Part 6: Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Conservation

Comprehensive flashcards covering climate change, biodiversity, ecology, and animal/human evolution based on the lecture notes.

Dinosaur in the room

A reference to global climate change, signifying that the scientific debate regarding its existence is over.

Greenhouse gases

Molecules in the Earth's atmosphere that trap heat by absorbing infrared radiation, keeping the planet warmer than it would be otherwise.

Examples of greenhouse gases

$CH_4$, $SO_2$, $NO$, $CCl_2F_2$, and $H_2O$.

Anthropogenic

Caused by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, which have increased greenhouse gas concentrations since the Industrial Revolution.

Naïve Realism

One of the psychological reasons individuals may deny the science behind climate change.

Biodiversity

The variety of life on Earth, typically described by the number of species.

Genetic, Species, and Ecosystem

The three main types of biodiversity described in the lecture.

Biodiversity hotspots

Small areas with many endangered species and a high concentration of endemic species, typically highest in the tropics.

Endemic species

Species found only in one specific geographic location.

Sustainability

Developing, managing, and conserving resources to meet current needs without harming future generations.

Carbon sequestration

The process by which carbon is stored; this is reduced by deforestation, leading to increased atmospheric $CO_2$.

Biomass

The amount, or mass, of living organic material in an ecosystem.

Primary production

The process that generates about 165 billion tons of biomass per year.

Abiotic reservoir

A place where a chemical accumulates or is stockpiled outside of living organisms as part of a biogeochemical cycle.

Nitrogen pollution

Environmental damage caused by excess reactive nitrogen, leading to harmful algal blooms and acid rain.

Ecosystem services

The quantifiable services that an ecosystem provides to humans, including consumables and non-consumables.

Provisioning services

Ecosystem services that provide physical goods like food, water, pharmaceuticals, and energy.

Regulating services

Ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, waste decomposition, and pest control.

Supporting services

Ecosystem services like nutrient cycling, seed dispersal, and primary production.

Cultural services

Non-material ecosystem benefits including spiritual inspiration, recreational experiences, and scientific discovery.

True cost

The price of a product including externalized costs like water use, emissions, and child labor, which are often borne by society rather than the producer.

Community

An assemblage of species living close enough together for potential interaction.

Ecological niche

The sum of an organism’s abiotic and biotic resources in its environment, representing its ecological role.

Competitive exclusion principle

The principle stating that if two species have an ecological niche that is too similar, they cannot coexist in the same place.

Cryptic coloration

A form of camouflage used by prey to hide from predators.

Aposematism

A brightly colored pattern used to warn predators that an animal has an effective chemical defense.

Batesian mimicry

A situation where a non-poisonous mimic shares visual signals similar to a poisonous or fierce model.

Müllerian mimicry

A situation where two or more species share similar warning signals and both share genuine anti-predation attributes.

Trophic level

A level in the trophic structure, starting with autotrophs (producers) that support all other levels.

Detritivores

Organisms that consume detritus, the dead material left by all trophic levels.

Biological magnification

The process by which environmental toxins accumulate at higher concentrations in consumers as they move up a trophic system.

Keystone species

An organism that has a disproportionately large impact on its ecosystem relative to its abundance.

Primary succession

Ecological succession beginning in a virtually lifeless area with no soil, such as lava flows.

Secondary succession

Ecological succession occurring where a disturbance destroyed an existing community but left the soil intact.

Type I survivorship curve

A curve characterized by high survival rates in early and middle life, typical of humans.

Type III survivorship curve

A curve characterized by very high death rates for the young, typical of oysters.

Carrying capacity

The maximum population size that an environment can support.

Allee effect

Positive density dependence where a very low population density limits survival.

r-selected species

Species characterized by producing many offspring and experiencing rapid growth.

K-selected species

Species characterized by having few offspring, slow growth, and high parental care.

Ecological footprint

An estimate of the land required by a person or country to produce all the resources it consumes and absorb its wastes.

Lateral line system

A sensory apparatus in fishes that detects movement, vibration, and pressure in the water.

Swim bladder

A gas-filled sac found in bony fishes that provides buoyancy.

Amniotic egg

A reptile adaptation allowing embryos to develop on land by providing protection and waste removal.

Exaptation

A structure that evolved for one original function and was later adapted for another, such as bird feathers.

Monotremes, Marsupials, and Eutherians

The three major groups of mammals categorized by their reproductive systems.

Ardipithecus ramidus

An early bipedal ancestor that is closer to the common ancestor of humans and chimps than modern chimps are.

FOXP2 gene

A language gene that produces a transcription factor affecting brain and lung development.

Choanocyte

A collar cell in sponges used to draw water through the body and capture food particles.

Cephalization

The development of a head with a brain and sensory organs, associated with bilateral symmetry.

Ecdysis

The molting of the exoskeleton, as seen in arthropods.

Chordate features

Key traits including a dorsal hollow nerve cord, notochord, pharyngeal slits, and a post-anal tail.