Biology Ecology & Environmental Interactions Flashcards
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Read the first 7 Biology Ecology & Environmental Interactions flashcards as text
Which of the following gases released by decomposition contributes most to the greenhouse effect?
Answer: Methane (CH4)
Methane produced by decomposers in anaerobic environments is a potent greenhouse gas, trapping far more heat per molecule than CO2.
A population grows exponentially when
Answer: Resources are unlimited and there are no limiting factors
Exponential (J-curve) growth occurs when birth rates exceed death rates with no resource constraints, resulting in rapid, accelerating population increase.
Which of the following best explains why tropical rainforests have such high biodiversity?
Answer: Stable, warm, wet climate over millions of years permitted species diversification
Tropical rainforests' consistent climate over geological time allowed extensive evolutionary diversification and accumulation of species.
An invasive species typically threatens native biodiversity because it
Answer: Lacks natural predators in the new environment, allowing unchecked population growth
Without co-evolved predators, parasites, or competitors, invasive species can rapidly outcompete and displace native species.
In the phosphorus cycle, unlike the carbon and nitrogen cycles, phosphorus
Answer: Is primarily cycled through weathering of rocks without a significant gas phase
Phosphorus lacks a significant atmospheric phase; it cycles through the weathering of rocks, uptake by plants, and eventual return to sediments.
Which ecological concept explains why two species with identical niches cannot coexist indefinitely in the same habitat?
Answer: Gause's competitive exclusion principle
The competitive exclusion principle (Gause's Law) states that two species competing for identical resources cannot coexist — one will outcompete and exclude the other.
Which of the following is a consequence of deforestation on the water cycle?
Answer: Reduced transpiration and increased surface runoff, leading to drier local climate
Removing trees eliminates transpiration, reduces water uptake, increases erosion and runoff, and can lead to regional climate drying.