BIO 20 UNIT 1

Biome

Large geographical area with a specific regional climate.

Biosphere

All ecosystems of Earth.

Invasive Species

Non-native species introduced into the environment that threatens the balance of the ecosystem and biodiversity.

Resource Partitioning

Division of limited resources among competitors.

Ecological Niche

An organism’s role in an ecosystem.

Ecosystem

Made up of all biotic factors interacting with each other and their environment (abiotic factors).

Community

The collection of all the different populations within an ecosystem.

Population

All members of the same or different species living within the same ecosystem or habitat.

Abiotic Factors

Non-living factors that affect organisms.

Biotic Factors

Living factors that affect organisms.

Ecology

The study of how organisms react with each other.

Terrestrial Biomes

Forests (Tropical, Temperate (Deciduous + Coniferous) Taiga), Tundra, Deserts, Grasslands (Savannas, Praires, Steppes)

Canada’s Four

Taiga/Boreal Forest, Tundra, Grasslands, and Deciduous Forest

Factors Affecting Terrestrial Biomes

Climate (temperature), Sunlight, Precipitation, and Soil

Taiga/ Boreal Forest

Abiotic: Largest, furthest north, has seasons, short summers and long winters

Biotic: Evergreen coniferous trees, crowded canopies, deer, black and grizzly bears, moose, ferns, mosses, lichen

Grasslands

Abiotic: Prairies in temperate zones, rich soil, lots of sunlight, higher temp

Biotic: Tall/mid grasses, rapidly flowering plants, ground squirrels, hats, snakes

Deciduous Forest

Abiotic: Increased sunlight, rich soil, well-defined seasons, year-round precipitation

Biotic: Deciduous (aspen/popular) trees, deer, moose, we

Tundra

Abiotic: Low temperatures, little precipitation, poor soil, minimal sun during winter, frozen permafrost

Biotic: Short herbs and shrubs, arctic foxes, polar bears

Aquatic Biomes

• 75% of earth’s surface

• Photosynthetic aquatic/oceanic organisms (50% of world’s photosynthesis)

• Consumes lots of O2

• Regulates weather patterns

• Provides fresh water

Interdial Zone

Shoreline where water meets land - attached plants and crustaceans

Pelagic Zone

Open ocean of any depth - Lots of fish

Benthic Zone

Sea floor itself - crustaceans

Photic Zone

Light penetrates up to 200m - Lots of algae/phytoplankton

Aphotic Zone

Depth below 200m - No photosynthesis

Lake Characteristics (Variable)

Amount of sunlight, water temperature, O2 levels (as temp ↑, O2 ↓)

Littoral Zone

Area extended from shore to where plants no longer grow - high biodiversity

Limnetic Zone

Area of open water where there is enough light for photosynthesis to occur.

Profundal Zone

Region beneath limnetic zone where there is not enough light for photosynthesis.

Ecotones

Transitions areas between ecosystems - High biodiversity

Artificial Ecosystems

Ecosystems that are planned and maintained by humans.

Natural Ecosystems

“The wild”

Human Interference

Changes/introduces invasive species and increase conservation efforts

Limiting factors

Abiotic and biotic factors that limit the distribution and size of populations within an ecosystem.

Abiotic Limiting Factors - Terrestrial

Soil, Water Availability, Temperature, Sunlight

Litter

Uppermost layer with decaying plant matter

Top soil

Second layer with lots of minerals and humus.

Sub soil

Third layer with not that much humus and larger rock particles

Bedrock

Rocky bottom layer where soil ends

Abiotic Limiting Factors - Aquatic Ecosystems

Chemical Environment: Concentrations of chemicals dissolved

Temperature: Affected by depth

Sunlight

Water Pressure: Increases with depth

Water Density: Increases as temp decreases

Lake Turnover

Seasonal variations cause changes in abiotic conditions of lakes - Spring and fall where layers form

Thermal Stratification

Lower levels of lakes organized in layers

Epilimnion

Upper level of lakes - warms up as environment temps increase

Hypolimnion

Lower level - most dense (4°C)

Thermocline

Between epi and hypo - experiences rapid temp changes with seasons

Biotic Potential

Maximum number of offspring that a species can produce with unlimited resources.

Factors that Affected Biotic Potential

Birth Potential: Max # of offspring per birth event

Survival Capacity: # of offspring that reach reproductive age

Breeding Frequency: # of times a species can reproduce a year

Reproductive Lifespan: Age of sexual maturity + how many years they can reproduce.

Abiotic Limiting Factors - Biotic Potential

Light: Photosynthesis

Temp: Ideal ranges for survival and reproduction

Chem Environment: Fav vs Unfav chemical conditions (pollutants)

Biotic Limiting Factors - Biotic Potential

Food Availability: Indicated by # of producers

Predator Effectiveness: Many vs few + strong vs weak

Parasites

Ability to Compete: Mating strategies + population density

Carrying Capacity

The max # of individuals of a species that can be supported by an ecosystem.

Law of the Minimum

Nutrient that is in the least supply

Law of Tolerance

An organism can survive within a specific range of an abiotic factor.

Density-Independent

Factors that affect population regardless of population density

Ex: Temperature, Dissolved O2 (initial drop), Genetic Diseases, Natural Disasters

Density-Depedent

Factors that affect population because of population density.

Ex: Water, Predation, Diseases, Food, Dissolved O2 (continues drop), mates

Lake and Pond Succession

Progressive change in the composition of plants and animals in a lake or pond.

Eutrophic Lakes

High nutrient levels, murky water, shallow, sediment buildup, warmer, less O2, increase decay

Oligotrophic Lakes

Low nutrient levels, colder, deep, less sediment, clear water

Eutrophication

Dead organic matter will cause the shallow ends of a lake to age. - Occurs when excess nutrients enter lakes causing algal blooms.

Climatographs

Summarize temp and precipitation for every month of the year in a given location.

Biological Oxygen Demand

Amount of dissolved oxygen needs by decomposers to breakdown organic matter in a water sample. - Indicates amount of organic matter in a sample.

Deforestation

Slash and Burn: Bulldozing trees and burning them

Clear Cutting: Removal of all trees for use

Selective Cutting: Removal of certain trees

Biodiversity

Species: Number of different species

Genetic: Variation within genetic traits between individuals within a species.

Taxonomy

The science of classification according to presumed relationships (genetic and structural) among organisms.

Carl Linnaeus

Developed binomial nomenclature - Genus and Species

Taxa

Levels of organization - Kingdom, Phylum, Order, Class, Family, Genus, Species

Three Domain System

Groups of all living organisms into three domains: Archæa, Bacteria (Prokaryotes), and Eukarya (Eukaryotes)

Kingdoms

Eubacteria, Archaebacteria, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia

Eubacteria

Prokaryotic, hetero or autotrophs, reproduce asexually, cell wall, live almost everywhere. Ex: Bacteria

Archaebacteria

Prokaryotic, heterotrophs, live in salt lakes + hot springs, cell wall. Ex: Extremophiles.

Protista

Eukaryotic, hetero or autotrophs, reproduce sexually and asexually, no cell wall, aquatic and other habitats. Ex: Aglae (single-celled), protozoa (animal cell-like).

Fungi

Multicellular, hetero or autotrophs, cell wall, reproduce sexually and asexually, terrestrial. Ex: Mushrooms.

Plantea

Multicellular, heterotrophs, reproduce sexually and asexually, cell wall, terrestrial. Ex: Moss, angiosperms.

Animalia

Multicellular, heterotrophs, sexually, terrestrial and aquatic, no cell wall. Ex: You.

Phylogeny

The history of evolution of living organisms - Connection and timeline of species evolution. (Starts with most distant ancestor.)

Dichotomous Key

Used to identify and classify organisms and is constructed by a series of two choices, where each choice leads to a new branch.

Palaeontology

Study of fossils - Evidence from changing Earth.

Fossil Formation

Organism dies, is buried quickly, minerals replace organic matter and softer parts decompose, erosion occurs to expose fossil.

Radiometric Dating

A numeric age is determined using the decay of naturally occurring radioactive metal in the rocks.

Principle of Superposition

Organisms in the lowest layers are oldest and least complex; Organisms in the highest layers are youngest and most complex.

Biogeography

The study of the geographic distribution of life - Evidence from a changing Earth.

Island Biogeography

Continental: Greatest biodiversity.

Oceanic: Less diversity.

Remote: Endemic species.

Embryology

The study of embryonic development - Evidence from biology.

Homologous Features

Similar structure, different function, similar origin - Produced through divergent evolution.

Divergent Evolution

Share a common ancestor and the diverged to form a distinct species.

Analogous Features

Similar structure, similar function, different origin - Produced through convergent evolution

Convergent Evolution

Evolved from a different ancestor but similarly due to environmental influences.

Vestigial Structures

Rudimentary structures that serve no known useful function - Tailbone, appendix

Biochemistry

Chemical relatedness - All higher organisms share basic biochemistry - Evidence from biology.

Artificial Selection

When humans choose two organisms with desirable characteristics and breed them together.

Adaption

An advantageous structural or behavioural trait that improves an organism ability to survive and reproduce - Helps it get food, not become food, and reproduce.

Physiological Adaption

Internal body process to regulate and maintain homeostasis. - Temp regulation, producing enzymes.

Behavioural Adaptation

Something an organism does usually in response to some type of external stimulus - Hibernation, migration, phototropism.

Structural

That changes in the structure/anatomy of an organism that helps it adapt better to its environment - Grasping fingers, upright posture, fur

Evolution

The cumulative changes in characteristics of populations of organisms in successive generations - Changes in the gene pool over time.

Mutations

Changes in the genetic code - Spontaneously or by environment (Before evolution occurs).

Natural Selection

The mechanism of evolution - Survival of the fittest.

Genetic Drift

The change in the frequency of existing gene variations in the population due to random chance.

de Buffon

First to study biogeography and speculated that living things do change over time and said that it was result of the environmental influences or chance.

Lamarck

First to theorize evolution and said structures not used disappear, traits can be developed within one organism’s life then passed on, everything was leading towards perfection, and extinction is false.

Galapagos Finches

13 species of finches with different beak size and shape and body size - Based on the differences in food sources. The different environmental conditions (selective pressures) lead to adaptions.

Three Points of Natural Selection

There exists variation within a population, more offspring are produced than can survive, and population remains within the carrying capacity.