BIOL 1102 EXAM 1

CHAPTERS 1-3

WHAT IS AN ENVIRONMENT

everything living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) that surrounds and affects an organism

WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

meeting today’s needs without preventing future generations from meeting theirs

WHAT DOES ANTHROPOGENIC MEAN

caused by human activities

WHAT ARE ABIOTIC FACTORS

nonliving parts of an ecosystem

WHAT ARE BIOTIC FACTORS

living or once-living parts of an ecosystem

WHAT IS A SPECIES

a group of organisms that can naturally interbreed and produce fertile offspring

WHAT IS A BREED

a specific group within a species with unique characteristics, usually created through selective breeding

WHAT IS A POPULATION

all individuals of the same species living in the same area that can interact and reproduce

WHAT IS A COMMUNITY

all the different populations living and interacting in one area

WHAT IS AN ECOSYSTEM

a community plus its nonliving (abiotic) environment

WHAT IS A BIOME

a large geographic region defined by climate and dominant vegetation

WHAT IS THE BIOSPHERE

all ecosystems on Earth where life exists

WHAT IS AN ANTHROME

a human-influenced biome

WHAST IS A SPECIES’ RANGE

the geographic area where a species naturally lives

WHAT IS POPULATION DENSITY

the number of individuals living in a given area

WHAT ARE POPULATION DYNAMICS

the study of how populations change over time due to births, deaths, immigration, and emigration

WHAT IS CARRYING CAPACITY (K)

the maximum population an environment can support long-term

WHAT ARE GROWTH FACTORS

factors that increase population size

WHAT ARE RESISTANCE FACTORS

factors that decrease population growth

WHAT IS A NICHE SPECIALIST

a species that survives in narrow habitat and uses limited resources

WHAT IS A NICHE GENERALIST

a species that can survive in many habitats and use many resources

WHAT IS SPECIES RICHNESS

the number of different species in an area

WHAT IS SPECIES EVENESS

how evenly individuals are distributed among species

WHAT IS A KEYSTONE SPECIES

a species that has a very large effect on its ecosystem; removing it causes major ecosystem changes

WHAT IS AN INDICATOR SPECIES

a species whose health tell us about the health of an ecosystem

WHAT IS A NATIVE SPECIES

a species that naturally lives in an area

WHAT IS A NON-NATIVE SPECIES

a species introduced outside its natural range

WHAT IS AN INVASIVE SPECIES

a non-native species that causes harm to the environment

WHAT IS AN ENDEMIC SPECIES

a species found naturally in only one specific geographic area

WHAT IS COEVOLUTION

two species evolving together because each affects the other’s evolution

WHAT IS THE BOTTLENECK EFFECT

a sudden drop in population size that reduces genetic diversity

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL SELECTION

humans choosing which organisms reproduce to obtain desired traits

WHAT ARE THE STEPS OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

1. make an observation

2. ask a question

3. from a hypothesis

4. make a prediction

5. test with experiment or observation

6. collect and analyze data

7. draw a conclusion

8. communicate results

WHAT MAKES A GOOD HYPOTHESIS

a good hypothesis:

• is testable

• is specific

• is based on observations

• can be supported or rejected by evidence

WHAT IS EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE

evidence gathered through observations and experiments using the senses or scientific instruments

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HYPOTHESIS AND A THEORY

Hypothesis is an educated, testable explanation; Theory is a well-tested explanation supported by a large amount of evidence

WHAT IS MISINFORMATION

false information spread without intending to deceive

WHAT IS DISINFORMATION

false information spread on purpose to deceive people

HOW DO YOU EVALUATE INFORMATION SOURCE

ask:

• is the author qualified

• is it current

• is there scientific evidence

• is it peer-reviewed

• is there bias

• does another reliable source agree

WHAT IS THE ECOLOGICAL HIERARCHY (SMALLEST TO LARGEST)

individual → population → community → ecosystem → biome → biosphere

WHAT IS AN INDIVIDUAL

one single organism

WHAT IS A CLIMOGRAPH

a graph showing a location’s:

• average monthly temperature

• average monthly precipitation

WHAT DOES A CLIMOGRAPH TELL US

it helps identify:

• climate

• seasons

• biome

• growing conditions

WHAT IS THE RANGE OF TOLERANCE

the range of environmental conditions in which a species can survive and reproduce

WHAT ARE THE THREE POPULATION DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS

1. clumped

2. uniform

3. random

WHAT IS CLUMPED DISTRIBUTION

individuals live in groups

WHAT IS UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION

individuals are evenly spaced because of competition or territorial behavior

WHAT IS RANDOM DISTRIBUTION

individuals are spread without a predictable pattern

WHAT PROBLEMS OCCUR WHEN POPULATION DENSITY IS TOO HIGH

• competition

• disease spreads faster

• less food

• less space

• more stress

WHAT PROBLEMS OCCUR WHEN POPULATION DENSITY IS TOO LOW

• harder to find mates

• less genetic diversity

• population may disappear

HOW DO YOU CALCULATE POPULATION DENSITY

Population Density = Individuals ÷ Area

WHAT IS EXPONENTIAL GROWTH

graph is J-shaped curve; population grows rapidly with unlimited resources

WHAT IS LOGISTIC GROWTH

graph is S-shaped curve; population grows until carrying capacity is reached

WHAT ARE R-SELECTED SPECIES

characteristics:

• many offspring

• little parental care

• short lifespan

• mature quickly

WHAT ARE K-SELECTED SPECIES

characteristics:

• few offspring

• lots of parental care

• long lifespan

• mature slowly

WHAT ARE DENSITY-DEPENDENT FACTORS

factors that become stronger as population density increases

WHAT ARE DENSITY-INDEPENDENT FACTORS

factors that affects populations regardless of size

WHAT IS ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION

the gradual change in an ecosystem over time as one community replaces another

WHAT IS PRIMARY SUCCESSION

succession that begins where no soil exists; starts with pioneer species like lichens and mosses

WHAT IS SECONDARY SUCCESSION

succession where soil is already present after a disturbance; recovery is much faster than primary succession

WHICH TYPE OF SUCCESSION IS FASTER

secondary succession because the soil already exists

WHAT IS NATURAL SELECTION

individuals with traits that help them survive and reproduce leave more offspring, causing those traits to become more common over generations

WHAT ARE THE FOUR POSTULATES OF NATURAL SLECTION

1. individuals vary

2. some variation is inherited

3. more offspring are produced than survive

4. individuals with advantageous traits reproduce more successfully

AT WHAT LEVEL DOES EVOLUTION OCCUR

populations, not individuals; individuals do not evolve—populations evolve over generations

WHAT IS FITNESS IN EVOLUTION

an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce; fitness is measured by reproductive success—not strength

WHAT IS ADAPTATION

a heritable trait that increases survival or reproduction in a particular environment

GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF NATURAL SELECTION

some insects are naturally resistant to pesticides; after spraying:

• resistant insects survive

• they reproduce

• the population becomes more resistant

WHAT IS INTRINSIC VALUE

nature has value simply because it exists

WHAT IS INSTRUMENTAL VALUE

nature has value because it benefits humans

WHAT ARE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

benefits humans receive from nature

WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY

the variety of life on Earth

WHAT ARE THE THREE TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY

1. genetic diversity

2. species diversity

3. ecosystem diversity

WHY IS GENETIC DIVERSITY IMPORTANT

it helps populations adapt to environmental changes and reduces the risk of extinction

WHY IS SPECIES DIVERSITY IMPORTANT

more species usually make ecosystems healthier, more productive, and more resilient

WHY IS ECOSYSTEM DIVERSITY IMPORTANT

different ecosystems provide different habitats and ecosystem services

WHAT IS A BIODDIVERSITY HOTSPOT

an area that:

• has many endemic species

• has lost at least 70% of its original habitat

WHAT ARE BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS IMPORTANT

protecting them saves many unique species from extinction

WHAT IS HABITAT LOSS

the destruction or alteration of habitat so species can no longer survive there

WHAT IS HABITAT FRAGMENTATION

breaking one large habitat into many smaller isolated pieces

WHY IS HABITAT FRAGMENTATION HARMFUL

it:

• isolates populations

• reduces genetic diversity

• makes finding mates harder

• increases extinction risk

HOW CAN HABITAT FRAGMENTATION BE REDUCED

examples:

• wildlife corridors

• wildlife bridges

• habitat restoration

• protected areas