Environmental Biology - Ecosystem Degradation - Pests and Pesticides

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key concepts in ecosystem degradation, specifically focusing on pests and pesticides, taken from the Environmental Biology lecture notes.

What are pests?

Unwanted plants and animals that negatively affect human interests.

What are arthropods?

Invertebrates with jointed appendages, chitinous exoskeletons, and segmented bodies.

What is the largest animal phylum?

Arthropoda, with over 700,000 species.

What is the mammal order that includes rats and mice?

Rodentia.

What role do insects, ticks, and mites play in human health?

They are involved in many important vector-borne diseases.

Why is the problem of pest control on the rise?

Insects have developed resistance to insecticides.

What has caused some insect control programs to halt?

Underfunding.

What environmental concern has led to reduced use of certain pesticides?

Concerns over substances like DDT.

How do poverty and overpopulation contribute to pest problems?

They lead to poor sanitation, increasing insect proliferation.

What happens when forests are destroyed in relation to pest control?

Natural insect predators are eliminated.

How is climate change related to pest populations?

It promotes increases in certain insect populations.

What is complete metamorphosis?

A life cycle with four developmental stages: egg, larvae, pupa, and adult.

Example of an insect that undergoes complete metamorphosis?

Mosquitoes.

What does incomplete metamorphosis consist of?

Three developmental stages: egg, nymph, and adult.

What are bedbugs known for?

They feed on humans and other warm-blooded animals at night.

What disease is associated with kissing bugs?

Chagas disease caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite.

What do common house flies vector?

Infectious disease organisms and foodborne illnesses.

Which insect is a vector for malaria?

Anopheles mosquitoes.

What diseases can mosquitoes transmit?

Dengue fever, yellow fever, and West Nile virus.

How do female mosquitoes feed?

By taking a blood meal and injecting saliva into the host's skin.

What do fleas do after taking a blood meal?

They mate and lay eggs which fall to surfaces like carpets.

What is one method to control flea populations?

Using pesticide dusts with carbaryl or methoxychlor.

What are the three kinds of human lice?

Head louse, body louse, and crab louse.

What disease is carried by rat fleas?

Bubonic plague.

How do ticks anchor themselves while feeding?

Using barbed feeding organs.

What is a common disease transmitted by deer ticks?

Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi.

What is the primary control measure for mites?

Keeping areas clean and maintaining sunlight exposure.

What role do beneficial insects like dragonflies play?

They help control pest populations.

What is the common name for Rattus rattus?

Roof rat.

What is a pest control method for rodents?

Rodent proofing and trapping.

What is the primary goal of pesticides?

To protect crops and prevent human disease.

What was one of the consequences of the Bhopal disaster?

Accidental mass exposure to methyl isocyanate.

What is the outcome of widespread use of pesticides in agriculture?

Increased production of food and fiber.

Why are some pesticides resisted in forests?

Concerns about wildlife and pristine wilderness ideals.

What are organophosphates used for?

As insecticides and herbicides.

What is atrazine?

A triazine herbicide used to control broadleaf weeds.

Why is glyphosate significant?

It is the world’s best-selling herbicide.

What is one concern associated with neonicotinoids?

They may reduce bees' ability to learn and gather food.

What impacts do DDT residues have on the environment?

Persistence in the environment and potential for bioaccumulation.

What caused the effects on birds related to DDT?

Biomagnification and acute toxicity.

What does the term 'bioaccumulation' refer to?

The buildup of substances like DDT in an organism.

Name an effect of DDT on bird reproduction.

Eggshell thinning leading to decreased hatching success.

What main host do spruce budworms prefer?

Mature fir and spruce trees.

What is a typical phase in spruce budworm population dynamics?

Epidemic phase, with >20,000 caterpillars per tree.

Why is atrazine banned in Europe?

Due to its detection in groundwater.

What are two examples of natural organic pesticides?

Nicotine and pyrethrum.

What pest is the vector for scrub typhus?

Mites.

What is the purpose of using pesticide dust with carbaryl?

To control flea populations.

Describe the structure of ticks.

They have four pairs of legs and a fused head, thorax, and abdomen.

What do barbed feeding organs in ticks assist with?

Piercing the skin to consume blood.

What does the term 'persistence' refer to in pesticides?

How long they remain active in the environment.

What is a common vector for an encephalitis group of viruses?

Aedes mosquitoes.

What kind of insects can carry Lyme disease?

Ticks, specifically deer ticks.