Ecology Ch. 3

How can water enter reservoirs in the hydrologic cycle?

Subsurface flow; precipitation; surface flow

Polar ice caps are water reservoirs. TRUE

Which is the largest type of global water reservoir?

Oceans form the largest reservoir for the global hydrologic cycle.

Match the major ocean basin with its general location.

Borders the western side of the United States = Pacific Ocean

Borders the eastern side of the United States = Atlantic Ocean

Border the eastern side of Africa and western side of Australia = Indian Ocean

Approximately 80% of the solar energy striking the ocean is absorbed within the first 10 meters.

Blue wavelengths of light are most likely scattered back to our eyes, giving the ocean a blue color.

A thermocline is a layer of water through which temperature changes rapidly with depth.

One way the deep water can be moved to the surface is through a process called upwelling. An example would be along the west coasts of continents or around Antarctica.

The amount of salt dissolved in water is called salinity.

Tiny photosynthetic organisms that drift with the currents are called phytoplankton while their animal counterparts are called zooplanktons.

Due to human killing and a decline in krill (zooplankton) population, which marin organism suffered great loss in numbers? Whales

How does high tide affect light intensity?

It is reduced because of higher water turbulence.

Which of the following is not true concerning tides?

The sun has a greater gravitational pull on the water.

Following are TRUE:

Spring tides occur when there is the greatest fluctuation in high to low tides.

Maximum tidal fluctuations occur when the sun, moon, and earth are in alignment.

The moon is closer to the earth than the sun and has a greater effect on tides.

Minimal tidal fluctuations are called neap tides.

Shell middens are evidence that intertidal areas have been used for harvesting of organisms such as clams and mussels for food for many thousands of years.

The mouth of a river, where it empties into an ocean, gulf, or other marine habitat is called an estuary.

Salt marsh is an example of a transition between land and sea.

What function may tidal currents play in salt marshes and mangrove forests?

They may break up and transport plant litter.

There is a high demand and low supply for coastal property, such as that near salt marshes.

Oxygen content of water is inversely related to temperature.

The Amazon River basin: displays the great biodiversity characteristic of tropical rivers.

Which of the following is not a result of human actions on rivers?

Improvement of migratory pathways for fish.

Is a result: interruption of the natural flow of rivers; alteration of water temperatures; pollution.

A lake is a topographic depression in the landscape that collects water.

Most of the world’s freshwater is present in a few large bodies of water called lakes.

A lake with high biological production that is often oxygen-depleted is called eutrophic

Zebra mussels: are an introduced species in the Great Lakes.

Turnover time is the amount of time required for the entire volume of a water reservoir to be renewed.

How much of the earth’s surface is covered by water? 71%

The oceanic zone is the region beyond the continental shelf.

Great circulation systems that involve large expanses of open ocean are called gyres. They move to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.

Why are the proportions of the major ions in the oceans relatively constant around the globe?

There is continuous and vigorous mixing of the world’s oceans.

Oxygen levels tend to decrease as the ocean depth increases, until around 1000 meters.

The epipelagic zone in the ocean contains organisms able to do photosynthesis.

Approximately 50% of the total photosynthesis in the biosphere occurs in the oceans.

Kelp forests and coral reefs are typically found: in shallow waters along continents and around islands.

Match the type of coral reef to its description.

Fringing reef = near the shore of a continent or island

Barrier reef = located some distance off the shore of a continent or island

Atoll = formed from a submerged oceanic island and ring a lagoon

The stem or stipes of kelp extend from the canopy of the kelp forest to the seafloor.

Pollution, including nutrient enrichment from human populations, is a growing threat to coral reefs.

Food additives and fertilizer are made from kelp that grow in the ocean, however the harvested material is quickly replaced by growth.

The high rate of primary productivity of coral reefs is due to the mutually beneficial association with zooxanthellae algae.

Coral reefs are more vulnerable to over-harvesting than kelp forests.

Exposed shores are battered by the full force of ocean waves.

Shores on the inside of headlands or in coves and bays are called sheltered shores.

The highest portion of the intertidal zone is called the: splash zone

One of the two most important water movements that affect the distribution and abundance of intertidal organisms are tides, changes in water level throughout the day.

Semidiurnal tides occur when there are two high tides and two low tides per day.

A single low and high tide each day is called a diurnal tide.

Put the ocean basins in order from smallest to largest, with the smallest at the top.

Indian Ocean; Atlantic Ocean; Pacific Ocean

Habitats on the bottom of the ocean are called benthic.

Why is surface water warmer than deeper water?

Higher kinetic energy of water molecules decreases the density of the water.

Warmer water is less dense than colder water.

The velocity of water molecules at the surface is higher.

Rank the following bodies of water from greatest duration and amount of thermal stratification to least. Tropical Ocean; Temperate Ocean; High Latitude Ocean

Which of the following would have the highest salinity water?

Latitudes from 20 degrees to 30 degrees north and south

Marin environments support greater numbers of animal phyla compared to terrestrial environments.

Coral reefs are located: between 30 degrees north and south

Temperatures above about 29 Celsius are usually lethal to reef-building corals

Kelp beds are more tolerant to changes in salinity, such as those caused by terrestrial runoff, compared to corals.

Intertidal zones are exposed to air once or twice per day, which can affect their temperatures.

Intertidal organisms are adapted to amphibious lifestyles, meaning that they are partly marine, and partly terrestrial. The amount of time they are exposed or submerged varies depending on which region of the intertidal zone they occupy.

Which of the following would be examples of organisms that might be attached or cling to rock surfaces on a rocky shore? Sea stars; seaweeds; mussels; barnacles

Meandering tidal creeks are characteristic of salt marshes.

Which of the following is one of the two most important water movements that affect the distribution and abundance of intertidal organisms? Waves that break on the shore

Solar energy absorbed by water increases the kinetic energy of water molecules

Temperatures in estuaries, salt marshes, and mangrove forests: are highly variable

Estuaries, salt marshes, and mangrove forests generally experience full sunlight at low tide and little light at high tide.

Which of the following is true concerning salinity in estuaries, salt marshes, and mangrove forests? It may fluctuate greatly, especially where river flow and tides are substantial

Mangrove forests are mainly composed of mangrove trees. These organisms are often from many different genera.

Breaking down of organic matter, also known as decomposition, can deplete dissolved oxygen in estuaries, salt marshes, and mangrove forests.

Which of the following is not true of estuaries or salt marshes?

The number of organisms found in these habitats is usually low.

Following are TRUE:

They are often nurseries for young organisms.

Many of the insects found in estuaries are from freshwater ancestors.

The organisms that live there often have marine ancestors.

A riparian zone is the transitional are between the active river channel and the terrestrial environment.

River basins are separated from each other by high points of land called watersheds

A way of classifying streams and rivers by where they occur in a drainage network is called stream order

Which of the following is not true concerning the clarity of river water?

Clear streams are generally less turbid than clear lakes or seas.

Following are TRUE:

Inorganic runoff from the landscape can affect the clarity of the water.

River turbulence that causes erosion can lessen the clarity of the water.

Organic runoff and organic debris can lessen the clarity of the water.

The hyporheic zone is below the benthic zone of a river habitat.

The phreatic zone of a river habitat contains groundwater.

Outside of the river channel, the transition between the aquatic environment and the terrestrial environment is called the riparian zone.

The most consistent levels of river flow are often found in forests called temperate forests, because precipitation levels are relatively even year-round.

The flood pulse concept: describes how the health of rivers depends upon keeping the historical natural flow regime for a region

The river ecosystem synthesis contrasts with the river continuum concept, in that it takes into account that water flow and river structure do not smoothly change along the course of a river.

The cold, dark waters below the thermocline of a lake are part of the: hypolimnion

Most of the world’s freshwater is present in a few large bodies of water called lakes

In most temperate lakes around November (in the northern hemisphere), the temperature: is equalized from top to bottom

The lake is likely to be deep and have low primary production

The biological integrity concept proposes that a healthy aquatic community is one similar to communities in undisturbed habitats in the same region

For the Index of Biological Integrity, the trophic composition is an analysis of the dietary habits of fish in the community.

As aquatic systems are damaged, the Index of Biological Integrity suggests that the percentage of omnivores increases, while the percentages of the other two trophic groups decrease.

Which of the following is not an indicator of poor environmental quality as assessed by the Index of Biological Integrity? Low oxygen levels

Indicator of poor environmental quality: fin damage; skeletal deformities; disease in fish

Lakes that appear deep green: tend to have high primary production rates

Which of the following is true concerning oxygen levels in intertidal zones?

It does not generally limit the distribution of organisms.

Most organisms get some exposure to oxygen at each low tide.

Salinity in tide pools varies much more than in the open ocean

Which of the following is incorrect concerning mangrove forests?

They are insensitive to colder conditions, such as frost.

Following are TRUE:

They are most likely to be found in tropical and subtropical latitudes.

They can be associated with savannahs.

The trees have prop roots that are adapted to low and high tide conditions.