Biodiversity & Biogeography
Identify 2 factors that are used to measure species biodiversity.
species richness
species evenness
What are the 3 categories that would be found on a range of tolerance graph? (the zones in which a species could live in, NOT what effects the range of tolerance)
optimal range
zone of physiological stress
zone of intolerance
Explain TWO factors that differentiate primary succession from secondary succession.
primary - no soil and takes longer to reach a climax community
List the 4 ecosystem services.
What are provisioning, cultural, supporting, and regulating services?
True or false: Ecosystem Disruptions are always caused by anthropogenic activities
FALSE
According to the theory of island biogeography, what type of island would have the fewest number of different species?
Far from the mainland and small in size
What are THREE abiotic factors that a species might experience a range of tolerance for?
pH, sunlight, temperature
Propose a way in which a scientist could determine if an ecosystem was approaching a climax community.
Record the biodiversity present.
Name a place in which cultural services are provided
National parks, forests, lakes, rivers, state parks etc.
Give an example of a random natural disruption
Volcano, asteroid, and earthquakes
Ecosystem A has 5 different species with the following abundances: A - 20%, B - 15%, C - 20%, D - 20%, and E 15%
Ecosystem B has 5 different species with the following abundances: A - 5% B - 25% C - 25%, D - 35%, and E 10%
Which has the higher biodiversity and why?
Ecosystem A
species richness is the same, but A has a more even distribution of each
This is an species in an ecosystem that has a small range of tolerance and shows that there is a change in the ecosystem.
What is an indicator species?
Identify TWO examples of primary succession AND TWO examples of secondary succession.
primary - glacial retreat and volcanic eruption
secondary - forest fire and abandoned agricultural field
What are two examples of cultural services that a freshwater lake ecosystem provides?
recreation, tourism, mental health, spiritual health
These are the reasons why Earths climate has naturally changed over hundreds of thousands of years
What is the Earths tilt and revolution around the sun changing
Why is genetic diversity so important within a population of a particular species?
With higher genetic diversity, there is a higher chance that a favorable mutation will arise. This also increases the chances the population will be able to adapt and evolve in the event of a disturbance.
Explain how population fluctuates between the zones on a range of tolerance graph AND explain what that means for individual organisms.
Stress - survive (few individuals)
Intolerance - death (no individuals)
Describe how the introduction of different plant species impacts the formation of soil during primary succession.
Lichens create soil from breaking down rock, the decay of mosses creates a thin layer of soil with few nutrients. As grasses and flowers are introduced and decay more nutrients are added and soil eventually becomes thick enough to support trees.
What are 2 regulating services that a forest ecosystem provides?
climate regulation (absorbs carbon from the atmosphere)
soil formation
This is the periodic movement of animal species that can be disrupted by environmental disturbances
What is migration?
This is an occurrence in which only some percentage of a species or community survive some catastrophe, leading to the surviving population not being a great representation of what came before.
What is a bottleneck event?
graph must include the zones, title, axis labels and units, bell curve
These are the two kinds of weathering mosses and lichen cause
What is chemical and physical weathering?
Provide an example of a supporting service
Bees and other pollinators spreading pollen
Livestock grazing a field
Livestock providing manure, and thus nutrients, to soil
This is what rises and falls as glaciers melt and freeze
What is sea level?