ECCB 303 EXAM 3 VERIFIED ACCURATE STUDY
GUIDE
Facilitation - Answers - An interaction in which one species has a positive effect on the
survival and reproduction of another species without the intimate association of a
symbiosis
example: seagrass facilitates more seagrass through positive feedback
Resilience - Answers - the capacity of a natural system to resist perturbation
Non-additive response - Answers - typically normal
can be synergistic or antagonistic
we do not affect systems in isolation
synergistic: response is greater than the sum of the parts
antagonistic: response is less than the sum of the parts
Positive and Negative feedback in the context of restoration - Answers - Positive
feedback: the enhancement or amplification of an effect by its own influence on the
process that gives rise to it
-ex: seagrass has positive feedback from facilitation which leads to it being planted
more, whereas if you take out one of its large predators it will decrease its small
predators and grazers, increase its algae, and lead to seagrass loss
-Mangrove deforestation positive feedbacks:
reduced carbon sequestration
increase CO2 and CO3 emissions
increased soil erosion
reduced fisheries
Importance of habitat structure for food web structure - Answers - Habitat structure
complexity is correlated with amount of trophic cascades
- In mangroves, trophic cascades aren't common because the structure is more
complex
-in less complex structures like seagrass, removal of large predators will decrease the
seagrass growth (herbivores--> epiphytes)
Epiphytes - Answers - Photosynthetic plants that grow on other trees rather than
supporting themselves
Trophic cascade
-definition
-what is it caused by/what does it cause
-example - Answers - -powerful indirect effects in a community that are initiated by a
predator
, -occur when predators limit the density and/or behavior of their prey and thereby
enhance the survival of the next trophic level
-caused by over exploitation of top predators
-altered abundance of organisms at lower trophic levels
ex: sea otters that eat sea urchins, kelp benefits
ex: predation in coral reefs has the potential for trophic cascades
Portfolio effect - Answers - compares biodiversity to stock holdings, where
diversification minimizes volatility of the investment, or in this case, the risk of instability
of ecosystem services
-increase in stability with an increase in the # of species
The importance of ratios for primary production - Answers - ratio of Nitrogen to
phosphorus is important
-can contribute to eutrophication
-pros of nutrients: can make things grow
-cons: too many nutrients in the system cause imbalances that inhibit growth
-N enrichment can cause P limitation because the zooxanthellae increase growth and
require more P, P limitation can cause sensitivity to bleaching
-either nutrient can cause increased sensitivity to light
Eutrophication - Answers - A process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and
nitrogen, become highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of
organisms such as algae or cyanobacteria.
Elevation capital - Answers - potential of a mangrove to remain above water despite
rising sea level
SLR - Answers - sea level rise
Elevation deficit - Answers - magnitude of SLR minus the magnitude of the surface
elevation gain
Accretion - Answers - the process of growth or enlargement by gradual buildup
buildup of layers of matter
ex: seagrass ecosystem service is sediment accretion
Trophic Transfer associated with the backreef complex - Answers - -nurseries like
mangroves
-backreef complex affects trophic structure, makes it more robust
-energy transfer as organisms move out of an area or are eaten and then the predator
that eats them moves to another system
ex: baby fish who grow in the mangroves nursery then move out to sea grass/coral/etc.
and are shifting energy levels as they move
GUIDE
Facilitation - Answers - An interaction in which one species has a positive effect on the
survival and reproduction of another species without the intimate association of a
symbiosis
example: seagrass facilitates more seagrass through positive feedback
Resilience - Answers - the capacity of a natural system to resist perturbation
Non-additive response - Answers - typically normal
can be synergistic or antagonistic
we do not affect systems in isolation
synergistic: response is greater than the sum of the parts
antagonistic: response is less than the sum of the parts
Positive and Negative feedback in the context of restoration - Answers - Positive
feedback: the enhancement or amplification of an effect by its own influence on the
process that gives rise to it
-ex: seagrass has positive feedback from facilitation which leads to it being planted
more, whereas if you take out one of its large predators it will decrease its small
predators and grazers, increase its algae, and lead to seagrass loss
-Mangrove deforestation positive feedbacks:
reduced carbon sequestration
increase CO2 and CO3 emissions
increased soil erosion
reduced fisheries
Importance of habitat structure for food web structure - Answers - Habitat structure
complexity is correlated with amount of trophic cascades
- In mangroves, trophic cascades aren't common because the structure is more
complex
-in less complex structures like seagrass, removal of large predators will decrease the
seagrass growth (herbivores--> epiphytes)
Epiphytes - Answers - Photosynthetic plants that grow on other trees rather than
supporting themselves
Trophic cascade
-definition
-what is it caused by/what does it cause
-example - Answers - -powerful indirect effects in a community that are initiated by a
predator
, -occur when predators limit the density and/or behavior of their prey and thereby
enhance the survival of the next trophic level
-caused by over exploitation of top predators
-altered abundance of organisms at lower trophic levels
ex: sea otters that eat sea urchins, kelp benefits
ex: predation in coral reefs has the potential for trophic cascades
Portfolio effect - Answers - compares biodiversity to stock holdings, where
diversification minimizes volatility of the investment, or in this case, the risk of instability
of ecosystem services
-increase in stability with an increase in the # of species
The importance of ratios for primary production - Answers - ratio of Nitrogen to
phosphorus is important
-can contribute to eutrophication
-pros of nutrients: can make things grow
-cons: too many nutrients in the system cause imbalances that inhibit growth
-N enrichment can cause P limitation because the zooxanthellae increase growth and
require more P, P limitation can cause sensitivity to bleaching
-either nutrient can cause increased sensitivity to light
Eutrophication - Answers - A process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and
nitrogen, become highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of
organisms such as algae or cyanobacteria.
Elevation capital - Answers - potential of a mangrove to remain above water despite
rising sea level
SLR - Answers - sea level rise
Elevation deficit - Answers - magnitude of SLR minus the magnitude of the surface
elevation gain
Accretion - Answers - the process of growth or enlargement by gradual buildup
buildup of layers of matter
ex: seagrass ecosystem service is sediment accretion
Trophic Transfer associated with the backreef complex - Answers - -nurseries like
mangroves
-backreef complex affects trophic structure, makes it more robust
-energy transfer as organisms move out of an area or are eaten and then the predator
that eats them moves to another system
ex: baby fish who grow in the mangroves nursery then move out to sea grass/coral/etc.
and are shifting energy levels as they move
