Biodiversity and Evolution
Ecosystems and Biomes
Biogeochemical cycles
Freshwater
Surprise!
100
What are the three types of diversity conservationists should consider? Briefly explain each
1) Species diversity - Many different species 2) Genetic diversity - Diversity within species but can still interbreed with each other. Examples include species with different morphotypes, ecotypes, and phenotypes (note: those are not key terms for this class) 3) Ecosystem diversity - Many different communities of organisms living together. Each unique combination of species and environment (ecosystem) are valuable
100
Species, Biome, Community, Biosphere, Individual, Ecosystem, Population. Explain the differences between these terms as you arrange them from least to most complex
1) Individual 2) Population - individuals of the same species living in the same place 3) Species - All individuals can breed and produce fertile offspring 4) Community - Interacting individuals from different species in the same place 5) Ecosystem - A community of organisms and abiotic (non-living) factors 6) Biome - A characteristic community of organisms and abiotic factors found in different parts of the world 7) Biosphere - ALL BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC FACTORS TOGETHER ON THE PLANET
100
Where is the largest reservoir or nitrogen? What form is it in?
Most nitrogen is found in the atmosphere in the chemically inactive form of nitrogen gas
100
What is the largest use of water worldwide?
Agriculture
100
What characterizes the anthropocene?
Warming temperatures (first from coming out of our recent ice age and now caused by humans), high rate of mass extinction, humans altering hydrologic, geologic, chemical, and physical processes of the earth, the golden age pf satirical political comedy, Harry Potter, David Bowie, pants with holes in them on purpose, and overused buzzwords (i.e. "the anthropocene")
200
What is the difference between allopatric and sympatric speciation? Give an example of each
Allopatric speciation - individuals from a species are separated by a geographic barrier and are therefore unable to interbreed. Geographic reproductive isolation and genetic drift lead to the emergence of different species ex: Volcano flows and separates groups with lava, new river is formed, canyon is formed via erosion, sea level rise creates islands, group of organisms colonizes new island, road is built Sympatric speciation - Reproductive isolation between two groups of the same species occurs while living in the same place. Genetic drift then drives speciation. ex: Nocturnal/diurnal switch, niche partitioning, different preferences regarding mate choice, polyploidy
200
Name 3 differences between r and K selected species. Give an example of each
r-selected species: Small body size Develops quickly Reproduces early in life Many offspring at a time Little to no parental care Short lifespan Bad competitors (typically generalists) Variable and unpredictable mortality Ex: rats, grasses, frogs, most insects K-Selected species: Large body size Slow development Reproduces later in life (long time to sexual maturity) Few offspring at a time Parental care Long lifespan Good competitors (often specialists) Mortality is constant and predictable (i.e. old age) ex: primates, elephants, most large mammals, most birds (especially large birds, sequoia tree
200
What is a biogeochemical reservoir? Give examples
A location where biogeochemical resources are found that participate in biogeochemical cycling. Examples include the ocean, atmosphere, and soil
200
Where is most of the freshwater on earth? Where do we get most of the freshwater that we use? Is there a discrepancy there?
Freshwater is only 2.5% of all the water on earth! Of that, the majority (68%) is in glaciers and ice. About 30% is groundwater and 2% is surface water. Most of the glacier and ice water is not available to us so we get most of the water we use from surface water and groundwater (although groundwater is slow to replenish)
200
The coolest of all nocturnal creatures (bats) unfortunately have a bad reputation in the public eye. Many people have bad battitudes because of their association with darkness, vampires, and rabies. I'm trying to design an outreach strategy to change the public's perception of bats. Give an example of an Anthropocentric and a Biocentric bat-campaign.
Anthropocentric - value based on human needs Ex: Hate mosquito bites?? Bats will eat mosquitoes for you! Ex: In need of a margarita after a long week? You can thank bats for being the only pollinator of tequila agave! Raise your glass to bats! Biocentric - see existence value in different species Ex: 900 of the roughly 1200 species of bats are currently threatened with extinction!!
300
What is a biodiversity or conservation hotspot? Give an example
Biodiversity and/or conservation hotspots (both names mean the same thing) are characterized by high rates of endemism (meaning the things that live there live no where else on the world) and many are threatened or endangered. Examples include Madagascar, New Zealand, Brazil's Atlantic forest, West African forests, Hawaii, Mediterranean basin, the Caribbean
300
How does energy flow through an ecosystem? What is the 10% rule?
Energy flows up the food chain to higher trophic levels. For example: Sun -> Corn -> Locust -> Lizard -> Snake -> Hawk. The 10% rule states that only 10% of this energy is transferred through to the next trophic level. The rest of the energy is mostly lost via heat.
300
I have found an iron deposit of 200 kilograms. Unfortunately, it fluxes out of the reservoir at a rate of 10 kilograms per year. 1) What is the most likely source of the flux in iron? 2) What is the residence time in this reservoir?
The most likely source of this flux is atmospheric deposition (wind-blown dust). The residence time in this reservoir is 20 years
300
What is economic water scarcity?
Situations where water is physically available but unreachable due to insufficient infrastructure or inadequate water rights
300
I want to compare the number of movies Nicholas Cage appears in each year to the number of people that drowned falling into a pool. What goes on the X an Y axis? Bonus challenge: Compare the number of people who dies getting tangled up in their bedsheets to per capital cheese consumption
No matter how you plot these, you'd get a 1:1 ratio. Both of these cases are weirdly correlated (google Spurious correlations). In both cases, Time is on the X axis and there are 2 Y axes. Remember that the independent variable is on the X axis and the dependent is on the X axis. Y changes as X changes.
400
How many mass extinctions have there been? What have all of them been associated with?
There have been 5 mass extinctions in the past, 6 if you count the current human-caused mass extinction. All of these extinctions are associated with changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations and climate change.
400
What is the difference between species abundance and species richness. How does species abundance and richness change as you move from equator to poles?
Species abundance - refers to the number of individuals in each species in an area Species richness - refers to the number of species in an area Species richness is highest at the equator and decreases towards the poles, while the relative species abundance is lowest at the equator and increases towards the poles
400
How have humans altered the nitrogen cycle? What are the consequences of this?
Since the discovery of the Haber-Bosch process, humans have converted significant amounts of atmospheric nitrogen into chemically active forms like ammonia for use in fertilizer. This has increased crop yields but also let to nutrient runoff and excess nitrogen in our water systems
400
What is the difference between consumptive and non-consumptive water use? Give an example
Non-consumptive water use returns water to the same water cycle, but water is removed from the water cycle in consumptive use. Agriculture is an example of consumptive use because water is stored in plant tissues that are then shipped across the world to be consumed. Non-consumptive examples include showering, brushing your teeth, or the toilet because they cycle back through your local waste-water treatment plant
400
Climate change is happening fast and instead of being a mountain town, Boulder is mostly a wetland bordering the sea (goodbye Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, and Louisiana). The new Boulder city council is thinking of filling in the wetland and building on top of it. What argument can you make to the city council to stop this? Think ecosystem services
Cultural-the wetland is beautiful, provides opportunities for recreation, birdwatching Provisioning- People fish in the wetland Regulating - water treatment, coastline protection Supporting - primary production, nutrient cycling
500
Name the six causes of biodiversity loss and briefly explain each.
1) Habitat loss 2) Overexploitation 3) Invasive species 4) Pollution 5) Climate change 6) Greed
500
Draw a graph showing a population growing over time. Label the carrying capacity. Make sure your axes are labeled correctly!
Time should be on the x axis and population should be on the y axis. The line should increase exponentially but then oscillate around the carrying capacity until the population stabilizes
500
What are the three ways nitrogen can become "fixed"? What does nitrogen fixation mean?
1) Lightning, 2) Biological fixation (Rhizobium bacteria living in root nodules on legumes), and 3) Human (Haber-bosch process). When nitrogen is "fixed", it's converted from a non-reactive to reactive form (i.e. ammonia, NH4)
500
What is eutrophication and how does it work?
1) Too many nutrients 2) Lots of primary productivity 3) Primary producers die, decomposers eat their bodies 4) Decomposers respire, using up all oxygen, creating hypoxia and other things suffocate 5) Dead zones are created
500
The environmental studies program at CU Boulder, this course, the first week of lecture, and all of your TAs lives are built around what 3 concepts?!?!?!!?!?!?!?
Science, Policy, and Values! Note: If you miss this question on the exam you will be receiving an automatic F for the course.
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