Natural Science Review: Evolution, Ecology, and Climate Change

Flashcards covering the themes of evolution, natural and artificial selection, ecology, population dynamics, energy flow, and the impacts of climate change based on the provided notes.

What is the definition of a niche in ecology?

A niche is the 'recipe' for how a species lives and survives, including what it eats, when it is active, and how it reproduces.

What is the difference between a habitat and a niche?

A habitat is the concrete physical location where a species lives, while a niche describes the species' specific lifestyle and role within that environment.

Who was the first person to publish a scientific explanation of evolution?

Charles Darwin.

According to Darwin's theory of evolution, why do some individuals adapt to environmental changes more easily than others?

Because there is genetic variation within a species.

What are the four main factors in how evolution occurs according to the transcript?

1. Natural selection, 2. Inheritance (Arv), 3. Surplus of offspring, and 4. Formation of new species.

How does natural selection function?

Individuals with traits that provide the greatest chance of survival will reproduce and pass those traits to their offspring.

Why is a surplus of offspring (overskudd på avkom) important for evolution?

It creates more genetic variation within a population, increasing the chance that the species will survive over time.

How do new species typically form?

Through geographic isolation, where separate groups adapt to different environments until they can no longer interbreed.

What happens if a mutation occurs in a germ cell (sperm or egg)?

The child will have that mutation in all of their cells and can pass it on to their own children.

What is the difference between microevolution and macroevolution?

Microevolution is the change in gene variants within a population over a few generations; macroevolution is the formation of entirely new species over long periods due to mutations.

In the case of the peppered moth (Bjørkelurvemålere), why did the population change from light to dark?

Soot from industrial pollution darkened birch trunks, making light moths more visible to predators; dark-colored mutants had a survival advantage and reproduced more successfully.

What is artificial selection (kunstig utvalg)?

A method where humans pick animals or plants with desired traits and breed them to produce specific characteristics in the next generation.

What are epigenetic changes?

Changes where genes are switched on or off by environmental influences like diet, toxins, or stress, without changing the DNA sequence itself.

How do genes and environment interact to determine traits like height?

Genes set the boundaries (e.g., between $160\text{ cm}$ and $170\text{ cm}$), while the environment (e.g., nutrition) determines the exact final outcome within that range.

Define an ecosystem (økosystem).

All the species living within a defined area along with the environment they live in.

What are biotic and abiotic factors?

Biotic factors are living components (producers, consumers, decomposers); abiotic factors are non-living parts (air, light, water, soil).

What is the difference between a population and a community (samfunn)?

A population is a group of individuals of the same species in an area; a community consists of multiple populations of different species living together in an area.

What is a keystone species (nøkkelart)?

A species that has a major impact on other species and plays a crucial, unique role in the balance of an ecosystem.

Define a gene pool (genbasseng).

All the different traits and gene versions available within a specific population.

What are the three types of symbiosis mentioned?

1. Mutualism (both benefit), 2. Parasitism (one benefits at the expense of the other), 3. Commensalism (one benefits, the other is unaffected).

What is carrying capacity (bæreevne)?

The maximum number of individuals of a species that an area can support over a long time in balance with natural resources.

What characterizes 'uncontrolled growth' in a population?

The growth does not flatten out but rises quickly and then falls to zero once resources are exhausted or toxins build up (e.g., bacteria in a nutrient solution).

What happens during photosynthesis?

Plants use solar energy to break apart $CO_2$ and $H_2O$ and rebuild them into energy-rich organic molecules like glucose.

What is the '10% rule' in an energy chain?

Only about 10\text{ %} of the energy from one level (e.g., producers) is passed on to the next level (e.g., herbivores).

Where does the other 90\text{ %} of energy go in a food chain?

It is lost as heat through respiration or via waste products like feces.

According to the transcript, why did dinosaurs go extinct $65$ million years ago?

A large meteor hit Mexico, creating dust that blocked sunlight, reduced photosynthesis, and caused a collapse of the food chain starting with herbivores.

What is generation time (generasjonstid)?

The time it takes from when an animal is born until it is adult enough to have its own offspring.

Why are animals with long generation times more vulnerable to climate change?

They cannot produce enough variations of gene combinations quickly enough to adapt to rapidly changing conditions.

What is ecological succession (suksesjon)?

A gradual change of an ecosystem over time due to interactions between species and the environment.

What are pioneer species (pionerarter)?

The first species, such as lichen and moss, to colonize a new or destroyed area where there is little soil or nutrients.

Why is the puffin (lundefugl) population in decline?

Warmer water brought mackerel to their nesting coasts; mackerel eat the small fish (herring) that puffins need to feed their chicks.

What are the primary causes of biodiversity loss?

Destruction of habitats, pollution, overexploitation (overbeskatning), invasive species, and climate change.

What is the difference between phenotypic and evolutionary adaptation?

Phenotypic adaptation uses existing genes to favor certain traits; evolutionary adaptation involves genetic changes in the gene pool via mutations and natural selection.

What is coevolution (koevolusjon)?

When two species live so closely together they influence each other's development over time, such as a plant developing toxins and an herbivore developing resistance.