BIOL 2003 UMN Exam 3 Learning
Objectives fully solved
Define the science of ecology. - correct answer ✔✔ Ecology is the study of interactions between
organisms, and between organisms and their environment.
Identify the levels in the "molecules-to-ecosystems" biological hierarchy that the science of
ecology generally covers (small to large) - correct answer ✔✔ organismal, population,
community, and ecosystems
Discuss how there are connections between ecology and the following sub-disciplines within
biology: 1) evolution, 2) cell biology, 3) genetics. - correct answer ✔✔ 1) There is a connection
between ecology and evolution as we can see how interactions between organisms and their
environment affected evolutionary decisions. Many interactions between organisms and their
environment directly affect evolutionary factors such as genetic drift and population isolation.
2) There is a connection between ecology and cell biology as many interactions between
organisms can directly affect cellular interactions and cause consequences such as cell death,
etc.
3) Interactions between organisms affect genetics through lineages and can lead to speciation
etc.
abiotic and biotic environments - correct answer ✔✔ Biotic: interactions between organisms
Abiotic: interactions between organisms and nonliving environment
three general features of the Earth that influence the distribution of ecosystems, communities,
and populations, and discuss how each of these features has this effect. - correct answer ✔✔
Competitors to organisms: can lead to an organism not being successful in a certain ecosystem.
,This mostly is natural enemies, or other organisms whose presence could lead to the death of
other organisms.
Abiotic factors: Temperature, humidity, rainfall, and other environmental factors all have a huge
impact on distribution of ecosystems and etc. These factors can directly dictate what kind of
ecosystems or communities would even be viable due to the differing conditions for life
required by different organisms.
Positioning of the planet: the tilt and rotation of the earth can affect the climate due to
differences in seasonal changes and amounts of sunlight received. This also ties in with the
amount of light received, which would be an abiotic factor as well.
Describe, in general, how the pattern of atmospheric circulation of Earth influences the
distribution of ecological communities. Discuss what causes these predictable patterns of
atmospheric circulation. - correct answer ✔✔ High temperatures at the equator make heat rise
up into the atmosphere, which cools the land due to convection currents. The air then cools off
but doesn't sink back down because there is warm air underneath, so the warm air rising
underneath makes cumulus clouds that provide a lot of rain for equatorial rain forests. The cold,
dry air above flows towards the poles and falls back down to the earth, which creates areas of
high pressure and deserts/arid landscapes.
Describe, in general, how ocean currents can affect the types of terrestrial ecological
communities found in a specific area. - correct answer ✔✔ Wind creates ocean currents which
run clockwise between continents in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the
Southern Hemisphere. They can bring warm or cool water to different areas and encourage
warmer or cooler climates for terrestrial communities.
Discuss two general effects topography can have on the types of terrestrial ecological
communities found in a specific area. - correct answer ✔✔ Adiabatic cooling: increasing
elevation means decreasing air pressure, which means temperature decreases as well. This can
lead to only certain types of communities being able to live in the cooler higher climates.
, Rain shadow: warm moist air reaches the windward side of a mountain and flows upward. It
cools and releases precipitation. Dry air descends down the leeward side, producing an area
where precipitation is a lot less
Explain what causes seasons on Earth. Discuss how seasonality can affect the types of species
and communities found at a specific location on Earth. - correct answer ✔✔ Seasons on earth
are caused by the rotation of the earth on its axis and its revolution around the sun. As the
earth revolves, it receives more direct sunlight on different parts of the planet depending on
where it is in the revolution. This affects the amount of sunlight and therefore if it is summer or
winter. This can affect communities found at the equator as they receive the most amount of
sunlight regardless of the position in the revolution. High temperatures can also be harmful for
organisms like algae and coral. High temperature can also cause fires and affect terrestrial
organisms. Or, further from the equator, plants whose cells rupture during freezing
temperatures will be less common in colder regions.
Define latitudinal gradient. Discuss an example of a latitudinal gradient apparent at the species
level and another example apparent at the ecosystem (biome) level. - correct answer ✔✔
Latitudinal gradient is the measure of the variation of taxa along a latitudinal gradient. The
variation increases as you move towards the equator.
For example, species richness of American birds increases from Arctic Canada and
Newfoundland to Panama. At a biome level, more topography leads to more variation shown by
greater species richness in the mountainous western US.
Define biome. Provide an example of two different biomes found in Minnesota, and provide an
example of a biome not found in Minnesota. - correct answer ✔✔ A biome is a major type of
habitat where an organism is found.
Major terrestrial biomes: Tundra, Taiga, cold desert, hot desert, tropical grassland, temperate
grassland, temperate deciduous forest, tropical deciduous forest, tropical rain forest, temperate
rain forest
Two biomes found in Minnesota: Temperate grassland, temperate deciduous forest
Objectives fully solved
Define the science of ecology. - correct answer ✔✔ Ecology is the study of interactions between
organisms, and between organisms and their environment.
Identify the levels in the "molecules-to-ecosystems" biological hierarchy that the science of
ecology generally covers (small to large) - correct answer ✔✔ organismal, population,
community, and ecosystems
Discuss how there are connections between ecology and the following sub-disciplines within
biology: 1) evolution, 2) cell biology, 3) genetics. - correct answer ✔✔ 1) There is a connection
between ecology and evolution as we can see how interactions between organisms and their
environment affected evolutionary decisions. Many interactions between organisms and their
environment directly affect evolutionary factors such as genetic drift and population isolation.
2) There is a connection between ecology and cell biology as many interactions between
organisms can directly affect cellular interactions and cause consequences such as cell death,
etc.
3) Interactions between organisms affect genetics through lineages and can lead to speciation
etc.
abiotic and biotic environments - correct answer ✔✔ Biotic: interactions between organisms
Abiotic: interactions between organisms and nonliving environment
three general features of the Earth that influence the distribution of ecosystems, communities,
and populations, and discuss how each of these features has this effect. - correct answer ✔✔
Competitors to organisms: can lead to an organism not being successful in a certain ecosystem.
,This mostly is natural enemies, or other organisms whose presence could lead to the death of
other organisms.
Abiotic factors: Temperature, humidity, rainfall, and other environmental factors all have a huge
impact on distribution of ecosystems and etc. These factors can directly dictate what kind of
ecosystems or communities would even be viable due to the differing conditions for life
required by different organisms.
Positioning of the planet: the tilt and rotation of the earth can affect the climate due to
differences in seasonal changes and amounts of sunlight received. This also ties in with the
amount of light received, which would be an abiotic factor as well.
Describe, in general, how the pattern of atmospheric circulation of Earth influences the
distribution of ecological communities. Discuss what causes these predictable patterns of
atmospheric circulation. - correct answer ✔✔ High temperatures at the equator make heat rise
up into the atmosphere, which cools the land due to convection currents. The air then cools off
but doesn't sink back down because there is warm air underneath, so the warm air rising
underneath makes cumulus clouds that provide a lot of rain for equatorial rain forests. The cold,
dry air above flows towards the poles and falls back down to the earth, which creates areas of
high pressure and deserts/arid landscapes.
Describe, in general, how ocean currents can affect the types of terrestrial ecological
communities found in a specific area. - correct answer ✔✔ Wind creates ocean currents which
run clockwise between continents in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the
Southern Hemisphere. They can bring warm or cool water to different areas and encourage
warmer or cooler climates for terrestrial communities.
Discuss two general effects topography can have on the types of terrestrial ecological
communities found in a specific area. - correct answer ✔✔ Adiabatic cooling: increasing
elevation means decreasing air pressure, which means temperature decreases as well. This can
lead to only certain types of communities being able to live in the cooler higher climates.
, Rain shadow: warm moist air reaches the windward side of a mountain and flows upward. It
cools and releases precipitation. Dry air descends down the leeward side, producing an area
where precipitation is a lot less
Explain what causes seasons on Earth. Discuss how seasonality can affect the types of species
and communities found at a specific location on Earth. - correct answer ✔✔ Seasons on earth
are caused by the rotation of the earth on its axis and its revolution around the sun. As the
earth revolves, it receives more direct sunlight on different parts of the planet depending on
where it is in the revolution. This affects the amount of sunlight and therefore if it is summer or
winter. This can affect communities found at the equator as they receive the most amount of
sunlight regardless of the position in the revolution. High temperatures can also be harmful for
organisms like algae and coral. High temperature can also cause fires and affect terrestrial
organisms. Or, further from the equator, plants whose cells rupture during freezing
temperatures will be less common in colder regions.
Define latitudinal gradient. Discuss an example of a latitudinal gradient apparent at the species
level and another example apparent at the ecosystem (biome) level. - correct answer ✔✔
Latitudinal gradient is the measure of the variation of taxa along a latitudinal gradient. The
variation increases as you move towards the equator.
For example, species richness of American birds increases from Arctic Canada and
Newfoundland to Panama. At a biome level, more topography leads to more variation shown by
greater species richness in the mountainous western US.
Define biome. Provide an example of two different biomes found in Minnesota, and provide an
example of a biome not found in Minnesota. - correct answer ✔✔ A biome is a major type of
habitat where an organism is found.
Major terrestrial biomes: Tundra, Taiga, cold desert, hot desert, tropical grassland, temperate
grassland, temperate deciduous forest, tropical deciduous forest, tropical rain forest, temperate
rain forest
Two biomes found in Minnesota: Temperate grassland, temperate deciduous forest
