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Bio Exam 2 Terms Flashcards

1
Q

What caused human population growth to accelerate dramatically?

A

Agriculture, animal domestication, and especially industrialization starting in 1750.

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2
Q

What is overexploitation?

A

Harvest of species at an unsustainable rate beyond natural mortality and reproduction.

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3
Q

What is the ‘Tragedy of the Commons’?

A

Overuse of a shared resource by individuals acting in self-interest, leading to depletion.

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4
Q

What is sustainable use?

A

Use of species or ecosystems in a way that maintains their health and availability for future generations.

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5
Q

Why is energy transfer relevant to exploitation?

A

Only a fraction of energy moves up trophic levels; species at higher levels (like predators) are more vulnerable.

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6
Q

What are density-dependent mortality factors?

A

Predation, competition, parasitism—more impactful at high population density.

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7
Q

What are inverse density-dependent factors (Allee effect)?

A

Factors more severe at low population density (e.g., mate limitation, group defense breakdown).

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8
Q

What defines r-selected species?

A

High reproductive rate, early maturity, short lifespan (e.g., insects, weeds).

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9
Q

What defines K-selected species?

A

Low reproductive rate, long lifespan, stable near carrying capacity (e.g., whales, elephants).

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10
Q

Why are K-selected species vulnerable?

A

They recover slowly from population declines due to slow reproduction.

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11
Q

What happened after the 1986 whaling moratorium?

A

Some whale populations began to recover; others declined again due to new threats.

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12
Q

What has happened to cod fisheries?

A

They collapsed due to overfishing before stocks could recover.

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13
Q

What is the issue with ‘trophy fish’?

A

Fish are shrinking in size due to selective overharvesting of large individuals.

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14
Q

What are threats to coral reefs?

A

Local stress (pollution, overfishing) and global stress (warming, acidification).

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15
Q

Why are blue-throated macaws endangered?

A

Overexploitation for pet trade, habitat destruction, only 100 pairs in wild.

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16
Q

What plants are commonly poached?

A

Cactus, orchids, and Dudleya (a succulent).

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17
Q

What is CITES?

A

International agreement regulating trade of endangered species.

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18
Q

Why are animal parts traded?

A

For status symbols, traditional medicine (e.g., ivory, rhino horn).

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19
Q

What are indirect effects of overexploitation?

A

Disruption of ecological roles, loss of keystone species, trophic cascades.

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20
Q

What are bottom-up controls?

A

Resource availability affects population size from the base of the food chain.

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21
Q

What are top-down controls?

A

Predators and parasites regulate lower trophic levels.

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22
Q

What is a trophic cascade?

A

Changes at the top of a food chain ripple through the ecosystem.

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23
Q

What is ecosystem engineering?

A

Species that significantly alter their environment (e.g., beavers).

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24
Q

What abiotic resource is overexploited with ecological impact?

A

Freshwater—its depletion affects whole ecosystems.

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25
What is a protected area (IUCN definition)?
A region of land/sea dedicated to conserving biodiversity and cultural resources, managed legally or effectively.
26
What are the patterns of biodiversity by latitude?
Biodiversity increases from poles to tropics.
27
What geographic features increase biodiversity?
Topographical variation (e.g., mountains).
28
What is the species-time hypothesis?
Older, undisturbed areas (like tropics) have had more time for species diversification.
29
What is the species-area hypothesis?
Larger areas support more species due to more habitats and larger population sizes.
30
What is the species-productivity hypothesis?
Higher primary production supports more species.
31
What is species richness?
The number of different species in a community.
32
What is relative abundance?
How common a species is compared to others in the community.
33
What is species diversity?
A measure that combines species richness and relative abundance.
34
What is the Shannon Diversity Index?
A mathematical index measuring species diversity using abundance and evenness.
35
What does a higher Shannon Index indicate?
A more diverse and even community.
36
What is the diversity-stability hypothesis?
More diverse ecosystems are more stable and resistant to disturbance.
37
What is an indicator taxon?
A group (e.g., birds, mammals, flowering plants) used to reflect broader biodiversity patterns.
38
What is taxonomic distinctiveness?
The evolutionary uniqueness of species; sensitive to environmental changes.
39
What are megadiversity countries?
Nations with the highest number of species (e.g., Brazil, Indonesia, Colombia).
40
What are biodiversity hotspots?
Regions with many endemic species and significant habitat loss (must have 1500 endemic plants & 70% habitat loss).
41
What is the representative habitats approach?
Protects examples of all ecosystem types, not just biodiversity-rich areas.
42
What is the 'Last of the Wild'?
Areas least impacted by human activity with intact ecological communities.
43
Why are protected areas important?
They preserve ecosystems, species, and ecological processes.
44
What are weaknesses of protected areas?
They may be too small, isolated, poorly enforced, or politically influenced.
45
Why doesn’t reserve shape often match the ideal?
Human development, land ownership, and geography limit design.
46
Why is management often needed in reserves?
Small, isolated reserves lack natural disturbance regimes and need active intervention.
47
What is an example of a species requiring management?
Heath fritillary butterfly needs coppicing to survive.
48
What are flagship species?
Charismatic species used to promote conservation (e.g., tigers).
49
What are sentinel species?
Species sensitive to environmental change; serve as early warnings.
50
What are keystone species?
Species with large effects on ecosystem structure (e.g., sea otters).
51
What are umbrella species?
Protecting them helps conserve many other species due to large habitat needs.
52
Can a species fit multiple categories?
Yes; for example, tigers can be flagship, keystone, and umbrella species.
53
What does the U.S. Endangered Species Act define?
Endangered = at risk of extinction; Threatened = likely to become endangered.
54
What are the three parameters of rarity?
Geographic range, habitat specificity, and local population size.
55
What is in situ conservation?
Protecting species in their natural habitats.
56
What are the IUCN threat categories?
Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in the Wild, Extinct.
57
What does habitat fragmentation cause?
Reduces large populations into smaller, isolated ones; increases extinction risk.
58
What is Minimum Viable Population (MVP)?
Smallest population size needed to have a high chance of survival over time.
59
What factors are used to set MVP?
Acceptable survival probability and time period considered.
60
What is a masked decline?
Apparent population stability hides reproductive failure or aging population.
61
How many mass extinctions have occurred?
Five historic mass extinctions; we may be in the sixth now.
62
What is the Living Planet Index?
A global measure of wildlife population trends; ~73% decline in past 50 years.
63
What does the LPI measure?
Vertebrate species populations: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish.
64
What is Effective Population Size (Ne)?
The number of individuals in a population that are reproductively active.
65
Why is Ne smaller than census size?
It excludes very young, old, or non-breeding individuals.
66
What reduces Ne?
* Unequal sex ratios * Population fluctuations * Skewed reproductive success
67
What is genetic drift?
Random loss of alleles; stronger effect in small populations.
68
What is a genetic bottleneck?
Drastic population reduction leads to loss of genetic diversity.
69
What is the founder effect?
New populations started by a few individuals have limited genetic variation.
70
Why does bottleneck legacy matter?
Low genetic diversity persists even if numbers recover.
71
What is allopatric speciation?
New species arise due to geographic isolation and genetic divergence.
72
What are prezygotic barriers?
Isolating mechanisms that prevent fertilization (e.g., behavioral, temporal).
73
How does gene flow affect conservation?
Limited gene flow = serious loss risk; high gene flow = more recoverable.
74
How can genetic data aid conservation?
Identifies distinct populations, measures diversity, guides breeding/recovery.
75
What happens with low gene flow?
Loss of a population = loss of genetic diversity and potential.
76
What happens with high gene flow?
Populations can recolonize; genetic pool remains relatively intact.
77
How does speciation relate to conservation?
Understanding genetic divergence helps manage hybrids and maintain species integrity.
78
Example of hybridization issue?
Red wolves hybridizing with coyotes; risks to species identity.
79
What is Quercus × heterophylla?
A hybrid oak species formed by interbreeding of two parent species.
80
Why monitor genetic diversity in wild populations?
It informs management, improves survival chances, and helps prioritize action.

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