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Ecology Exam 3 (Comparative Ecosystem Ecology: Biomes (Tundra (Alpine…
Ecology Exam 3
Comparative Ecosystem Ecology: Biomes
Vegetation is determined by rainfall, temperature, and climate
Tundra
High latitudes windswept wilderness with grass and sedges
Snowy precipitation
Soil is encased in ice
Alpine Tundra
Occurs at higher altitudes
Arctic Tundra
Permafrost
Arctic tundra has more permafrost
Organisms cannot decompose very fast due to cold temp
Peat soil
High organic rate due to slow decomposition
Slow recovery from disturbance
Climate Community- Types of plants adapted to specific climate
Taiga (Borreal Forest)
Largest biome in the world
Trees
Survive with unique leaf shape to prevent snow accumulation
Coniferous
Low decomposition rate
Nitrogen limiting
Fire is necessary for seed germination
Major timber producing region
Aquatic and Marine Ecosystems
Planetary Water Sources
Ocean- 97.4%
Freshwater
80% of the global source is held in glaciers and ice caps
19% underground
Marine Ecosystem
Ecological Influences
Light Photic Zone
Dysphoric Zone- Twilight Zone
Dark Aphotic Zone
Thermocline
Between 120m and 240m deep
Vertical Structure
Littoral Zone
Organisms are adapted to higher temperatures
Organisms have shallow grooves
Productivity
Most ocean waters are poor in nutrients
Only 10% of the productivity of a tropical forest
Productivity surges occur as a result of upwellings
Primary Producers- Phytoplankton
Phytoplankton provide energy for the marine ecosystem
Algal blooms
Red tide
Excrete toxins and waste
Use oxygen and kill off marine life
Pigment- Zanthophil
Standing crop biomass is stable, but has a high turnover rate
Unlike terrestrial systems, trophic pyramids are inverted
Coral Reef Ecology
Consist of vast amounts of CaCO3
CaCO3 skeleton
Zoocanthellae- Bring in CaCO3 for skeletal structure
Feeds through filter feeding or mucous strings
Coralline algae- Red Algae
Bleaching- Expelling zoozanthaliae
Water temp 20-35
Can only grow in shallow waters
Types of coral reefs
Fringing Reefs
Grow close to shoreline
Most common in Caribbean
Vulnerable to sediment and freshwater runoff
Barrier Reefs
Up to 60 miles offshore
Not as vulnerable to runoff
Separated by a lagoon
Atoll
Retreating of an active volcano
Deep Sea
Food is scarce and must come from above
Oxygen must come from surface
Mesopelagic Zone (midwater)
Little to no light
Many zooplankton
Organism Adaptations
Many organisms contain photophores for bioluminescence
Reduced size of organisms due to lack of food
Large eyes, large mouths with many teeth
Vertical migration
Some fishes seek out food in upper waters
Important in transporting food to deeper water
Bathypelagic and Abyssopelagic Zone
Zone of total darkness
Bathypelagic- 1000m-4000m
Abyssopelagic- 4000m-6000m
Hadopelagic- to 11000m
Adaptations
No countershading necessary due to complete darkness
Eyes not needed due to complete darkness
Specialized enzymes to deal with pressure
Mating
Organisms tend to be hermaphroditic or release strong pheromones to attract mates
Freshwater Ecosystems
Lakes
Freshwater systems are divided into two categories
Lentic
Still, non-moving water
Lakes and ponds
Lotic
Some type of flow
Streams and rivers
Wetlands- Lentic/Lotic intermediate
Lake forming process
Kettle lakes
Formed from glacial activity
Oxbow lakes
Formed from flowing rivers
Formation of an Oxbow Lake
Formed from erosion
Nutrient availability and climate are the major determinants of lake fertility
Eutrophic
Most fertile; algae overgrowth
Characteristics
Warm temperatures- Low O2
High density of primary producers
Shallow
High decomposition rates
Mesotrophic
Median fertility
Oligotrophic
Nutrient-poor
Characteristics
Cool temperatures
High O2
Low density of primary producers
Deep
Nutrient load increases with waste contamination
Composition Point- Relatively balanced rate between photosynthesis and decomposition
Deepest Lake in the world- Lake Baikal in Russia; 5000ft deep
Largest Freshwater lakes in the world- Great Lakes
Largest inland body of water- Caspian Sea