Biodiversity
The number and variety of different species in an area
Biodiversity
The consumption of mosquitoes by bats and the control of flooding provided by tropical forests in mountainous areas of Central America are examples of
A) adaptive radiation
B) ecosystem services
C) evolution by natural selection
D) ecological equilibrium
B
An interaction in which one organism kills another for food or nutrients
Predation
Choose the correct levels of Organization from lowest to highest...
organism, population, community, ecosystem
What is an example of a keystone species? What happens when you lose a keystone species?
Sea otter, beaver, alligator
You see drastic effects in the ecosystem. Populations decline, food web changes, nutrient cycles are disrupted, and extinctions may occur.
A species that influences the survival of many other species in an ecosystem
Keystone species
What are the four categories of ecosystems services?
cultural, provisional, regulatory, and supporting services
How an organism makes its living and interacts with the biotic and abiotic factors in its habitat
niche
A(n) ______ is a group of organisms that are have similar characteristics and can mate with each other to produce offspring that can also mate and reproduce.
species
What are some candidates for primary succession?
- Sides of volcanoes (post-volcanic eruption)
- Newly exposed rock after a glacial retreat
Non-native species
invasive species
Identify a regulating service provided by a forest. Identify a regulating service provided by a wetland.
Forest:
- Regulates local climate by increasing the amount of shade/water availability
- Regulates local air quality by removing pollutants from atmosphere
- Stores carbon in plant biomass
- Sequesters carbon/removes atmospheric carbon dioxide through photosynthesis
Wetland:
- Wetlands retain and control flood waters.
- Wetland plants absorb nutrients and chemicals from the water and they act as a natural filtration system
- Wetland plants and soils store large amounts of carbon
The struggle between organisms to survive as they attempt to use the same limited resources in the same place at the same time
Competition
This is the study of interactions between organisms and the interactions that organisms have with their environment.
ecology
Describe characteristics of pioneer species.
Pioneer species are characterized by their ability to colonize areas quickly and to grow in full sunlight. Pioneer plants have short reproductive times. They are plants that can disperse easily and grow rapidly.
How is an ecosystem's biodiversity a measure of its health?
The greater the biodiversity, the healthier the ecosystem
How do cultural services help humans?
well being and happiness
What are the characteristics of resilient ecosystems?
Resilient ecosystems contain many generalist species, have a high net productivity, contain fast-growing producers, and have moderate to high species diversity.
The physical part of the ecosystem that meets the needs of an organism is called:
habitat
Contrast secondary species with pioneer species.
secondary plants species appear only after pioneer plant communities have adequately prepared the soil.
Identify two specific human activities that result in a loss of biodiversity. Describe one naturally occurring factor that could lead to a loss of biodiversity.
- Logging/clear cutting/deforestation
- Agriculture: GMOs, clearing forests to create pastureland, pesticide use
- Water contamination by: excess fertilizer, runoff from feedlots, runoff from construction, untreated sewage
- Burn fossil fuels
...
- Widespread wildfires
- Particulates from asteroids/volcanoes
- Hurricanes/tsunamis
- Droughts
Give an example of a provision, a regulating service, and a support system.
Provision: medicinal plant, lumber, food crops, natural rubber, furs
Regulating: rainforests and oceans absorbing some of the excess carbon that humans add to the atmosphere, water purification, bacteria decompose wastes
Support: photosynthesis, nutrient cycling, the creation of soils
The non-living parts of an organism's environment are called...
abiotic factors
Food, water, sunlight, shelter, and space are resources that are often __________.
limiting factors
What is a climax community? How could ecologists determine when an ecosystem is approaching climax community?
A stable group of plants and animals that is the "end" of the succession process.
Record the number and type of plants present every year after a natural disturbance.