Exam 1 Study Guide | Forage Crop Ecology | CSES 4544, Study notes of Environmental Science

Download Exam 1 Study Guide | Forage Crop Ecology | CSES 4544 and more Study notes Environmental Science in PDF only on Docsity! Forage Crop Ecology Exam 1 Review Questions Grasslands 1. Define the following terms:  Grassland –  Forages –  Pasture –  Rangeland – 2. What percentage of the world’s terrestrial area do grasslands take up? 3. What are the two main factors that drive grasslands? 4. The warmer end of the grassland range is called a _________________. 5. Where are grasslands located? What are two broad grassland types? 6. What is a forb? 7. Name the 3 grasses that make up the prairies of North America. Where are they located? Give examples of each type of grass: 8. What is the Pampas? 9. What is the Steppe Grassland? 10. Describe the Savannah. What grasses make up the tropical savannah? 11. What is the Cerrado? Where is it located? What is affecting the Cerrado? 12. Why are U.S. Farmers growing crops in South America even more? 13. Buffalo grass is a ____________ plant because it has separate male and female plants. 14. The most widespread and dominant grass in the Serengeti is: 15. Which animals prefer short grasses? Which animals prefer tall grasses? 30. What are some practices that influence nutrient loss? Virginia Forages 1. What is forage? Where are most of the nutrients located in forage? 2. What is the Virginia State soil? Can you describe it? 3. Discuss Tall Fescue: 4. In Virginia, what area would you find more Kentucky bluegrass? What areas would you find more Bermudagrass? 5. Name the 6 Virginia Tech Satellite areas: Ecology 1. Define the following terms:  Ecology –  Biosphere –  Biomes –  Ecosystems –  Communities –  Populations – 2. What is the structure and function of an ecosystem? 3. There are two components of the ecosystem, what are they? 4. To understand grassland ecology, you need to understand belowground _______. What does that acronym stand for? 5. What is “Top Down vs. Bottom Up”? 6. What do herbivores do to benefit grassland ecosystems? 7. What are the benefits of grazing? 8. What effects do animals have on soil? 9. What effects do plants have on animals? 10. What effects do plants have on soils? 11. What effects does soil have on plants? On animals? 12. What are the 4 properties of all ecosystems? 13. What does the term Primary Productivity mean? Grassland Ecology & Nutrient Cycling 1. Solar energy is used by ______________ producers. 2. The solar energy produced is then passed on to _____________ and eventually _______________. 3. Is energy transfer between trophic levels high or low? 4. Grassland productivity is often limited by _______________ _______________. 5. The capacity for soil nutrient supply depends on what 3 factors? 6. What are the 7 players in nutrient cycling? 7. What are the nutrient inputs and outputs in an ecosystem? 8. (T/F) Animals can contribute to the nutrient cycle directly and indirectly. 9. What is the role of microbes in an ecosystem? 10. Why is water vital to a plant? (4) 11. When there is a drought, water can affect plants and animals. How? 12. What are some ways that you can improve water cycling in pastures? 13. ____% of plant DM is Carbon 14. Where do plants get their C from? Animals? 15. Why is Carbon essential? (2 reasons) 16. When organic matter breaks down, what is the end result? 17. When there is a high C: N ration during decomposition, what does this mean? 18. What are some ways you can improve Carbon sequestration in your pastures? (5) 19. When grazing animals on pasture, how can Carbon levels change? (3) 20. Warm season plants may increase soil Carbon sequestration due to 2 reasons: 21. _____________ is the major limiting nutrient in grasslands. Why? 22. What is Nitrification? Denitrification? 23. How is Nitrogen brought into the soil? (4) 24. What are 2 natural Nitrogen inputs? 25. What is the difference between open and closed Nitrogen cycling? 26. What are 5 ways to improve Nitrogen efficiency? 27. What are 3 effects humans have on any type of nutrient cycle (not just N or C)? 14. Name and describe the three main root systems: 15. Draw the 3 types/arrangement of spikelets: 16. Name the 6 development phases of grasses: 17. Name the phases of reproductive growth in grasses: 18. What is vernalization? Give an example of a crop that needs this. 19. Is there leaf production in the reproductive stages? 20. Damage to the ________________ meristem can affect productivity. 21. Name the 3 kinds of stems found in grasses: 22. If a plant is stripped of its leaves, how can it grow? 23. Forage yields in grasses depends on: 24. Tillering is influenced by: 25. Discuss the Tall vs. Short Canopy: 26. What is the main advantage of bunch type growth? 27. Bunchgrass reproduces vegetatively via _____________. These also store carbohydrates. Forage Plant ID & Morphology 1. What is a legume? What is unique about it? 2. All legumes have which type of emergence? What is the ONE EXCEPTION? 3. What is the main difference among forage legumes? 4. What is the difference between a true trifoliate and a legume that is not a true trifoliate? Give some examples of true trifoliates: 5. How do legumes fix Nitrogen? Discuss: 6. Most buds in legumes are stored _____________ and therefore protected from the environment. They are very important for the persistence of most legumes. 7. In Alfalfa, __________% of regrowth is from the crown and some is from axillary buds. 8. Name the 2 Perennial, warm-season legumes: 9. Name 5 Perennial, cool-season legumes: 10. Name the 2 Annual, warm-season legumes: 11. Name the 4 Annual, cool-season legumes: