Community Ecology
The type of symbiosis between a clownfish and sea anemone, where the clownfish wards off predator fish and provides nutrients (via waste) to the sea anemone while the sea anemone provides protection and shelter for the clownfish
Mutualism
A large category of biomes where life is driven by patterns of temperature, rainfall, and seasons instead of temperature, depth, and salinity
Terrestrial biomes
This biome is characterized by being extremely cold because of the presence of ice and snow
Long-term regional averages that include many weather data points
Climate
The type of symbiosis between birds and trees, where birds build nests in trees and the tree is generally unharmed
Commensalism
Sharks are an example of this type of species. Without them, the populations of other carnivores would rapidly increase and the biodiversity of many marine ecosystems would rapidly decline.
Keystone species
A type of biome that typically has high precipitation and warmer weather throughout the year, even during the night
______ is a measure of how much carbon we are responsible for emitting into the atmosphere
Carbon footprint
____ species are naturally found in a geographic region for a long period of time whereas ____ species can occupy new habitats they are not originally from. Sometimes, these species can become ____ when they successfully spread and damage the environment.
Native, exotic, invasive
Multiple bird species with different beak sizes are able to co-habitat with one another because they occupy a(n) ________________ that is distinct from one another.
Ecological niche
A type of biome that typically has extremely hot weather during the day, extreme cold at night, and very low precipitation annually
Desert
The trapping of heat in the Earth’s atmosphere by a particular set of gasses
Greenhouse effect
What is the rule about trophic levels and how it describes energy transfer?
10% rule: Only about 10% of the energy is retained between trophic levels. Most is lost as heat.
Higher trophic levels retain the least amount of energy per consumption, which is why they need to eat more
Describe at least two factors that can limit a population's carrying capacity
Habitat size, food and water resources, disease, death, competition
A type of biome that is dominated by shrubs, summer drought, and mild wet winters. What geographic location represents this biome?
Chaparral/Mediterranean; Los Angeles/Southern CA
Name 2 types of greenhouse gases. What are their sources?
Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide
Human-induced CO2, cows produce methane, microbes produce nitrous oxide (agriculture), etc.
_______ refers to the number of species present across a specific area. Describe an example community that represents this term.
Species richness, a community that can support multiple number of species. Examples:
Savanna grassland supporting at least 12 different plant species
Kelp forest supporting at least 10 different species of fish
Describe what would happen as the population of a species approaches its carrying capacity.
Population growth would temporarily exceed the carrying capacity, then slowly decline below it. (Rate of growth would eventually oscillate around the carrying capacity)
Describe the relationship between rainfall/temperature and productivity/biodiversity in biomes. Why does this relationship make sense?
Rainfall/temperature are positively correlated to productivity/biodiversity (except in extreme cases).
Higher productivity of plants = more support for other animals/life (that require oxygen)
If insurance companies are hiring climate scientists, then what are they assuming about climate change? Describe an example of the work a climate scientist may do for an insurance company
Climate change is real!
Example tasks: determine risk modeling, pricing, strategic planning, etc. that will dictate pricing/premium rates for insurance if a climate-related event were to occur