Bio 320 – Fundamentals of Ecology

Exam 2 Study Guide - Winter '13

Global Ecology II - Ecosystem Ecology

• definition - more than broad textbook def.
• note process-oriented perspective
• types of questions ecosystem ecologists ask
• I. Nutrient Cycling:
  • define the difference between a sink & a source for a given nutrient
  • Carbon Cycle
  • describe/diagram the carbon cycle, as it relates to forest ecosystems
  • Rising atmospheric CO₂ & carbon sequestration in forests article (Beedlow et al.)
  • reading/class questions
  • impacts of increased CO₂ on forest primary productivity
  • limits due to other nutrients? air pollution?
  • be able to model changes using above diagram
• Global Climate Change:
  • atmospheric CO₂  and the carbon cycle
  • CO₂  increase & carbon sinks - ocean as C sink?
  • implications & impacts (not emphasized in 2013)
• Nitrogen Cycle
  • tracing the path of MDNs - stable isotope fractionation
  • "fish as fertilizer" - nutrient cycling & aquatic foodwebs
  • aquatic-terrestrial connections & nutrient cycling; differences between N vs. C
  • 2 routes of beneficial feedback between salmon carcasses & young salmon
  • concept maps of nutrient movement from ocean --> stream --> land; what are the vectors, what are the results
     
• II. Energy Flow
• Food webs:
  • number of possible levels
  • names of levels
  • why are big, fierce animals rare?
  • energy flow through food chains
  • laws of thermodynamics
  • production efficiency - who = higher, endo- or ectotherms?; compare groups of animals
  • primary productivity - where in the world is it highest?  why?
  • limits on primary production
  • contrast how energy moves thru food webs, vs. how chemical nutrients (e.g. C,N) move thru food webs

Physiological Ecology

1. General

   • Define physiology & physiological ecology

   • Constraints

     • Homeostasis - what it is, how maintained

     • Ecological "Master Factors"  -- play major role in survival, growth, reproduction

       • what are master factors for different groups of organisms

     • Average conditions are not good predictors of spp. distributions; why? - Baobab example

       • what additional factors needed to explain distributions??

   • Niche Concept

     • habitat (where an organism lives) vs. niche (how an organism lives), define

     • Fundamental niche

     • Realized niche

     • how are limits defined?  how many dimensions are there in a niche?

      

2. Animal Physiology

   • Thermoregulation

     • surface area:volume ratios, significance

     • Ectotherms vs. Endotherms

     • advantages & disadvantages of each approach to thermoregulation

     • body size limits imposed by each approach

     • where should a fish spend more time: upper, warm lake waters OR lower, cool lake waters - in times of high vs. low food abundance (assuming equal supplies of oxygen & other variables)

     • link to behavioral ecology: behavioral thermoregulation

     • changes in the environment that disrupt homeostasis & physiological function (Willette et al. 2005 article)

     • behavioral thermoregulation - examples of modeling data for lizards in different Australian habitats/biomes; what group of lizards (from what habitat) will be most negatively impacted by warming climate, and why?

3. Reading the Literature: Turtles & Climate

   • Willette et al. article as a way to connect physiology, population dynamics, and impacts of climatic change

     • review questions for Willette article (see Homework web page)