Unit 2 - The Living World-Biodiversity

Biodiversity

all the different kinds of life you'll find in one area—the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world.

Specialist

Species with a narrow ecological niche. They may be able to live in only one type of habitat, tolerate only a narrow range of climatic and other environmental conditions, or use only one type or a few types of food.

Generalist

Species with a broad ecological niche. They can live in many different places, eat a variety of foods, and tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. Specialists

Species Evenness

the measure of how all of the individual organisms in an ecosystem are balanaced between the different species

Species Richness

the total number of different species found in an ecosystem

bottleneck event

environment disturbance that drastically reduces population size and kill organisms and it lowers genetic diversity

inbreeding depression

when organisms mate with closely related family members after a disturbance —> increases the chance of mutations

ecosystem resilience

ability of an ecosystem to return to its original conditions after a major disturbance (ecosystems with a high species diversity is more likely to have this)

ecological range of tolerance

range of conditions such as temperature, salinity, pH, or sunlight that an organisms endures before injury or death

optimal range - where organisms survive, grow, and reproduce

Zone of physiological stress - organisms survive but they expirence some stress such as infertility and decreased growth

zone intolerance - organism dies

What are the zones of the ecological range of tolerance and describe each.

ecosystem services

goods that come from natural resources, functions that ecosystems carry out have measurable economic/finanical value to humans

provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural

What are the four ecosystem services?

provisioning

goods taken directly from ecosystems or made from natural resources —> Exs: fishing, hunting, lumber, berries, seeds, grain, honey, paper, medicine, and rubber —> disrupted by over harvesting, water pollution, clearing land for agriculture/urbanization

regulating

natural ecosystems regulate climate, air quality, reducing storm damade and healthcare costs —> trees in forest sequester CO2, photosynthesis , reduces rate of climate change, lessens damage caused by rising sea levels, and decreases crop failure, tree = filters, decreases healthcare costs → disrupted by deforestation

supporting

natural ecosystems support processes we do ourselves, making them cheaper/easier to get —> EXS: wetland plant root filter pollutants —> cleaner ground water = less money spent trying to purify water, pollination (BEES!!!!!) —> disrupted by pollinator habitat loss and filling in wetlands

cultural

money generate by recreation or scientific knowledge —> EXS: beautiful landscapes (tourism), fisherman pay for fishing licenses, scientits learn about plant compounds (medicine creation) —> disrupted by deforestation, pollution, and urbanization

ecosystem diversity

the number of different habitats available in a given area

species diversity

the number of different species in an ecosystem and the balance or eveness of the population size of all species in the ecosystem

genetic diversity

how different the genes are of individuals within a population (evolution —> survival of the fittest)

higher ecosystem/population health

Higher biodiversity leads to what?

high

Do species with high or low gentic diversity have a higher chance to survive a disturbance?

invasive species

not native to an area, typically introduced by native transport

they have no natural predators (increased population), highly competitive with native species (food and habitat)

Why are invasive species so harmful?

Zebra mussels - transported by ship ballast water, agressive filter feeders, they clog intake pipes, and 1 million eggs/year

Kudzu Vine - brougth to be planted to limit soil erosion in south US, grows very vast/fast, outcompetes natives for sunlight, no predators

Asian Carp - brought to control algae growth in aquatic farms —> escpaed to the Miss. river (outcompeted the others), decreases fishery production and money

Emerald Ash Borer - spread by wood packing materials of ships, planes, and firewood, larvae laid in bark —> eat through phloem —> disrupts tree nutrients - increase range of tolerance due to global warming

Cane Toad - introduced to eat sugarcane beetles = crop loss in Australia, HUGE APPETITE, decreases population of amphibians and small reptiles

Pythons - Flordia —> pet trade (released into wild), decimated everglade mammal population, agressive with no predators

Give examples of invasive species and a few characteristics

expensive, laws preventing transport (firewood - emerald ash borer), removal of hosts, boat cleaning and inspection (zebra mussel), introduction of natural predators, physical removal

How to control invasive species

poaching, over harvesting, removed from wild and sold, organims have special food needs, they are less tolerant of changing climate , habitat loss, wildfires, deforestation, urbanization, invasive species, climate change

How do species become endangered?

stirct laws on poaching (armed guards), wildlife habitats (designated areas —> national parks, wildlife preserves), prevnt hunting, deforestation, and development, breed species to increase size

How do we protect endangered species?

IUCN Red List

shows how endangered species are (least concern, near threatened, threatned, extinct in wild, extinct in general

amphibians (vulnerable to climate change due to biphaisc climate change and highly permable skin), warm water coral (chnaging ocean temp and pH), and conifers (diseases, increases temps, and expanding insects)

What species are most endangered?

Island Biogeography

a field within biogeography that examines the factors that affect the species richness and diversification of isolated natural communities

A large isalnd that is close to mainland —→ greater ecosystem diversity, more niches in the system, easier for colonizing, higher species richness, and frequent migration

What is the most suitable environemnt according to biodiveristy and why?

evolution

when a species gets a trait to become the fittest in its environment

adaptive radiation

single species rapidly evolving into several new species to use different resources and reduces competition (resource partioning)

adaptation

a new trait that increases an organisms survival

natural selection

organisms that are better adapted to their environement survive and reproduce more offspring

selective pressure

environemental condition that kills individuals without the adaptation (predators and bottleneck effects)

ecological succession

the process by which the mix of species and habitat in an area changes over time.

primary succession

starts from bare rock in an area with no previous soil formation (mosses and lichens are carried by wind and grow on rocks)

secondary succession

starts from already established soil in an area where a disturbance cleared out the majority of plant life (fire)

pioneer/early succession species

(first) ground is bare rock or bare soil after distrubance —> seeds are spread by wind or animals, they are fast growing, tolerant of shallow soil, and full sunlight (EX: primary - moss, lichen and second - windflowers, grasses)

mid-successional

after pioneer species have helped develop deeper soil with more nutrients by their cycles of growth/death, they are fast growing, larger, sun tolerant (EX: shrubs and bushes)

late successional/climax community

(last) after soil is even more deepend/enriched with nutrients —> large, slow growing, shade tolerant (EX: trees)

Biologically diverse communities are also more likely to contain species that confer resilience to that ecosystem because as a community accumulates species, there is a higher chance of any one of them having traits that enable them to adapt to a changing environment.

Explain how diversity can help an ecosystem survive/recover from a disruption.

flood, tornado, wildfire, winterstorm, sea level

Identify several natural disruptions

Habitat loss and restoration impact the Earth system in a variety of ways, including: Species populations, ranges, biodiversity, and the interactions of organisms. Habitat loss can fragment ecosystems and can cause species extinctions, while habitat restoration can increase local biodiversity and species populations.

Explain how habitat changes can impact populations

Many migrate to breed or to find food. Some animals migrate to places where they can hibernate, or rest for the winter. Others migrate because the weather is too hot, too cold, too wet, or too dry during certain times of the year. Most animals migrate across water, land, or air.

Explain reasons for migration

Changing environmental conditions influence which organisms survive and reproduce, which, in turn, can lead to evolutionary changes in populations. Descent with modification. Evolutionary change may change both the abiotic and biotic components of the environment.

Explain how environmental changes (including climactic, tectonic, and ecological) impact evolution

keystone species

an organism that helps hold the ecosystem together

maintain the local biodiversity of an ecosystem, influencing the abundance and type of other species in a habitat. They are nearly always a critical component of the local food web.

Why are keystone species important?

sea star and sea otter

Identify the keystone species in these ecosystems: kelp forest

grey wolf

Identify the keystone species in these ecosystems: Yellowstone

prairie dogs, bison, and kangaroo

Identify the keystone species in these ecosystems: prairie

great white shark and parrotfish

Identify the keystone species in these ecosystems: Great Barrier Reef

Hummingbird, Woodpecker, Grizzly Bear, and Gopher Tortoise

Identify the keystone species in these ecosystems: American forest

American Alliagor and Gopher Tortoise

Identify the keystone species in these ecosystems: Flordia/Louisiana Marshes

Elephants

Identify the keystone species in these ecosystems: African Savannah

Indicator Species

defined as species which can provide information on ecological changes and give early warning signals regarding ecosystem processes in site-specific conditions due to their sensitive reactions to them.

1 - Trees are downed, which takes away food and shelter from forest organisms

2 - Estuaries and coastal wetlands are flooded, causing a loss of habitat, changing salinity levels

3 - Soot & smoke are thrown up, changing the climate, leading to a loss of photosynthetic organisms, causing a trophic cascade

4 - Organisms lose their homes

How would each of the following natural disruptions impact biodiversity? 

A tornado goes through a heavily forested area

A tsunami impacts a coastal ecosystem

An asteroid hits earth

A wildfire burns a prairie

1 - supporting

2 - supporting

3 - regulating

4 - cultural

5 - provisioning

Categorize each of the following as a supporting, regulating, cultural, or provisioning ecosystem service:

Pollination by hummingbirds

Bats eating bugs

Wetlands storing carbon

Forests providing ecotourism

A person hunting deer

1 -  primary (glacier scrapes down to bare rock)

2 - secondary succession (plants and animals are killed, but soil remains)

3 -  primary (lava cools to bare rock)

What kind of succession follows a glacial retreat? A forest fire? A volcanic eruption?

Break down rock, die, decompose, & create soil

What is the role of moss & lichens in primary succession?

Secondary, because it begins with soil already

Which is faster, primary or secondary, and why?

Keystone species - its presence changed

When purple sea stars were removed from tide pools, the population of mussels went up, and the population of most other organisms went down. What role does the purple sea star play in its ecosystem? How can you tell?

thermal expansion caused by warming of the ocean (since water expands as it warms) and increased melting of land-based ice, such as glaciers and ice sheets.

Describe why sea level has varied on earth over time

habitat loss/fragmentation, invasive species, population growth, pollution, climate change, over exploitation

Describe how humans impact biodiversity (Hint = HIPPCO)

If immigration occurs in an area that isn't already occupied by that species, it can result in colonization, which is when an organism or group of organisms starts a population in a habitat where the species was not already present.

Define the term “colonization” as it relates to island biogeography