bio 20 help me

What is the scientific process?

empirical method of acquiring knowledge

Important things in the scientific process

Careful observation; formulating hypotheses; experimental and measurement-based testing; refinement of hypothesis based on findings

Scientific process steps

Observation; hypothesis; predictions; experiment (variables and control)

A good hypothesis is...

1. concise

2. relevant

3. falsifiable

4. states prediction

How do scientists avoid biases?

peer review

Why do civilizations die

some sort of climate change

Define environmental science

Using empirical investigation to find information about the natural world; applying that knowledge to solve environmental issues

Name four principles of a sustainable ecosystem

Renewable energy; recycle matter; have population control; depend on local biodiversity

What is tragedy of the commons?

when resources aren't "owned" by anyone, individuals try to maximize their own benefit and end up harming the resource

What is the triple bottom line?

Economy; environment; people

What is a wicked problem?

Multiple causes, multiple consequences, stakeholder differences

Define anthropocentrism, biocentrism, and ecocentrism

anthropocentrism: human-focus

biocentrism: life-focused

ecocentrism: ecosystem-focused

Define ecology

Study of how organisms interact with other organisms and their environment

Define levels of ecology (five)

1. individual organisms; 2. populations; 3. communities; 4. ecosystems; 5. biosphere

define species

two individuals who can mate and produce fertile offspring are in the same species

define population

all organisms of same species who live in a particular geographical area; can interbreed

define community

interacting group of various species in a common location

define ecosystem

combination of community and habitat

fundamental niche vs realized niche

fundamental niche: whole tree (metaphorically)

realized niche: specific elevations

define biosphere

the global ecological system; includes lithosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, etc

how is a biome determined

precipitation and temperature

what is nutrient cycling

how a certain nutrient is recycled throughout the ecosystem (eg, nitrogen cycling)

Define evolution

change in allele frequency in a population over time

How does evolution occur

1. natural selection

2. gene mutation (random introduction of new gene due to DNA copying errors)

3. migration/gene flow (introduction of new allele from a different population)

4. genetic drift (unrelated to natural selection)

what are mendelian laws

law of segregation (one of two traits are passed down)

law of dominance (dominant genes>recessive genes)

law of independent assortment (genes do not influence other genes' heritability)

Name an example of coevolution

Birds don't eat monarchs, so mimics look like monarchs

what is an endemic species?

species found in one place and nowhere else (birds in guam)

what is an invasive species

a non-naive species whose introduction causes economic or environmental harm (brown tree snake)

what are positive factors for evolution? what are negative factors?

positive: high genetic diversity, high selective pressure strength, high reproductive rate

negative: low population size, long generation time

how is a population measured?

density and dispersion

types of population dispersion

random: neutral interactions

regular: antagonistic interactions

clumped: attraction to specific resources

what is the equation for population growth

r= births-death/og population size

What is K

environmental carrying capacity

What are the life history strategies? (split, trade-off)

split with others/offspring

trade-off one benefit for one bad thing; kill baby to maintain health, etc

what is semelparity and what is iteroparity

semelparity: organism reproduces once before it dies

iteroparity: organism reproduces multiple times

what are r-selected species and k-selected species

r-selected species: dictated by growth rate (dandelions, deer mice, spotted knapweed)

k-selected species: dictated by carrying capacity (elk, bears, spruce trees)

define top-down regulation and bottom-up regulation

top-down: predation limits population

bottom-up: resources limit population

what is fitness in regards to ecology?

survival ability

what is a niche?

the role of an organism in its habitat. forms through resources and resource use (competition)

define mutualism, amensalism, consumption, commensalism, parasitism

mutualism: symbiotic

amensalism: one species is harmed; other one is unaffected

consumption: one species is harmed; one gains

commensalism: one species gains; the other one is unaffected

parasitism: parasite

what is an indicator organism

an organism whose presence indicates something about the environment (E. Coli, eg)

what is a keystone species

an organism that has a disproportionately large effect on the environment relative to its abundance (gray wolf)

what is a trophic pyramid

graphical representation of an ecosystem's feeding levels; 10% of energy is transferred to next (biomass), rest is lost as heat

What is an ecotone?

a region of transition between two biological communities

define primary vs secondary successions

primary: no soil + lifeless area (volcanic eruption)

secondary: existing community is harmed but soil still exists (wildfire)

what is demography?

factors that influence population size and structure

define the types of demographics

young: lots of young people, little old

transitional: lots of young/middle aged, little old

mature: lots of old, less young

what is malthus' basic theory

when population exceeds resources, crisis

Define toxicology

studies harmful effects of chemicals and other agents on living organisms

define epidemiology

studies the distribution and determinants of health related events (disease) in human populations

define bioaccumulation and biomagnification

bioaccumulation: build-up of substance within one individual organism over lifetime

biomagnification: increased concentration of substance within tissues of animals at successively higher levels in food chain

how is toxicity determined

"safe dose" has a marigin of 100 or 1,000 usually

NOAEL: highest dose where no effect is seen

L(owest) D(ose) 50: median lethal dose; causes death of 50% of group

Additive effects, antagonistic effects, synergistic effects

additive: effect= sum of individual effects

antagonistic: lesser effect than sum

synergistic: increased effect than sum

what is an ecosystem service?

ecological process that makes life on earth possible

what are the biggest threats to biodiversity

terrestrial: habitat loss, native species interactions, natural causes

freshwater: habitat loss, pollution, natural causes

marine: overexploitation, habitat loss, pollution

what is habitat fragmentation

the loss of total habitat area; decreases biomass, especially along edges of forest (edge effect)

what are biotic and abiotic factors

biotic: once living, living

abiotic: non living

what are hotspots

high species richness

define surface water, ground water, and freshwater

surface water: found on earth surface

ground water: stored beneath surface in aquifers

freshwater: low salt concentration (can be anywhere)

what is an aquifer

underground layer of porous rock that holds and transmits groundwater; sort of like a brita

saltwater intrusion

inflow of saltwater into freshwater

5 causes of water scarcity

population growth; increased water usage; increasing population; climate change; inefficient infrastructure

sectors that use the most water

agriculture (70%); industry (20%); domestic (10%)

US water household use percentages

toilet (24%); shower (20%); faucets (20%); clothes washer (17%); leaks (12%); bath (3%); dishwasher (1%); other (4%)

what is wastewater treatment

taking wastewater from residential/industral/commercial use and treating it before recycling back to sources (very ecologically friendly)

define point source and non point source

point source: pollution --> into water (stormwater discharge)

nonpoint: pollution indirectly into water (septic system, urban run off)

define Eutrophication

excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen.

what are water sheds

draining common point in an area; a river, lake, ocean

pros and cons of dams, desalination, and underground storage

dams: dependable, generates energy, flood control; habitat destruction, water loss from evaporation, water wars

desalination: ample supply; expensive, toxic wastewater

underground storage: no saltwater intrusion/evaporation loss; waterlogs plants, reduces downward flow

where does most of the water used by humans come from

groundwater reserves

leading causes of contamination of surface water

oxygen depletion; mercury; metals; pathogens; nutrients

what are pfas

"forever chemicals" that are found in drinking water

what is a riparian area

the moment before an aquatic area (literally a hole filled with water)

what are minerals

metal: conduct electricity (lithium)

non metal: lack luster, malleability, and conductivity (sodium)

define plate boundaries

divergent: tectonic plates move away

convergent: tectonic plates move toward

transform: tectonic plates slide side to side

types of rocks

igneous: molten rock cools and solidifies

sedimentary: fragments are accumulated and compacted together

metamorphic: immense heat or pressure change

types of mining methods

surface mining: remove soil/rock from top

underground mining: mine bruh

placer mining: loose rock

in situ mining : chemical solution mining

ore processing methods

smelting: material is melted, mixed with chemicals, and then bam mineral separated

electrolysis: uses electrical current to separate metal from ore

what is the most recycled metal on earth

aluminum

what do forests do

cover 25% of planet's landmass

contain 50% of earths terrestrial life

carbon sink

what are the different types of forest biomes

tropical

temperate

boreal/taiga

define the forest stratifications

bottom: floor

above that: understory

above that: canopy

above that: emergent

how much deforestation has happened since 2001

49.5 million hectares

what is ecotourism

low impact travel to natural areas that contributes to local environment and respects locals

what is the green belt movement

a grassroots environmental organization, founded by wangari maathai in 1977 in kenya, that supports environmental conservation and tree planting

national forest services

established in 1905; administered by US department of agriculture; oversees 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands

what is the range of tolerance

the range of a limiting factor that allows a species to survive

does evolution tend towards complexity?

no

what is a trophic level

links in the food chain

endemism

"a common species with a limited spatial range" ok

The type of mining that digs deep to find mineral layers is:

subsurface

what is the green revolution

1. increased crop yield by using pesticides and chemicals

2. increased crop yield by using high-yield varieties