Biodiversity Pt. 2
A species that is critical to the functioning of an ecosystem
Keystone species
___________ is the process by which habitats become smaller and more isolated.
habitat fragmentation
An _____________ is an inherited trait that increases an individual's chance of survival
adaptation
A community is defined by the types of ________ within them.
plants
_____________ is the process by which living things break down carbohydrates for energy.
Why are endemic plant species indicators of an ecosystem's biodiversity?
They form the basis of ecosystems
Name two threats to coral reefs
pollution
___________ is the process by which two species evolve in response to continued interactions.
Coevolution
Name two abiotic factors of ecosystems.
air
water
rocks
light
temperature
Name two biotic factors in ecosystems.
Living things
Dead stuff
The waste of living things
Name three characteristics of species that are likely to go extinct.
long lifespans
slow reproducing
small populations
low genetic diversity
Name three efforts to save individual species
zoos and aquariums
preserving genetic material
captive breeding programs
Define artificial selection and name two examples of it.
Process by which humans select for certain traits in a population
dogs
fruits and veggies
How are food chains and food webs similar? How are they different?
Food chains and food webs both show feeding relationships and energy flow between organisms in a community, but food webs are more complex and realistic, showing many different feeding relationships.
Name three roles of bacteria in ecosystems.
Decomposition
Nitrogen fixation
Photosynthesis (in aquatic ecosystems)
Define species richness, relative abundance, and percent cover
species richness = number of different species
relative abundance = evenness, relative numbers of individuals of each species
percent cover = the fraction of a study area that a species takes up
What is an invasive species? Name one example. Why are they harmful to native species? ______ ecosystems are especially susceptible to them due to their isolation.
An invasive species is a non-native species that spreads rapidly through an ecosystem.
Examples: spotted lantern fly, zebra mussel
Native species do not have natural defenses to them
Island ecosystems
Name the four premises of evolution.
1. Individuals in the population vary in traits
2. Some of the traits are inherited
3. More individuals are produced in a population than survive to reproduce
4. Some individuals are more reproductively successful and their traits become more common in the population over time.
How does energy transfer through ecosystems? What happens to energy that is not transferred? What percent of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next?
It is transferred through trophic levels when one organism eats another.
Energy that is not transferred is used by organisms for metabolic processes (in order to carry out tasks of life) and is eventually lost as heat.
10%
Name four places where carbon is stored long-term. What are these places called?
Carbon sinks
Forests
Oceans
Fossil fuels
Limestone rock formations
Describe how a captive breeding program works. Have they been successful? If so, name the example discussed in class. What is one downside?
These programs take highly endangered species from the wild and breed them in captivity with the goal of releasing them back into the wild. They have had some success with the California Condor, but they are very expensive
Describe these environmental laws, treaties, and organizations.
Endangered Species Act
IUCN
CITES
Biodiversity Treaty
Greenpeace/World Wildlife Fund
Endangered Species Act - U.S. law that protects threatened species from extinction
IUCN - International organization that protects species with its "red list"
CITES - International treaty that protects species trade from harming species survival
Biodiversity Treaty - International treaty designed to protect biodiversity and regulate genetic material
Greenpeace/WWF - private conservation organizations
Describe the process by which populations evolve antibiotic resistance.
Some individuals in the bacteria population already have a trait for resistance to antibiotics. When an antibiotic is applied, many individuals die but those that have the trait become more common in the population. Each time an antibiotic is applied, these individuals become more and more common until they make up the entire population.
What are the ingredients and products of photosynthesis? of cellular respiration?
Cellular Respiration: O2 + Carbs = CO2 + H2O + Energy
Name three similarities between archaea and bacteria. Name two differences.
Both are:
Microscopic
Unicellular
Reproduce via division
Prokaryotic (no nucleus)
Differences:
Different genetics (not closely related)
Different make-up of cell wall
Live in different environments (archaea live in extreme environments like deep-sea vents)