Final Exam Questions with
Correct Answers
Ecology - Correct Answer:study of interactions between organisms and their environment
Difference from environmentalism - Correct Answer:-Environmentalists are concerned with the state of
the environment
-not all ecologist=environmentalist
-environmental views informed by ecological information
Primary producers - Correct Answer:Autotrophs
-food source for other organisms
Climate varies with latitude, altitude - Correct Answer:-Orientation towards sun affects temperature
-equator has direct exposure
-Poles: light spread out, goes through more atmosphere
-going from equator to poles, see seasonal changes in temp., consequence of earths tilt relative to axis
of rotation
-as earth revolves around sun, Northern Hemisphere tilts toward sun, April-Sept.
-Southern Hemisphere tilts towards sun Sept.-April
At higher altitudes, air is what? - Correct Answer:Less dense, cooler, holds water
-similar to high latitudes
Winds and precipitation - Correct Answer:-Warm air holds moisture
-warm air rises, cools
-as it cools, moisture precipitates
---tropical forests: warm, wet
,-Cool dry air
---displaced by rising moist air
---sinks: subtropical deserts: warm, dry
Winds - Correct Answer:-Earth rotates and air circulates
-Faster at equator than poles
-currents can warm high latitudes, cool low latitudes
Prevailing winds - Correct Answer:move ocean currents
Geographical influence of climate - Correct Answer:-land near ocean see milder temps.
--water has high specific heat
-Mountain ranges can produce rain shadow
--Air rises up slop, it cools, releases water
--on leeward side, air is dry, creating a desert
Adaptations to specific climates - Correct Answer:-most organisms cannon live outside defined range of
temperatures
-Below 0 degrees, water freezes
-Ice crystals in cells disrupt membranes
-Too hot, proteins lose structure, enzymes cannon function
-Temperature climates may have extreme temperatures, but not for prolonged periods
Adaptations - Correct Answer:-Specialized traits that allow an organism to survive in otherwise
unfavorable conditions
------alaskan frog can be up to 65% frozen, but ice is in extracellular spaces
------some plants and fish maintain high concentrations of antifreeze like compounds
Behavioral adaptations - Correct Answer:-many species can survive unfavorable(too hot, too cold)
conditions by altering behavior
, --hibernation in winter, aestivation in summer
--burrow into protected habitat, slow metabolism
--migration to favorable conditions
Biomes - Correct Answer:-Regional land area, defined by climate and geography(terrestrial)
-Characterized by ecologically similar organisms
-Vegetation is primary character, providing
---food
---habitat
-------shelter against weather
-------protection against predators
-------nesting sites for offspring
Tropical rain forest - Correct Answer:-warm wet
-high productivity, high diversity
Deserts: both hot and cold - Correct Answer:-Dry
-Productivity limited by water
Temperate hardwood woodlands - Correct Answer:-Seasonal variation in temperature
-wet
-high productivity
Temperate grassland - Correct Answer:-drier than woodlands
Chaparral - Correct Answer:-hot dry summers
-cool, wet winters
Temperate evergreen forests - Correct Answer:...