BSC 196 EXAM 4 QUESTIONS WITH
ACCURATE ANSWERS
Ecology - ANSWER interactions
between organisms and their environment
Organismal Ecology - ANSWER studies how an organism's
physiology, morphology,
and behavior meet
environmental challenges
Population - ANSWER a
group of individuals of
the same species
living in an area, emphasizes energy flow
Community - ANSWER a
group of populations of
different species in an
area
Ecosystem - ANSWER the
community of
organisms in an area
and the physical
factors with which
they interact, emphasizes energy flow
Landscape - ANSWER (or
seascape) is a mosaic of
connected ecosystems, focuses on exchange of energy and
resources/organisms
Biosphere - ANSWER the
global ecosystem, the
sum of all the planet's
ecosystems, examines how energy affects organisms across the planet
4 major components of climate - ANSWER temperature,
precipitation, sunlight, and wind
Macroclimate - ANSWER patterns on a global, regional, and
, landscape level
Microclimate - ANSWER patterns on a very local scale (in a
pond)
Gyre - ANSWER a large system of rotating ocean
current
circulation is clockwise in northern hemisphere;
counterclockwise in southern
currents flowing toward the equator carry cold
water from the poles; currents flowing away from
the equator carry warm water toward the poles
Biomes - ANSWER major life zones characterized by vegetation
type (terrestrial biomes) or physical environment (aquatic
biomes)
Tropical Forests - ANSWER equatorial and subequatorial regions
Climate:high temperature year-round
with little seasonal variation
rainfall is constant;
in tropical dry forest rainfall is seasonal
Tropical forests are vertically layered, and
competition for light is intense
incredibly diverse
humans destroy
Desert - ANSWER Deserts occur 30 north and
south
Climate
Precipitation is low and
variable, < than 30 cm per year
temperature is variable
seasonally and daily
can be hot or cold
plants adapted for desiccation
tolerance, water storage, and
reduced leaf surface area
Savannah - ANSWER Grasses and forbs
fire-adapted and tolerant of
seasonal drought
equatorial and subequatorial regions
Climate: hot and dry
Precipitation is seasonal with
dry seasons lasting 8-9
ACCURATE ANSWERS
Ecology - ANSWER interactions
between organisms and their environment
Organismal Ecology - ANSWER studies how an organism's
physiology, morphology,
and behavior meet
environmental challenges
Population - ANSWER a
group of individuals of
the same species
living in an area, emphasizes energy flow
Community - ANSWER a
group of populations of
different species in an
area
Ecosystem - ANSWER the
community of
organisms in an area
and the physical
factors with which
they interact, emphasizes energy flow
Landscape - ANSWER (or
seascape) is a mosaic of
connected ecosystems, focuses on exchange of energy and
resources/organisms
Biosphere - ANSWER the
global ecosystem, the
sum of all the planet's
ecosystems, examines how energy affects organisms across the planet
4 major components of climate - ANSWER temperature,
precipitation, sunlight, and wind
Macroclimate - ANSWER patterns on a global, regional, and
, landscape level
Microclimate - ANSWER patterns on a very local scale (in a
pond)
Gyre - ANSWER a large system of rotating ocean
current
circulation is clockwise in northern hemisphere;
counterclockwise in southern
currents flowing toward the equator carry cold
water from the poles; currents flowing away from
the equator carry warm water toward the poles
Biomes - ANSWER major life zones characterized by vegetation
type (terrestrial biomes) or physical environment (aquatic
biomes)
Tropical Forests - ANSWER equatorial and subequatorial regions
Climate:high temperature year-round
with little seasonal variation
rainfall is constant;
in tropical dry forest rainfall is seasonal
Tropical forests are vertically layered, and
competition for light is intense
incredibly diverse
humans destroy
Desert - ANSWER Deserts occur 30 north and
south
Climate
Precipitation is low and
variable, < than 30 cm per year
temperature is variable
seasonally and daily
can be hot or cold
plants adapted for desiccation
tolerance, water storage, and
reduced leaf surface area
Savannah - ANSWER Grasses and forbs
fire-adapted and tolerant of
seasonal drought
equatorial and subequatorial regions
Climate: hot and dry
Precipitation is seasonal with
dry seasons lasting 8-9
