Ch. 4 & 9

Question 1

total way of life or role of a species in an ecosystem

Answer 1

(ecological) niche

Question 2

species that migrates into an ecosystem or are deliberately or accidentally introduced into an ecosystem by humans

Answer 2

(nonnative) invasive species

Question 3

any genetically controlled structural, physiological, or behavioral characteristic that helps an organism survive and reproduce under a given set of environmental conditions

Answer 3

adaptation

Question 4

a speciation in which biological populations are physically and geographically isolated in some way (breeding only among themselves)

Answer 4

allopatric speciation

Question 5

normal extinction of various species as a result of changes in local environmental conditions

Answer 5

background extinction (rate)

Question 6

variety of different species, genetic variability among individuals within each species, variety of ecosystems and functions such as energy flow and matter cycling needed for the survival of species and biological communities

Answer 6

biodiversity

Question 7

complete disappearance of a species from the earth (It happens when a species cannot adapt and successfully reproduce under new environmental conditions or when a species evolved into one or more species)

Answer 7

biological extinction

Question 8

terrestrial regions inhabited by certain types of life, especially vegetation

Answer 8

biomes

Question 9

the gradual movement of the continents across the earth’s surface through geological time

Answer 9

continental drift

Question 10

wild species with so few individual survivors that the species could soon become extinct in all or most of its natural range

Answer 10

endangered species

Question 11

species that is found in only one area and are especially vulnerable to extinction

Answer 11

endemic species

Question 12

species with a broad ecological niche, they can live in many different places, eat a variety of foods, and tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions

Answer 12

generalist species

Question 13

breakup of a habitat into smaller pieces, usually as a result of human activities

Answer 13

habitat fragmentation

Question 14

acronym used by conservation biologists for the 6 most important secondary causes of premature extinction: Habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation; Invasive (nonnative species); Population growth; Pollution; Climate Change; and overexploitation

Answer 14

HIPPCO

Question 15

species whose decline served as early warnings that a community or ecosystem is being degraded

Answer 15

indicator species

Question 16

species that plays roles affecting many other organisms in an ecosystem

Answer 16

keystone species

Question 17

catastrophic, widespread, often global event in which major groups of species are wiped out over a short time compared with normal (background) extinctions

Answer 17

mass extinction

Question 18

species that normally live and thrive in a particular ecosystem

Answer 18

native species

Question 19

process by which a particular beneficial gene or set of genes is reproduced in succeeding generations more than other genes

Answer 19

natural selection

Question 20

when there is significant scientific uncertainty about potentially serious harm from chemicals or technologies, decision makers should act to prevent harm to humans and the environment

Answer 20

precautionary principle

Question 21

species with a narrow ecological niche

Answer 21

specialist species

Question 22

formation of two species from one species because of divergent natural selection in response to changes in environmental conditions; usually takes thousands of years

Answer 22

speciation

Question 23

group of similar organisms and for sexually reproductive organisms, they are a set of individuals that can mate and produce fertile offspring

Answer 23

species

Question 24

variety of species, measured by the number of different species contained in a community

Answer 24

species richness

Question 25

the process through which new species evolve from a single ancestral species while inhabiting the same geographic region (potential mates aren’t in the same place at the same time)

Answer 25

sympatric speciation

Question 26

wild species that is still abundant in its natural range but is likely to become endangered because of a decline in numbers

Answer 26

threatened species

Question 27

change in the genetic makeup of a population of a species in successive generations (note: populations evolve, not individuals)

Answer 27

(biological) evolution