have much denser vegetation. What climatic factor might explain the difference? | Sunlight and wind |
Why are some biomes rich in species abundance? | Species abundance is related to primary productivity (productivity is higher in ecosystems with abundant light energy and warmer temperatures) |
What can the distribution of biomes be modified by? | A disturbance |
What is a disturbance? | An event such as a storm, fire, or human activity that changes community |
What are most terrestrial biomes named for? | Predominant vegetation |
What are most terrestrial biomes characterized by? | Microorganisms, fungi, and animals adapted to that particular environment |
What are aquatic biomes characterized by? | The physical and chemical environment (marine biomes vs. freshwater biomes) |
What are aquatic biomes divided into? | Vertical and horizontal zones |
What is the photic zone? | A zone in aquatic biomes where there is sufficient light for photosynthesis |
What is the aphotic zone? | A zone in aquatic biomes where little light penetrates |
What is the benthic zone? | The bottom of all aquatic biomes |
What are benthos? | The community of organisms that live in the benthic zones |
What is the littoral zone? | Where waters close to shore that are shallow enough for rooted plants |
What is a thermocline? | A narrow layer of abrupt temperature change which separates the warm upper layers from cold deeper water |