APES FINAL

Biotic factors

living things in an ecosystem (plants, animals, bacteria)

Abiotic factors

dead stuff in ecosystem (soil, water, atmosphere)

Agricultural revolution

People could settle in one place instead of hunting and moving around all the time

A person's ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

the amount of area needed to provide the resources consumes or to store the waste they generate

Worldview

a person's perception of their place in the world

Relativism

belief that ethics vary depending on context of problem (a starving child can steal food)

Universalism

belief that ethics are always set on morals and context does not matter

Principle of Utility

something is right when it benefits the most people

Instrumental value

valued for practicality (how much use it has)

Intrinsic value

belief that everything has the right to exist

biocentrism

gives intrinsic value to all life

anthrocentrism

human only matter, non-human life are given no intrinsic value, if humans benefit then other living things are not considered

ecocentrism

Judges actions based on their effect on ecological systems, including abiotic elements

preservation ethic

should protect nature in its pristine unaltered state

conservation ethic

should use natural resources but in a wise, careful manner

John Muir

promoted preservation ethic, famous for the preservation of Yosemite

Gifford Pinchot

Created U.S forest service

Neoclassical Economics

Future effects are granted less value then present effects (discounting), Assumes natural and human resources are INFINITE or substituted easily when all used up

Cost/benefit analysis

Compare the estimated costs of a proposed action with its benefit

Market equilibrium

When supply and demand are equal

GPI vs GDP

Where GDP just measures raw economic activity, the GPI takes account of !!!!non-market values!!!! It debits negative things like habitat loss and unemployment

source of all energy

the sun

Photosynthesis

the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water.
Equation: 6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2

Due process

Guarantees citizens fair treatment under law

Takings clause

Private property cannot be taken for public use without compensation and regulatory taking of private property for economic use is forbidden

Major US Environmental Protection Laws

○ Clean Air Act
○ Endangered Species Act
○ Resource Conservation and recovery Act
○ Clean Water Act
○ Safe Drinking Water Act
○ Soil and Water Conservation Act
○ Toxic Substances Control Act
○ CERCLA
○ National Environmental Policy Act

Directional natural selection

pop. shift in traits (everyone has very long beaks)

Stabilizing natural selection

pop. goes toward the middle ground trait (everyone has medium length beaks)

Disruptive natural selection

pop. separates on different sides of the trait (everyone has very short beaks and very long beaks)

Speciation

process by which new species are generated

Allopatric speciation

species separate into two groups isolated from each other due to !!!physical barrier!!!

Sympatric speciation

!!!no physical barriers!!! preventing members of a species from mating, new species develops due to different food sources or characteristic

Divergent evolution

!!!Closely related species!!! that live in different environments !!!DIVERGE in their traits!!!

Convergent evolution

!!!unrelated species!!! all develop similar characteristics due to the same environmental pressures (CONVERGE in their traits)

Genetic drift

change in the frequency of an existing gene variant in a population due to random chance

bottleneck effect

extreme example of genetic drift, only a few members of a population survive a disaster, only those genes/traits are passed on

founder effect

similar to bottleneck effect except they don't die i gues lol, a small group is separated from larger population, leading to only those genes/traits being passed on, so less genetic variation

Endemic species

species that are only found in one region on earth

Density dependent

density influence the factor (predation, disease, etc)

Density independent

density does not influence the factor (extreme temperatures, floods, fires, etc)

Survivorship curves (Types I, II & III)

Type 1: high survival rate for offspring, long living (humans
Type 2: middle place (bird)
Type 3: low survival rate for offspring, short lived (frog)

K vs r-selected species

K selected: type 1, population tends to stabilize near carrying capacity (THINK K = (k)arrying capacity = humans)
R selected: type 3, few offspring survive out of many (r = rollpollies which are small and don't live very long)

Interspecific competition

competitive interactions between members of different species

Intraspecific competition

competitive interactions between members of the same species (intra is more inner than inter)

Parasitism

one organism (parasite) depends on another (host) for nourishment or benefit while doing harm

Coevolution

recurring process of adaptation and counter-adaptation, “evolutionary arms race”

Mutualism

relationship where two or more species benefit from interacting

Symbiosis

physically close association, can be parasitic

amensalism

association between organisms of two different species in which one is inhibited or destroyed and the other is unaffected

Commensalism

an association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm.

Allelopathy (this is not as important)

the chemical inhibition of one plant (or other organism) by another, due to the release into the environment of substances acting as germination or growth inhibitors.

Latitudinal gradient in species richness

A pattern where species richness increases as you approach the equator

Benefits of Biodiversity

Food source: find sustainable ways to harvest wild species, protects our crops from diseases and altered their genes to be more efficient
Drugs & medicine
Ecosystem services
Maintain functioning ecosystems
Boosts economies
Biophilia

Extirpation

disappearance of a species from a particular area

Causes of Biodiversity Loss

Habitat loss
Pollution
overharvesting/Poaching
Invasive Species
Climate Change

CITES

bans international transport of rare species’ body parts

Umbrella species

Flagship species

promote conversation of biodiversity
Ex. panda brings in lots of interest which makes people care and want to support conservation efforts

biosphere

any region on earth occupied by living things

Sedimentary

Formed as sediments press together, dissolved minerals seep through sediments; acts like glue

lithosphere

consists of crust (rock and sediment beneath our feet) and upper mantle

Metamorphic

When any type of rock is subjected to great heat or pressure

igneous

rock formed by cooled magma

anthropocene

current geological epoch in which humans are the dominant influence on the environment and climate

negative feedback loop

push results with push back

positive feedback loop

push without resistance