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160 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Define the term "resilience" in an ecosystem context, and explain what features of ecosystems make them more resilient to perturbation. |
Resilience is the ability to tolerate and adjust to environmental change and return to its original state. A more resilient ecosystems has ecological complexity, ecological diversity, genetic diversity, and species diversity. Perturbation can include fire, flooding, insect infestation, extreme weather, air pollution, or eutrophication |
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What unique organisms are able to colonize barren rock? What key role do they plain in facilitating other species colonization of that area? |
Lichens can colonize barren rock. Their decomposition creates soil which allows other species' colonization of that area |
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What is a fishery? |
A fishery in an industry devoted to commercial fishing, are the places where fish are caught, harvested, processed, and sold |
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What is a collapsed fishery? |
A collapsed fishery exists when a commercial fishery's annual catch falls below 10% of their historic high |
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What four factors contribute to the collapse of fisheries? |
- technological advances - increasing demand for fish - tragedy of the commons - discounting future value |
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What is a depleted fishery? |
A repleted fishery is the result of when more fish are harvested than what is sustainable in the long run, which leads to a population decline and eventually leads to a fish population that is well below historical levels. Consequently, because reproductive capacity is low, recovery will often occur slowly, if at all. |
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What is an over-exploited fishery? |
A fishery in which more fish are harvested than is sustainable in the long run, leading to a population decline and possibly a depleted fishery. |
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Global warming is associated not only with ocean acidification, but also with two other key changes in our oceans. What are they, and what is the main impact of each? |
Rising sea levels which may decreased sunlight penetration, thus reducing photosynthesis Rising ocean temperatures which can increase thermal stress, leading to coral bleaching |
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In order to conserve fish stocks, many countries have established EEZs. What are EEZs (name and define) |
Exclusive Economic Zones are zones that extend 200 nautical miles from the coastline of any given nation, where that nation has exclusive rights over marine resources, including fish |
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How do greenhouse gas interact with energy in Earth's Atmosphere? |
Greenhouse gases absorb some of the longwave infrared that earth emits, and some shortwave visible solar energy, which they convert to infrared GHGs re-radiate longwave IR energy in all directions, including back to the lower atmosphere and Earth's surface, warming the planet |
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How are atmospheric carbon dioxide levels normally maintained? |
By the natural carbon cycle. Carbon as CO2 is released during cellular respiration and it returned to the atmosphere. Carbon as C02 is moved from the atmosphere during photosynthesis and is incorporated into plants. |
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Terrestrial biomes are located along gradients of: Aquatic biomes are located along gradients of: |
TB: Temperature and precipitation |
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The biosphere can be defined as the sum of all________ in an area, representing all organisms in that area as well as the physical environments in which they interact. |
Biomes |
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The biosphere can be described spatially or qualitatively. Provide both definitions |
Spatial: Everywhere on Earth where living things are found |
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Define the term 'ecosystem' |
A specific portion of the biotic and abiotic environmental components that interact |
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Define the term 'community' |
All the populations (group of individuals of the same species living and interacting in the same region) living and interacting in an area. Communities represent the living portion of an ecosystem |
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Biome locations are determined by _____ but we characterize them by their ________________________________________. |
Climate, dominant vegetation and other organisms that live there. |
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Name the 3 main types of biomes |
Terrestrial, marine, freshwater |
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Coral reefs are found in marine locations that are ___ and ___, conversely, the abyssal plain is ___ and ___. |
reefs: warm and shallow |
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At what latitude would find tundra biome? |
high northern latitudes |
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At what latitudes would you find the grassland biome? |
midlatitudes |
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What what latitudes would you find the desert biomes |
midlatitudes |
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At what latitudes would you find deciduous forest biome? |
midlatitudes |
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At what latitudes is the boreal forest biome |
mid to high latitudes |
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what latitudes is the tropical rainforest biomes |
found near the equator |
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In what climate would you find the tundra biome |
in climates with very cold, harsh, long winters and short cool summers, receiving 10-25 Cm of precipitation per year |
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In what climate would you find grassland biome? |
Found in climates which are cool in winter and hot in summer, receiving 25-75 cm of precipitation per year |
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What climate would you find desert biome? |
Desert biome generally has very hot days and cool nights. it receives less that 10 inches of precipitation per year |
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In what climate would you find deciduous forest biome? |
Relative mild summers and cold winters. It receives 75-127 cm of precipitation per year |
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What climate is boreal forest biome? |
Very cold winters and cool summers. about 50 cm of precipitation per year |
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What climate would you find tropical rainforest biome |
They are hot all year round and receive 200-400 cm of rain per year |
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Depth is an important determinant of aquatic biome type. Why? |
Depth is important because it indicates the importance of photosynthesis in that area |
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What kind of soil would you find in the boreal forest biome? |
It is acidic and mineral poor with decayed pine and spruce needles on the surface |
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What kind of soil would you find in a tropical rainforest biome? |
It has nutrient poor soil |
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What kind of soil would you find in deciduous forest biome? |
It has rich topsoil over clay |
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What kind of soul would you find in desert biome? |
Has soil poor in animal and plant decay products but often rich in minerals |
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What kind of soil would you in tundra biome? |
Nutrient poor soil with a permafrost layer a few inches down |
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What kind of soil would you find in grassland biome? |
has rich topsoil |
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Which continent has the greatest area of desert biome? |
Africa |
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Which continent has the greatest area of tropical rainforest biome? |
South America |
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Which continent has the greatest area of savanna biome? |
Africa |
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Name one freshwater and one marine biome |
Freshwater: Lakes, rivers, wetlands Marine: coral reefs, estuaries |
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What is the difference btween a habitat and a niche? |
A habitat is the physical environment where a species typically lives while a niche is the role a specie s plays in the ecosystem |
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What is a habitat |
A habitat is the physical environment where a species typically lives |
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What is a niche |
A niche is the role a species plays in its ecosystem; not only its habitat requirements, but also how it acquires energy and nutrients, and how it interacts with other species, and non-biotic parts of its ecosystems |
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The critical resource whose availability determines species population size distribution, is called a ______ factor |
limiting |
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Label the 3 zones |
zone of intolerance - zone of physiological stress - zone of optimum rage - zone of physiological stress- zone of intolerance |
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What is a range of tolerance |
The range of a limiting factor within which a species can survive and reproduce. a limiting factor is the critical resources whose availability determines species population size distribution |
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What is ecosystem production |
amount of energy trapped by producers and converted into organic molecules |
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what is primary productivity? |
rate at which energy is converted by autotrophs into organic substances (and ultimately biomass) |
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What is net primary production |
amount of chemical energy left over after producers have used some for respiration; amount available to higher trophic levels as biomass |
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what is a bottom up cascade? |
when a primary producer is removed, and there is a reduction of population size throughout the community |
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what is a top down cascade? |
a trophic scale where a food chain or web is disrupted by the removal of a top predator |
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describe an example of a top-down trophic cascade |
overfishing a top predator such as sharks results in an abundance of organism in the immediately lower trophic level, in this case, forage fish. This results in a decrease of zooplankton in the next tropic level and thus an increase in phytoplankton producers |
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Name the ecosystems that covers the largest area in canada? |
boreal forest |
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Where are most peatlands in Canada located |
Burn's Bog |
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Peatlands are important reservoirs for what nutrient? |
carbon |
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What is the difference between ecosystem ecology and community ecology? |
CE is the study of biotic components of ecosystems, including their interactions, and how species contribute to ecosystem services while ecosystem ecology includes understands how humans have altered ecosystem |
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Name one example of an ecosystem function, and one ex. of an ecosystems service |
Services: pollination, water purification, nutrient cycling, maintain trophic structure function: how space is structured, how species interact, how nutrients and energy flows, how species use resources, how many trophic levels exists |
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What is an indicator species? name one example |
Is particularly vulnerable to changes in the ecosystems and give early warning of problems. Lichens readily take up pollutants in rainwater. they are very vulnerable to air pollution. If they begin to disappear it is a warning that there is a problem in the ecosystem |
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Why are lichens considered composite organisms? |
- a mutualistic relationship between an alga or cyanobacteria (or both) and a fungus) - combined life form has properties that are very different from properties of either component organism |
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a species that impacts its community more than its abundance would predict, often changing the physical landscape in the process is called a _____ . name one example of this _____ |
indicator species, lichens |
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What is the difference between symbiosis and mutualism |
symbiosis ('living together') any relationship between species that is frequent or common. Close, and often long-term, interaction between two or more different species. |
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how is it possible that multiple warbler species who eat the same prey insects can successfully co-exist in the same ecosystem? |
Through a process called resource portioning where different species of warblers forage in different areas of the tree when others are present |
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define commensalism |
one species benefits and the other is unaffected: flying squirrels and other species take up residence in abandoned cavities made in trees by woodpeckers |
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Define parasitism |
one species benefits and the other is harmed: an animal that has too many ticks will be weakened from the loss of blood |
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define mutualism |
both species benefit: the bee gains nutrition while the flower gets pollinated |
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define competition |
when organisms that vie for the same resources are in competition with each other. the greatest competition for an individual is from a member of its own species, since both individuals are fighting for the same resources |
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The relationship between species where one benefits and the other is unaffected is called: |
commensalism |
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The relationship between species where they avoid competition for the same resource by foraging in different areas from other other is called |
resource partioning |
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the relationship between species where one eats the other is called |
predation |
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the relationship between species where both benefit is called |
mutualism |
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the relationship between species where one benefits and the other is harmed is called |
parasitism |
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Species diversity comprises two factors. name and define both |
Species richness: number of different species in an area |
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What is the difference between detritivores and decomposers |
det: organisms (mainly animals) that feed on dead organic matter |
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What is a keystone species? name one example |
keystone species: contribute to the stability of their ecosystem more than their abundance predicts |
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Do upper trophic levels have higher or lower species richness than lower trophic levels? why or why not |
lower |
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Differentiate between core species and edges species |
core: specialize in inner, less disturbed, more uniform areas of an ecosystem edge: specialize in outer edge zones, where one ecosystems meets another, there is more variability in landscape |
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The progressive replacement of plant and animal species due to changing conditions is called: |
ecological succession |
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We measure biodiversity in terms of the number and abundance of species, but also in two other ways. what are they? (name) |
genetic diversity and ecological diversity |
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name the 3 elements that comprise biodiversity |
genetic diversity, ecological diversity, and species diversity |
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What is ecological diversity? why is it important to ecosystems? |
the variety of habitats, niches, tropic levels and community habitats. this variety promotes the conservation of an ecosystem in wake of a variety of disasters whereas the non-diverse ecosystem would be equipped to withstand a fewer number of disasters |
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Which group of organisms is most abundant on Earth to the best of knowledge |
insects |
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List species in order of least to greatest species abundance |
Bacteria, vertebrates, molluscs, fungi, plants, insects |
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What is the difference between extinction and extirpation |
Extirpation is when species is extinct in one region but still present elsewhere. Reintroduction to the extinct region is possible. Extinction is when a species is extinct everywhere on earth. reintroduction is currently impossible |
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What is endemism |
plants and animal species that exist only at one location on Earth (they are endemic to that area) |
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What is a biodiversity hotspot |
regions that contain large numbers of endemic and threatened species |
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which two groups of organisms, though not abundant in number of species, are at the greatest risk of extinction? |
plants and vertebrates |
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Which group of organisms, though abundant in number of species, is at the lowest risk of extinction? |
insects |
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define the term deforestation |
the net loss of trees in a forested area |
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Forests cover what proportion of earth's landmass? |
30% |
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forests contain what proportion of earth's terrestrial life? |
50% |
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forests contain what proportion of earth's green, photosynthesizing leaves |
60% |
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What proportion of Haiti's original forest cover has been lost? |
98% |
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What proportion of Haiti's original forest cover remains? |
<2% |
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Name two crops grown in Haiti, whose cultivation has led to forest loss? |
Coffee and sugar |
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What reason, other than clearing land for agriculture, has lead to modern deforestation in Haiti? |
Haitians roast wood to create charcoal they can use for fuel and to sell |
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Areas that store more carbon than they release are called |
carbon sinks |
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In what two main ways does deforestation alter air quality |
decline with less oxygen being released into the atmosphere |
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In what two main ways does deforestion alter atmospheric carbon balance? |
forests remove CO2 from the atmosphere via photosynthesis. they are the world's largest (net) carbon sicks: areas that store more carbon that they release. Removing large quantities of trees would result in a net |
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Why is it misleading to call forest the lungs of the planet? |
Forests use CO2 and produces O, while lungs use O and produce CO2 |
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to which forest layer do the tree species being planted in Haiti mostly belong? |
understory |
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Name the layers of the forest and indicate each layer's characteristics in point form |
Emergent layer: tallest Canopy: the crowns of the dominant trees shade the layers below. Big leaves Understory: trees and shrubs are adapted to shade; sapling will grow rapidly when a spot in the canopy opens up forest floor: lowest level, leaf litter, decomposing plant material, herbs, flowers, seedlings |
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Why is vertical forest stratification important |
each layer provides distinct food and habitat for animals, fungi, and microbes that help the ecosystem function |
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name two ecosystem services that forests provide |
watershed services: water purification and provision disturbance regulation: protection from storm damage, especially in coastal areas |
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name two economic values forests |
goods: provide many basic goods we depend on such as food, fuel, building materials, other products such as rubber and cork jobs: more than 10 million ppl make their living in and from forests |
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Name the 3 main human activiteis that continue to cause a net loss of forests |
conversion into agricultural land, harvesting for wood, urbanization |
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most deforestation in Canada is in which forest biome? |
boreal |
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most deforestation in caanda is due to ________ |
agricultural expansion |
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which logging method is best for maintaining forest biodiversity? |
shelterwood foresting |
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which logging method has the highest initial profit? |
clear0cutting |
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what is ecotourism |
low-impact travel to natural areas that contributes to protecting the environment |
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name the global organization that certifies forest being logged as sustainably managed? |
Forest Stewardship Council |
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Name the 2010 provinicial act that protects BCs forests. what other key function does this act serve? |
Zero Net Deforestation Act Reduces BC greenhouse has emissions |
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Which of the following statements are true about grasslands? Grasslands are dominated by grasses |
true |
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t or f: grasslands are located in areas of relatively high rainfall |
false |
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grasslands are often subject to grazing |
true |
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Grasslands are rarely subject to fire |
true |
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which of the following is not a type of grassland? (a) savannah(b) pompous(c) steppe(d) tall grass prairie(e) mixed grass prairie |
pompous |
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What is the leading cause of loss of grassland ecosystem? |
agricultural expansion |
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What is desertification and how have human act ivies accelerated it? |
is the process that transforms once-fertile land into desert. the biggest cause is overgrazing: when too many animals feed on a given area of land |
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what is the leading cause of habitat loss worldwide |
agricultural expansion |
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Name two ecosystem services that grasslands provide |
human goods and services for raising cattle, farmland for cereal crops, grassland plants as potential fuel. provide ecosystem services like nutrient cycling, soil formation, surface water protection, habitat for wildlife |
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what proportion of earth's rangeland is threatened by desertification? |
70% |
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In what key way will climate change impact grasslands? |
as temps rise, scientists expect that shifting rainfall patterns will push many current grasslands into desert |
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in what two ways do grazing livestock incease the rate of soil erosion |
when grass is overgrazed, the blade can't regenerated and the plant dies. when too many plants die at once, soil has no roots to hold is it place, thus the soil erodes |
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how long does it take to form 1 mm of soil? |
1 year |
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how long did it take for prairies in the USA to recover from the impacts of overgrazing and drought during the Great Dust bowl |
nearly 3 decades |
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Is Canada more, or less, susceptible than the USA to soil erosion? |
less |
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grassland degradation threatens the food supply of how many peopel? what population of the earth does this represent? |
over 1 billllionnnnnes, 14% |
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label the soil layers and briefly describe each |
O horizon: surface litter A horizon: topsoil: contains decaying organic matter (humus) and living soil organisms B horizon: subsoil: denser than A, higher mineral content, lower fertility C horizon: contains rock in the process of being broken down (weathering) to produce new soil R horizon: solid rock that has been broken down |
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Traditional herders employed rotational to gaze their livestock. Define rotational grazing (4 pts), and explain what key way that modern grazing practices are different (2 pts), how this leads to under-grazing, and what the result is for grazing land (2 pts). |
Herders used to graze their stock in tight herds, moving them across swaths of land. Grasses were eaten down severely over a short period, but then left ungrazed for a long time to recover. Ranchers began to partition livestock in the 19th century, leading to undergrazing: animals would pick only the tastiest grasses, leaving weeds to grow. |
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Describe and explain benefits of one of 5 mechanisms to conserve grasslands |
mechanism: park status description: designation as a national park or state park status offers protection from overuse benefits: areas can be managed in ways that protect the habitat and allow recreational use, a benefit to both nature and people |
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in planned grazing, what is the maximum timespan that vegetation is allowed to recover before the next period of grazing |
6 mos |
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When the human population was just above 2 billion in the 40s, a global effort to eliminate food scarcity using scientific development and technology innovation in agriculture was coordinated. what was this effort called and what four main innovations characterized it? |
The Green revolution. Efforts included: high-yielding seeds, modern farm equipment and methods, newly available pesticides, synthetic fertilizers |
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What model was used for farming as part of the Green revolution? |
Industrial model |
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Name 4 inputs to industrial crop farms? |
water, seeds, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer, energy, machinery |
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name two inputs of indrustial crop farms |
wheat, corn, rice, soybeans, oats |
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name two efficiency demands of industrial crop farms |
larger fields, larger machinery, more chemicals, monoculture |
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Name 4 inputs to industrial animals products farms |
young animals, grain feeds, antibiotics, water, confinement buildings or lots, energry |
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name two inputs of industrial animal products in farms |
dairy products, eggs, meat, hides |
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name 2 efficiency demands of industrial animal products farms |
larger numbers of animals • larger buildings or lots • closer quarters for the animals (which means giving them more medications) • specializing in one type of animal |
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What is a monoculture? how does monoculture apply to both agriculture and forestry? |
in monoculture farming, crops are often not rotated, which depletes soils, resulting in food of lower nutritional value |
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What does CAFO stand for? |
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations |
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how are GMOS different from organisms we have modified by breeding? |
Genetic engineering involves laboratory manipulation of genes to increased productivity or grow crops where they normally would not grow. organisms modified by breeding are placed in close contact with each other in the field and reproduce naturally |
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List the eight steps involved in the development of pesticide resistance? |
Pests attack a crop and multiply quickly. There is usually genetic diversity in the population with some pests being more easily killed than others. Pesticide is applied to kill the pests Only a few survive including those that are pesticide resistant The survivors reproduce Survivors reproduce and pass on their traits to offspring Pesticide is applied again Every time pesticide is applied, it kills vulnerable individuals and leaves resistant ones behind to reproduce A large, pesticide-resistant population now infests the crop |
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Name two risks of the widespread use of GMOs? |
- movement of genes from GMOs to closely related wild plants - patented and owed seeds resulting in food supply coming under corporate control |
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list 3 characteristics of organic agriculture |
• avoids the practice of monoculture • avoids the use of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers • implements crop rotation that rebuilds soil • cycles nutrients from animal waste back to the soil • creates ecosystems on farms that mimic nature • often allows animals to live in a more natural habitat |
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What temporary 'resource bubble' affected the Anasazi people of Chaco Canyon, how did it alter their society? What is the modern-day parallel to this "bubble" ** |
Traded hunter gather lifestyle for agricultural lifestyle. Continual growth of farming enterprise. Overshooting carrying capacity. |
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What issue, driven by climate change, will be on the forefront of global conflict and an 'axis issue'? |
emerging fresh water crisis in axis with the climate change exacerbation, agriculture, access to education, water wars and energy crises, as in the they depend on one another/ an overlapping issues intersects all of the key points that we are in |
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RAG stands for ___ ____ ___ |
Radiatively Active Gases |
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On a per-molecule basis, which is the most effective greenhouse gas? |
CO2 |
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Which is the most effective greenhouse gas in terms of overall impact? |
water vapour |
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Which greenhouse gas has had the greatest increase in atmospheric concentration in the last century |
CO2 |
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The greenhouse effect can be beneficial and without it we could not live here on earth. t or f |
true |
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Which of the following is not a greenhouse gas? |
bicarbonate |
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how do clouds interact with radiation in the atmostphere and what does this mean for the greenhouse effect |
clouds are radiative forcer that can promote either warming or cooling. clouds with a high albedo which acts to reflect a large portion of incoming solar radiation thus working to cool the planet or they can trap reradiated heat from the planet's surface and thus have a warming effect |
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why are volcanic eruption and changes in solar irradiance not considered contributors to global warming |
because they only have short time frame |
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what do orbital eccentricitiy, axial tilt, and axial precession have in common |
all of these are factors that contribute to the Milankovitch cycles which have played an important tole in past climate events |
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Are we experiencing climate change because all climate forcers are acting to warm the earth |
no |