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101 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Define landscape |
an area that is spatially heterogeneous for at least one defined factor of interest |
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Define heterogenous |
consisting of dissimilar elements |
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Define trophic cascades |
an ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal of apex predators - which in turn changes the entire structure of an ecosystem |
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Define corridor |
relatively narrow strip of a type that differs from the areas surrounding it |
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Define patch |
an area surrounded by .... |
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A landscape is comprised of ? |
relationships between structural and functional components |
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Describe structural components of a landscape |
the actual physical components, regardless of any biological processes inherent in them |
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Describe the functional components of a landscape |
interactions between organisms and structural compents |
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What parameters of a landscape can be analyzed? |
1. configuration 2. what caused the configurations 3. how the configuration impact organisms living there now and in the future |
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Define Landscape Ecology |
the study of spatial patterns and ecological processes that occur across a landscape at multiple scales |
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Define scale |
spatial or temporal dimension of an object or process |
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Define configuration |
specific arrangements of spatial elements and structure |
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How is human activity linked to landscape ecology? |
Human activity can cause disturbances that affect biotic and abiotic processes in habitats, landscapes, and ecosystems. |
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Name the 3 perspectives of Landscape Ecology |
1. human 2. geobotanical 3. animal |
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Describe the human perspective of Landscape Ecology |
grouping the landscape into functional entities with meaning for human interactions |
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1. Describe the geobotanical perspective of Landscape Ecology 2. give an example |
1. the spatial distribution of biotic and abiotic components of the landscape 2. soil and its influence on the distribution of plant communities |
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Describe the animal perspective of Landscape Ecology |
grouping landscape into functional entities with meaning for animal life - ***scale is variable depending on the organism |
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Biogeographers studied the landscape through the lens of |
the human perspective |
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Define fragmentation |
the breaking up of habitat into smaller, disconnected parcels |
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True or false: fragmentation is equivalent to habitat loss |
false |
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What German biologist coined the term "landscape ecology?" |
Carl Troll |
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Define matrix |
an extensive-coverage background cover type |
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Define patch and give an example |
a surface area that differs from its surroundings in nature (example: a bunch of ponds on a grassland landscape would be patches - the grassland would be the matrix) |
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Why is it important to predict changes in a landscape? |
it's critical for the survival of entire ecosystems |
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Name 3 areas of interest for landscape ecologists |
1. spatial patterns 2. ecological processes 3. ecological flows |
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Give 3 examples of ecological flows |
1. species dispersal 2. spread of fire 3. insect outbreaks |
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Name 6 important tools and techniques for landscape ecologists |
1. GIS 2. remote sensing 3. spatial statistics 4. geostatistics 5. process-based modeling 6. field research |
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Name 5 topics in landscape ecology |
1. ecological flows 2. causes, processes, and consequences of land use and change 3. landscape metrics to ecological processes 4. optimizing landscape pattern for resource management and conservation 5. the impact scale has on ecological processes |
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Characterization of landscape pattern involves the scale of what 3 factors? |
1. scale of phenomena 2. scale of its observable detection 3. scale at which a pattern is statistically analyzed and communicated |
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Define extrapolation |
convert information from one scale to another or!! from one system to another at the same scale |
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Define cartographic scale |
the ratio between a map and the real world |
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Define ecological scale |
the extent of the landscape being observed or analyzed |
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Define operational scale |
combines spatial and temporal dimensions of a processes or object |
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Define a holon and give an example |
Something within a hierarchy that is a whole and just a part.... example: a whole individual is a part of a population |
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What is a fractal? |
a pattern that looks the same at any given scale |
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What is the difference between extent and grain? |
extent is the overall size of the study area grain is the grid or cell size |
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When extent increases, what happens to grain? |
it remains constant |
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What is the significance of scale dependency? |
the pattern or process will change if the extent or grain changes |
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True or false: the amount of grain shown is not a subjective decision |
false - it is subjective |
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What sacrifices must be made to sample in order to make descriptions of nature? |
grain must be sacrificed for extent or extent must be sacrificed for grain |
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Name the 2 fallacies involved with scale |
1. individualistic fallacy 2. ecological fallacy |
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Describe the individualistic fallacy of scale |
extrapolating to the broad scale based on observations made at a small local scale |
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Describe the ecological fallacy of scale |
drawing local-scale conclusions based on observations made an a broader scale |
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Name the 4 rules of ecological scale for humans. |
1. patterns depend on the scale the observation was made upon 2. important explanatory variables change with scale 3. statistical relationships might change if scale changes 4. patterns are created by processes occurring over varying temporal and spatial scales |
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Name 2 different approaches to understanding the effects of landscape modifications |
1. species-oriented approach 2. pattern-oriented approach |
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What does a species-oriented approach to understanding the effects of landscape change look at? |
a species' requirements for food, shelter, space, and climactic conditions
and also competition, predation, and mutualisms (interactions) |
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What does a pattern-oriented approach to understanding the effects of landscape change look at? |
looks at human-perceived patterns and their measures of species richness |
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Name 3 consequences of landscape modification |
1. disruptions to dispersal 2. altered breeding patterns 3. altered home ranges |
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Differentiate between endogenous and exogenous stochasticity |
exogenous stochasticity is related to environmental variability endogenous stochasticity is related to a species' life cycle |
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Give examples of endogenous stochasticity |
1. demographic 2. genetic |
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Which type of stochasticity has a larger effect on small populations? |
endogenous |
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Exogenous threats lead to a decline of a species. The resulting small population is then susceptible to...? |
endogenous threats |
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What are edge effects? |
physical and biological changes at the boundaries of an ecosystem |
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Name 3 occurrences that might enhance edge effects |
1. a high structural contrast at the edge rather than a gradual change 2. high wind speeds and temperatures 3. presence of invasive taxa |
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Differentiate between functional and structural connectivity |
functional - extent to which a species can move through a landscape structural - deals more with landscape patterns such as distance between patches, structure of the matrix, and the density of the corridors |
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Aside from the concepts of structural and functional connectivity, what types of connectivity are there? |
1. habitat connectivity 2. landscape connectivity 3. ecological connectivity |
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Define habitat connectivity |
connectedness between patches of suitable habitat for a species |
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Define landscape connectivity |
human perspective of the connectedness of native vegetation cover |
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define ecological connectivity |
connectivity of ecological processes across various scales. includes trophic relationships, hydrogeological flows, and disturbance regimes |
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Describe an example of a keystone structure |
trees scattered in a savannah alter the abiotic environment and provide habitat for plants and animals |
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Name the 2 main things we look at when we view a landscape |
1. configuration 2. its composition |
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The configuration and composition of a landscape combine to define...? |
the spatial pattern or heterogeneity of the landscape |
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Name the 2 landscape contingencies |
1. historical 2. spatial |
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Name the 4 key drivers of a landscape pattern |
1. biotic factors 2. abiotic factors 3. disturbance + succession 4. human land use |
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The environmental envelope within populations can survive is called |
functional niche |
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Explain how climate change and functional niches might be related. |
Climate change can shift the home ranges of certain species - for example coniferous tree populations may move north when climate gets warmer, taking on a changed functional niche |
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Name 4 abiotic factors |
1. landforms 2. climate 3. interactions 4. soils |
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Describe the importance of landforms |
parent materials, elevation, slope, and aspect affect ecosystem processes |
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Elevation affects |
solar radiation |
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Aspect affects |
temperature |
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geology affects |
moisture |
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slope affects |
nutrient retention |
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Describe 3 specific processes landforms have an affect on |
1. flows of energy, matter, and organisms thru a landscape 2. frequency and spatial pattern of disturbances (fires, landslides, floods) 3. geomorphic processes by wind and water |
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define parent material |
unweathered geologic material from which soil develops |
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What does soil have the strongest affect on? |
plant community and composition |
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What processes might the biotic responses to abiotic factors influence? |
1. growth rates 2. establishment rates 3. mortality rates 4. competition 5. disturbance 6. disease |
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The level of biotic responses to abiotic factors is dependent on what? |
scale |
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Explain how the level of biotic response to abiotic factors is dependent on scale. |
Individuals respond to changes at a fine scale but communities respond at the landscape scale |
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When 2 species compete for the same resources and cannot coexist, what principle is at play? |
competitive exclusion |
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What leads to high competition for resources? |
a high niche overlap |
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The entire set of conditions under which an organism is able to live is called its |
fundamental niche |
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The set of conditions under which and organism does live is called |
realized niche |
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Describe the "landscape of fear" hypothesis. |
prey animals avoid areas with a lot of predators, even if food and habitat is abundant there |
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Under what concept are predators considered keystone species? |
trophic cascades |
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How might human modifications to landscapes create landscape patterns? |
1. extraction of natural resources 2. development and infrastructure 3. disturbance and climate change |
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Relatively discrete events in time that create changes in ecosystems, communities, or population structures and lead to unique patterns of ecosystem processes on the landscape are called |
disturbances |
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What drives succession and creates landscape heterogeneity? |
disturbance |
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What temporal factors of disturbance are important? |
1. frequency 2. recurrence interval 3. rotation period 4. return interval |
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What magnitude factors of disturbance are important? |
intensity (energy) severity (mortality) |
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What spatial factors of disturbance are important? |
mean area/size spatial distribution |
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Besides spatial, temporal, and magnitude, what are some other important disturbance factors? |
1. synergism 2. feedbacks 3. predictability |
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Define disturbance regime |
a repeated series of disturbance events on a landscape over time |
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What is the main reason disturbances are important? |
to create heterogeneity (by driving succession) |
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No matter how spatial pattern is created, it is connected to...? |
ecological processes |
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An array of irregular patches composed of vegetation at different ages is referred to as |
the shifting mosaic steady state |
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The shifting mosaic steady state recognizes that dynamics occurring at one scale could produce....? |
a steady state at a different scale |
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What biotic residuals might be abundant following a large disturbance? |
roots, rhizomes, seedbanks |
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What assumes that disturbance-driven spatial + temporal variability is a vital attribute of nearly all ecological systems and that past conditions provide context for managing ecological systems today? |
historical range of variability |
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equilibrium is a process that depends on |
scale |
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Do large disturbances create more or less heterogeneity? |
more |
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How is the spatial pattern created by disturbance important for ecosystem processes on the landscape? |
it affects flows etc... |