Climate vs Weather
Define "weather."
Short-term atmospheric conditions (temperature, precipitation, wind) at a place and time.
What is the greenhouse effect in one sentence?
Trapping of outgoing infrared radiation by atmospheric gases, warming Earth's surface.
What is ecological succession?
Gradual change in a ecosystem over time
Define biodiversity
Variety of life at genetic, species, and ecosystem levels.
Define "climate."
Average weather patterns and variability of an area over decades.
Name two greenhouse gases produced by human activities.
Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O).
Differentiate primary succession from secondary succession with one example each.
Primary: starts from scratch (e.g., lava flow → lichens). Secondary: follows disturbance where soil remains (e.g., abandoned field → grasses).
List three benefits biodiversity provides to ecosystems or humans.
Benefits: ecosystem services (pollination, water purification), food and medicine, cultural/recreational value, resilience to change.
Give two measurable variables scientists use to describe climate.
average temperature, annual precipitation,
Explain how increased atmospheric CO2 leads to higher global temperatures
CO2 increases atmospheric infrared (heat) absorption → less heat escapes → more energy retained → global temperature rises.
Describe the typical sequence of colonizers in primary succession on bare rock.
Pioneers: lichens and mosses → soil formation → grasses and herbaceous plants → shrubs → trees.
Explain how invasive species can reduce native biodiversity
Invasives can outcompete natives for resources, alter habitat, introduce diseases, and change trophic interactions, reducing native populations.
Explain why a single heatwave does not prove long-term climate change.
Because climate is defined by long-term averages; one event is short-term variability and may be within expected variability.
Distinguish between the natural greenhouse effect and the enhanced greenhouse effect caused by humans.
Natural: greenhouse gases maintain habitable temperatures.
Enhanced: human emissions increase gas concentrations, raising temperatures above natural baseline.
Explain how succession can increase ecosystem stability and resilience.
Succession leads to greater species richness, more complex food webs, and more stable nutrient and energy flows, helping the ecosystem resist and recover from disturbances.
Describe at least two human activities that threaten biodiversity
habitat destruction → protected areas/restoration; pollution → regulation and cleanup;
overexploitation → sustainable harvest limits and enforcement.
Describe how ocean currents influence regional climates (include one example).
Ocean currents redistribute heat (e.g. El Nino)
Explain something that can be done to reduce the effect of greenhouse gases
Use less fossil fuels- Carpool, walk, less flights etc
Give an example of an disturbance that can reset succession and explain its ecological effects.
Deforestation/ Fire
resets succession to early stages, reducing habitat complexity, increasing erosion, and altering species composition.
Explain how genetic diversity within a species contributes to resilience against environmental change.
Genetic diversity provides variation that may include traits permitting survival under new stresses, permitting adaptation and reducing extinction risk.