Study Questions and Key Concepts

Study Questions: Introduction, Biodiversity, and Climate

These questions serve as a guideline for understanding the critical concepts discussed in the first three lectures on the syllabus and two discussions. They are intended to supplement independent study and should not be used as a sole resource. Collaboration is encouraged, but each student should be able to articulate their understanding individually.

Key Questions for Study

1. Question: If you have a question about the course, where is the first place to look?
      Explanation: The course syllabus or designated course forum is usually the first point of reference for common questions.

2. Question: What is an environmental factor that limits the distribution and abundance of organisms?
      Examples: These factors can include climate (temperature, precipitation), soil type, availability of nutrients, and competition with other species.

3. Question: What are the levels of ecological organization and how do they relate to one another?
      Levels:
         - Organism: Individual living entities.
         - Population: Groups of the same species living in a specific area.
         - Community: Interacting populations of different species within a given area.
         - Ecosystem: Communities interacting with their physical environment.
         - Biome: Large regions characterized by similar climate and ecosystems.
         - Biosphere: The global sum of all ecosystems.
      Relation: Each level encompasses the previous ones and shows how organisms interact with one another and their environments.

4. Question: What is evolution? At what level of ecological organization does it occur and why can it only occur at this level?
      Definition of Evolution: The change in heritable traits of biological populations over successive generations.
      Level: Evolution occurs at the population level because it requires genetic variation within the population, which can be passed from one generation to the next.

5. Question: What is adaptation? What is an adaptation? How are these two things related?
      Definition of Adaptation: A trait that enhances an organism's chances of survival and reproduction in a particular environment.
      Example of an adaptation: The long neck of a giraffe allows it to reach leaves high in trees.
      Relation: Adaptation is the process by which organisms change over time to better fit their environment, whereas an adaptation is the specific trait that results from this process.

6. Question: Give at least one example of how ecology or evolution affects your life.
      Example: Understanding ecological systems informs agricultural practices and food availability.

7. Question: Which of the following orders taxonomic groups from the one that encompasses the LEAST number of described species to the one that encompasses the MOST number of described species?
      a. Fish, mammals, vascular plants, insects
      b. Insects, vascular plants, fish, mammals
      c. Mammals, fish, vascular plants, insects
      d. Mammals, vascular plants, insects, fish
      e. Fish, insects, vascular plants, mammals
      Correct answer: e. Fish, insects, vascular plants, mammals

8. Question: What would be the effect on an ecological community’s diversity if there were a large increase in the number of individuals of the most common species?
      a. Species diversity would increase
      b. Species diversity would decrease
      c. Species richness would increase
      d. Species diversity would not change
      Correct answer: b. Species diversity would decrease

9. Question: The map shows the distribution of cypress species (Cupressoideae) on Earth in light blue. This distribution can best be explained by…
      a. Movement of tectonic plates
      b. Dispersal of ancestral penguin species to unconnected landmasses
      c. Independent evolution of penguin species in different regions
      d. The rain shadow effect
      e. The Greenhouse Effect
      Correct answer: a. Movement of tectonic plates

10. Question: The world’s deserts are located at
       a. The equator
       b. 10° N and S latitude
       c. 30° N and S latitude
       d. Only in the northern hemisphere
       e. On the windward side of mountains
       Correct answer: c. 30° N and S latitude

11. Question: Which climate graph goes with which biome photo?
       Method of Analysis: Analyzing patterns of precipitation and temperature in relation to respective biomes.

12. Question: The patterns of precipitation could have been generated by Hadley Cells during which time of the year?
       a. January
       b. July
       c. March
       d. September
       e. All of the above are correct
       Correct answer: e. All of the above are correct

13. Question: The decrease in rainfall from the west coast of North America to the interior of the continent at 40° N latitude is best explained by:
       a. The descending air from Hadley Cells being concentrated in the central U.S.
       b. Wallace’s Line
       c. The rain shadow effect
       d. Natural Selection
       e. Tilt of the Earth’s Axis
       Correct answer: c. The rain shadow effect

14. Question: Explain the cause of the alternating latitudinal bands of high and low precipitation as one moves from the tropics (wet) to 30° (dry) to temperate latitudes (wet again) to polar latitudes (dry)?
       Explanation: This pattern is driven by the Hadley Cells’ circulation and global wind patterns, which distribute moisture unevenly around the planet.

15. Question: What is the greenhouse effect? Given the greenhouse effect, what are the likely consequences of humans burning “fossil fuels” in terms of global temperature?
       Definition of Greenhouse Effect: The trapping of the sun’s warmth in the planet's lower atmosphere due to the presence of greenhouse gases such as CO₂ and methane.
       Consequences: Increased burning of fossil fuels raises CO₂ levels, leading to global warming and climate change, which may result in shifting weather patterns and more extreme weather events.

16. Question: Compare and contrast the following terms:
       a. Evolution and Ecology:
          - Evolution: Focuses on the genetic changes in populations over time.
          - Ecology: Studies the relationships between organisms and their environments.
       
       b. Species Richness, Species Evenness, and Species Diversity:
          - Species Richness: The total number of different species in a community.
          - Species Evenness: A measure of the relative abundance of each species in a community.
          - Species Diversity: A combination of species richness and evenness.
       
       c. Weather and Climate:
          - Weather: The short-term atmospheric conditions in a specific place, including temperature, humidity, and precipitation.
          - Climate: The long-term average of weather patterns in a specific area.
       
       d. Hadley Cell and the Rain Shadow Effect:
          - Hadley Cell: A large-scale atmospheric convection cell that influences tropical climates and precipitation patterns.
          - Rain Shadow Effect: A phenomenon where one side of a mountain receives more precipitation than the other due to prevailing winds.

17. Question: A thorough sampling in Sulawesi as part of “Project Wallace”, Hodkinson and Casson found 1,690 hemipteran (“true bug”) species of which 1,056 were known. Assume there are approximately 1,000,000 known species of insects.
       Calculation of Eukaryotic Species: This calculation is complex; it requires assumptions about undiscovered species and ecological dynamics. The presence of hemipteran species can provide insights into biodiversity and potential undiscovered eukaryotic species.