BIOL 13 Sec 1 & 2 - Exam #1 Review

Human population growth is affected by

abiotic and biotic factors, but also culture, religion, etc.

K-selected individuals:

species that are evolved to maximize there ability to live in their environment.

Decomposers

organisms that feed on dead or decaying plants /animals.

Primary productivity

rate at which producers convert solar energy into chemical energy (convert to their body tissue; or biomass)

Representative sample

is a group of subjects that includes the diversity of people you wish to study.

Ecology

the scientific study of the interactions among organisms as well as the interactions between organisms and their non- living environment.

Legumes

plants in the pea family (peas, beans)- these plants have nitrogen- fixing bacteria in their roots and help replenish nitrogen in the soil.

carbon cycle

Includes the process of photosynthesis and respiration; plants take in CO2 and animals let out CO2.

Objectivity

uninfluenced by emotion or personal prejudice; based on observable phenomena.

Biotic factors

living organisms and their interactions; e.g. competition, predation

R-selected individuals

species that are evolved to maximize their "r"

Control group

identical to the treatment but without the manipulation (e.g.

Rain shadow

an area of little rainfall due to the presence of a high mountain (eg.

The Scientific Method

a way of studying the natural world through observations, hypotheses, and deductive reasoning

Make Observations Ask Questions Make Hypotheses Generate Testable Predictions from Hypotheses Devise Tests (Experiments) Type of study

prospective or retrospective

Retrospective study

a study that involves data or subjects or events or effects that have happened in the past

Prospective study

a study that examines events/effects that will happen in the future

treatment group

an experimental manipulation (e.g. patients who receive a drug for their illness)

control group

identical to the treatment but without the manipulation (e.g. patients who receive a placebo -- a pill with nothing in it for their illness)

controlled or standardized variable

parameters that the researcher is able to control (keep constant) during the experiment (e.g include only patients on a healthy diet, or age – include only patients between 20-30 years old)

uncontrolled variable

parameters that the researcher is unable to control or keep constant during the experiment (e.g. diet, exercise, stress level in patients, etc.)

sample size

the number of people or subjects included in your study (counting subjects in both the treatment group and the control group)

Randomize

the subjects place the subjects randomly into the treatment and control groups

representative sample

is a group of subjects that includes the diversity of people you wish to study

blind study

a study where the participants do not know whether they have received a drug or a placebo

double blind study

a study where both the participants AND the researcher do not know who in the study has received a drug or a placebo

dependent variable

the variable that is measured by the experimenter; it depends on the outcome of the experiment

independent variable

the variable that the experimenter intentionally manipulates; what is being studied

anecdote

a single, life experience that one uses to provide information about a cause and effect / an event / or the natural world

California

A Natural History of California (or Why California is the most interesting state! )

State with 24 major habitats and many microclimates

California

microclimate

climate on a very local scale, which differs from the general climate of the surrounding area

state with the highest number of species (biodiversity) (sans Hawaii)

California

state with the highest number of endemic species (sans Hawaii)

California

state with the highest number of endangered/threatened species (sans Hawaii)

California

biodiversity

the total number of different species present in an area

endemic species

a species that is restricted to living in a certain habitat, or a certain set of environmental conditions

Abiotic factors

non-living, environmental factors; e.g. water, temperature, light, nutrients

Factors that affect the physical environment (geology, topography, climate)

temperature and precipitation

rain shadow

an area of little rainfall due to the presence of a high mountain (eg. Eastern side of Sierra Nevada mountains)

temperature inversion layer

area of inverted temperature due to presence of valley with no outlet for dense fog

Sustainability

ability to use resources indefinitely such that they naturally replenish themselves; using resources with minimal inputs and minimal outputs; principle of sustainability = there is a fixed supply of nutrients which are continually recycled

Population

is a group of individuals of the same species living in the same environment; close enough so that they can interact

Demography

factors that describe the size and structure of populations

Age structure

the number of individuals in a population of a specific age

Fertility

# of offspring per female lifespan

reasons for loss of genetic diversity

grafting, cloning, genetic engineering, etc

intercropping

a sustainable farming technique where 2 or 3 crops are grown together in the same field (usually alternating rows of 2 different crops)

cover cropping

planting a non-food crop in a field to help replenish the soil nutrients -usually involves a non-food legume or other plant with nitrogen-fixing bacteria

permaculture

a system of land management that works with the natural processes of ecosystems

Factors that influence temperature and precipitation

latitude, elevation, the ocean, and topography

Water Cycle

includes evaporation (from surface water), transpiration (water leaving plants), and precipitation (water falling to ground)

Nitrogen cycle

includes the process of nitrogen fixation and nitrogen release; nitrogen fixing bacteria remove N2 from the atmosphere and convert it to forms of nitrogen usable by plants

renewable sources

solar energy, winds, tides

Non-renewable sources

fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)

minerals, clay, salt, etc.

ecological footprint

a measure of how much of the earth is needed to produce the energy and breakdown the pollution from 1 person

affluenza

a term used to describe the unsustainable addiction to over-consumption and materialism exhibited in the lifestyles of affluent consumers in the U. S.

Environmental Impact Formula

EI = P x A x T

EI (Environmental Impact) = P (# people) x A (affluence or ave. resource use) x T (technological impact) (T = the harmful and beneficial impacts of the technologies involved in consumption)

natural capital

natural resources that keep humans (and all species) alive and support human economies

ecosystem services

natural services that support humans (and all species) and support human economies

Two types of population growth

exponential growth, logistic growth

r (in population growth)

intrinsic rate of growth of a population; a feature of the species

k (in pop. growth)

carrying capacity of the habitat; a feature of the environment

Survivorship curves (type I, II, and III);

# of individuals surviving to each age group; shows distribution of mortality with age

border cropping

a row of non-food plants (flowers or native bushes) that line the edge of fields meant to attract beneficial organisms (insects, bats, birds – that will eat pest insects on the farm)

steps in scientific method

Make Observations
Ask Questions
Make Hypotheses
Generate Testable Predictions from Hypotheses
Devise Tests (Experiments)

producers

autotrophs; organisms that make their own food (plants)

consumers

heterotrophs; organisms that consume food; herbivores, omnivores, carnivores

nutrient flow pattern

cyclic

energy flow pattern

unidirectional