1. What is biological diversity?
Refers to the variety of life forms in a area.
2. What is a population?
Group of individuals of the same species living in the same area or interbreeding and sharing genetic information.
3. What is a species?
Individuals capable of interbreeding.
4. What are the 9 reasons why people value biodiversity?
Define the following:
Genetic Diversity: Total number of genetic characteristics of a specific species, subspecies or group of species
Habitat Diversity: Different kinds of habitats in a given unit area.
Species Diversity: Has three unique qualities including richness, evenness and dominance.
-Species Richness: Total number of species
-Species Evenness: Relative abundance of species
-Species Dominance: Most abundant species.
5. What are the 3 main domains of life?
Eukaryota (Eukarya), Bacteria,Archaea
6. What is biological evolution?
Change in inherited characteristics of a population from generation to generation.
7. What causes mutations? Explain how this affects biological diversity.
When DNA changes through an error or a external agent comes in contact with the DNA can alter it. The offspring of the organism with the mutation will also carry that genetic disorder through further generations.
8. What is natural selection? What are the 4 primary factors involved in natural selection?
Process of increasing proportion of offspring. Four primary factors include the inheritance of traits, the environmental variability, differential reproduction and the influence of environment of survival.
A Closer Look 8.1
Natural Selection: Mosquitos and the Malaria Parasite
1. Discuss the issue with Malaria, Mosquito's and DDT resistance and how this demonstrates natural selection.
Malaria is a continual problem that infects from 300 - 400 people every year and kills about 1.1 million. DDT is used to repel against this disease and it also affects us humans. Some mosquitoes have developed a gene that is resistant to DDT and this shows natural selection by demonstrating how those with the resistant gene will pass it on to their offspring.
Migration and Geographic Isolation
1. How does Darwin’s Finches demonstrate the idea of Adaptive Radiation?
The Finches were isolated in different groups and each developed a different role according to their environment.
2. Define: Genetic Drift
Changes in frequency of gene in population not by mutation, selection, migration but simply by chance.
3. What is the Founder Effect and how does it demonstrate Genetic Drift?
The founder effect occurs when a small group of individuals is isolated from a larger population and this demonstrates genetic drift, because since the smaller group will have less variability, this means that their characteristics willo be different by chance only.
Biological Evolution as a Strange Kind of Game
In summary, the theory of biological evolution tells us the following about biodiversity:
1. Since species are always evolving, species also becoming extinct, biological diversity is always changing, and which species are present in any one location can change over time.
2. Adaptation has no rigid rules. Species adapt in response to environmental conditions and complexity is apart of nature. We can't expect threats to one species to necessarily be threats to another.
3. Species and populations become geographically isolated from time to time and undergo the founder effect and genetic drift.
4. Species are always evolving and adapting to environmental change.
The Competitive Exclusion Principle
Two species with same exact requirements cannot coexist in the same habitat.
1. Explain how the introduction of the American Gray Squirrel into Great Britain demonstrates the Competitive Exclusion Principle.
This squirrel came into Great Britain in the 1830's and was in competition with the red squirrel because both organisms required the same resources.
Measuring Niches
1. What is an ecological niche?
Set of all environmental conditions under which a species can persist.
2. What is the difference between a fundamental and realized niche?
A fundamental niche is where a species lives without competition and a realized niche is where a species lives in with competition.
Symbiosis
1. In ecology, symbiosis describes a relationship between two organisms that is beneficial to both- each partner in symbiosis is called a: symbiont.
2. What is an obligate symbiont?
Symbiots than cannot survive without one another.
3. Explain the symbiotic relationship between people and dogs Predation and Parasitism
Dogs have made a behavioral connection with humans by being helpful and companionable to us making dogs very abundant.
Predation and Parasitism
1. Explain how predation and parasitism actually helps increase species diversity in an ecosystem
When two species are competing in the same habitat for the same resources, one of the predators can feeds on the more abundant species, keeping that population from overwhelming the other.
How Geography and Geology Affect Biological Diversity
1. In general, greater diversity occurs: at lower latitudes.
2. What geographic factors affect species biodiversity?
Soil type, topography, slope, aspect, elevation and nearness to a drainage basin
3. How can moderate environmental disturbances increase diversity?
Some places that affected by these disturbances favor different kinds of species and increase overall diversity.
4. How do people affect diversity? Explain.
Urbanization, industrialization, and agriculture decreases diversity, because we reduce the number of habitats that a variety of organisms live in.
Convergent and Divergent Evolution
1. Define and give an example of each of the following:
Convergent Evolution: Species that evolve in similar environments because they have similar traits.
Divergent Evolution: Population that are divided and evolves separately, but both groups still retain some characteristics in common.
Invasions, Invasive Species and Island Biogeography
1. What are the 4 main principles in the theory of island biogeography?
2. What is an ecological island?
A comparatively small habitat separated from a major habitat of the same kind.
Study Questions
1. Why do introduced species often become pests?
Introduced species may often become pests because they may come in contact with another species that requires the same same resources they do, or it might might replace the native species.
Refers to the variety of life forms in a area.
2. What is a population?
Group of individuals of the same species living in the same area or interbreeding and sharing genetic information.
3. What is a species?
Individuals capable of interbreeding.
4. What are the 9 reasons why people value biodiversity?
- Utilitarian
- Public-Service
- Ecological
- Moral
- Theological
- Aesthetic
- Recreational
- Spiritual
- Creative
Define the following:
Genetic Diversity: Total number of genetic characteristics of a specific species, subspecies or group of species
Habitat Diversity: Different kinds of habitats in a given unit area.
Species Diversity: Has three unique qualities including richness, evenness and dominance.
-Species Richness: Total number of species
-Species Evenness: Relative abundance of species
-Species Dominance: Most abundant species.
5. What are the 3 main domains of life?
Eukaryota (Eukarya), Bacteria,Archaea
6. What is biological evolution?
Change in inherited characteristics of a population from generation to generation.
7. What causes mutations? Explain how this affects biological diversity.
When DNA changes through an error or a external agent comes in contact with the DNA can alter it. The offspring of the organism with the mutation will also carry that genetic disorder through further generations.
8. What is natural selection? What are the 4 primary factors involved in natural selection?
Process of increasing proportion of offspring. Four primary factors include the inheritance of traits, the environmental variability, differential reproduction and the influence of environment of survival.
A Closer Look 8.1
Natural Selection: Mosquitos and the Malaria Parasite
1. Discuss the issue with Malaria, Mosquito's and DDT resistance and how this demonstrates natural selection.
Malaria is a continual problem that infects from 300 - 400 people every year and kills about 1.1 million. DDT is used to repel against this disease and it also affects us humans. Some mosquitoes have developed a gene that is resistant to DDT and this shows natural selection by demonstrating how those with the resistant gene will pass it on to their offspring.
Migration and Geographic Isolation
1. How does Darwin’s Finches demonstrate the idea of Adaptive Radiation?
The Finches were isolated in different groups and each developed a different role according to their environment.
2. Define: Genetic Drift
Changes in frequency of gene in population not by mutation, selection, migration but simply by chance.
3. What is the Founder Effect and how does it demonstrate Genetic Drift?
The founder effect occurs when a small group of individuals is isolated from a larger population and this demonstrates genetic drift, because since the smaller group will have less variability, this means that their characteristics willo be different by chance only.
Biological Evolution as a Strange Kind of Game
In summary, the theory of biological evolution tells us the following about biodiversity:
1. Since species are always evolving, species also becoming extinct, biological diversity is always changing, and which species are present in any one location can change over time.
2. Adaptation has no rigid rules. Species adapt in response to environmental conditions and complexity is apart of nature. We can't expect threats to one species to necessarily be threats to another.
3. Species and populations become geographically isolated from time to time and undergo the founder effect and genetic drift.
4. Species are always evolving and adapting to environmental change.
The Competitive Exclusion Principle
Two species with same exact requirements cannot coexist in the same habitat.
1. Explain how the introduction of the American Gray Squirrel into Great Britain demonstrates the Competitive Exclusion Principle.
This squirrel came into Great Britain in the 1830's and was in competition with the red squirrel because both organisms required the same resources.
Measuring Niches
1. What is an ecological niche?
Set of all environmental conditions under which a species can persist.
2. What is the difference between a fundamental and realized niche?
A fundamental niche is where a species lives without competition and a realized niche is where a species lives in with competition.
Symbiosis
1. In ecology, symbiosis describes a relationship between two organisms that is beneficial to both- each partner in symbiosis is called a: symbiont.
2. What is an obligate symbiont?
Symbiots than cannot survive without one another.
3. Explain the symbiotic relationship between people and dogs Predation and Parasitism
Dogs have made a behavioral connection with humans by being helpful and companionable to us making dogs very abundant.
Predation and Parasitism
1. Explain how predation and parasitism actually helps increase species diversity in an ecosystem
When two species are competing in the same habitat for the same resources, one of the predators can feeds on the more abundant species, keeping that population from overwhelming the other.
How Geography and Geology Affect Biological Diversity
1. In general, greater diversity occurs: at lower latitudes.
2. What geographic factors affect species biodiversity?
Soil type, topography, slope, aspect, elevation and nearness to a drainage basin
3. How can moderate environmental disturbances increase diversity?
Some places that affected by these disturbances favor different kinds of species and increase overall diversity.
4. How do people affect diversity? Explain.
Urbanization, industrialization, and agriculture decreases diversity, because we reduce the number of habitats that a variety of organisms live in.
Convergent and Divergent Evolution
1. Define and give an example of each of the following:
Convergent Evolution: Species that evolve in similar environments because they have similar traits.
Divergent Evolution: Population that are divided and evolves separately, but both groups still retain some characteristics in common.
Invasions, Invasive Species and Island Biogeography
1. What are the 4 main principles in the theory of island biogeography?
- Islands have fewer species than continents
- The two sources of new species on an island are migration from the mainland and evolution of new species in place
- The smaller the island, the fewer the species
- The farther the island from mainland, the fewer the species
2. What is an ecological island?
A comparatively small habitat separated from a major habitat of the same kind.
Study Questions
1. Why do introduced species often become pests?
Introduced species may often become pests because they may come in contact with another species that requires the same same resources they do, or it might might replace the native species.