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Environmental science > Chapter 3 ! > Flashcards

Chapter 3 ! Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Explain the process of evolution

Adaption to the environment

A
  • New characteristics are produced through random mutations
  • Then, natural selection takes place leading to individuals with better characteristics having an increased chance of survival
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2
Q

what is a range of tolerence ?

Adaption to the environment

A

the range of a condition/ factor that an organism can survive within

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3
Q

what does a large gene pool do for advantagous traits ?

Adaption to the environment

A
  • Large gene pool → increases chance of surviving environmental changes
  • The survivors will pass on their advantageous traits to offspring and rebuild the population
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4
Q

what are 4 abiotic factors that determine survival & distribution of species ?

Adaption to the environment

A
  • light
  • pH
  • water
  • nutrients and minerals
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5
Q

what happens when these abiotic factors become less suitable ?

Adaption to the environment

A

when less species are within thier range of tolerences then survival will decline

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6
Q

what are 5 biotic factors that affect survival & distribution of species ?

Adaption to the environment

A
  • Food supply
  • Pollination
  • Seed dispersal
  • Disease
  • Presence/ absence of other species
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7
Q

Ecological succession

Ecological Succession

A

The process where the community in an area to become to climax community.

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8
Q

what is a pioneer species ?

Ecological Succession

A

They are species that colonise a new area, they’re adapted to extreme conditions that become less extreme once the habitat has a higher biomass

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9
Q

what is the process that means that pioneer species eventually die out ?

Ecological Succession

A

Over time they will change the habitat → becomes suitable for more organisms → may outcompete pioneer species → they die out

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10
Q

what is a climax community ?

Ecological Succession

A

Final community of species that remains dominant as long as the climate doesn’t change

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11
Q

what type of habitat can ecological succession be best seen and a good example ?

Ecological Succession

A
  • newly created habitats with no current life
    e.g. new pond, bare rock exposed by a retreating ice sheet
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12
Q

What is a sere ?

Seres

A

the sequence of stages in ecological succession during which an uncolonised habitat develops into the climax community

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13
Q

hydro = hydrotherapy = water

what is the process of the hydrosere going from open water to terrestrial habitat ?

Sere

A
  1. Open water
  2. Floating Plants rooted in water
  3. Emergent Plants on surface
  4. Reed Swamp
  5. Sedge Meadow
  6. Woodland
  7. Climax Forest
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14
Q

hydro = hydrotherapy = water

What is the definition of hydrosere ?

Sere

A

The developmental stages in a plant succession which commences on a soil submerged by fresh water

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15
Q

How does more plants lead to more animals arriving ?

Sere

A

More plants → more food & shelter → more animals arrive

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16
Q

how does plants dying lead to lakes filling with organic matter ?

Sere

A

Plants dying → lake gradually fills with organic matter, it will also fill with soil & sediments from the surrounding area

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17
Q

what is the definition of lithosere ?

Sere

A

development of a community of a species on a bare rock

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18
Q

what is the process of the lithosere going from bare rock to the climax forest ?

Sere

A
  • Bare Rock (pioneer)
  • Lichens and Mosses
  • Herbaceous Plants
  • Shrubs and Small Trees
  • Mature Woodland
  • Climax Forest
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19
Q

What is the definition of psammosere

Sere

A

The characteristic plant succession that develops on a new sand dune ecosystem and achieve

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20
Q

What is the process of the Psammosere going from bare sand to forested dunes ?

Sere

A
  1. Bare Sand
  2. Pioneer Plants
  3. Herbaceous Plants (beach vegetation)
  4. Shrub Zone
  5. Forested Dunes
  6. Climax Community
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21
Q

what is a plagioclimax community ?

Conservation of plagioclimax communities

A

These are communities that stay at their specific type of ecosystem due to human influence for our benefit E.G - farming

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22
Q

when are plagioclimax communitues produced and give an example ?

Conservation of plagioclimax communities

A

They are produced by long term balances between human activity and succession
e.g. grassland

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23
Q

what is a management method of lowland heathland ?

Conservation of plagioclimax communities

A
  • grazing
  • burning
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24
Q

what is a management method of hay meadow ?

Conservation of plagioclimax communities

A

Mowing

25
Q

what is a management method of arable field ?

Conservation of plagioclimax communities

A

ploughing

26
Q

what is secondary succession ?

Conservation of plagioclimax communities

A

human activity disturbing the climax community, recreates conditions that are suitable for the species who colonised the area earlier on, so they are able to recolonise → climax community is recreated

27
Q

what happens to diversity in an extreme environment dominated by abiotic factors ?

Species diversity and ecological stability

A

low

28
Q

what does the Simpson’s diversity index formula
help us find ?

Species diversity and ecological stability

A

a way of quantifying level of biodiversity and measuring it

29
Q

how can large trees cause smaller plants to grow ?

Sere

A

Large trees → dense canopy → shade → smaller plants grow

30
Q

what do each symbol in the Simpsons diversity index formula mean ? (N, n, Σ, D)

Species diversity and ecological stability

A

N = Total number of organisms
n = total number of organsisms of indevidual species
Σ = total
D = Higher the value of D = higher the diversity

31
Q

what is the Simpson’s diversity index formula ?

Species diversity and ecological stability

A

D = N(N-1) / Σn(n-1)

32
Q

what is the rate of discovery of new species per year ?

Simpson’s diversity index formula

A

20,000

33
Q

what are Population dynamics ?

Population dynamics and population regulation

A

processes that cause populations to change in size & structure

34
Q

what does max birth rate mean ?

A

max birth rate is determined by the species ability to reproduce, species with lower chance of survival → higher birth rates

35
Q

r –> rapid

what is an r-selected species ?

Population dynamics and population regulation

A

species that respond rapidly to to low survival rates (reach sexual maturity at a young age)

36
Q

k = dead or slow reply

what is a k-selected species

Population dynamics and population regulation

A

Species that reply slowly to a decline in population = reach sexual maturity at older age

37
Q

what are the factors determining population regulation ?

Population dynamics and population regulation

A
  • birth rate
  • death rate
  • R-selected species
  • K selected species
38
Q

what is the maximum sustainable yield ?

Population dynamics and population regulation

A

an estimate of the greatest exploitation possible without causing unsustainable long- term population decline

39
Q

what are 3 things needed to forecast popualtion change ?

Population dynamics and population regulation

A
  • current population
  • birth and death rate
  • Number of individuals immigrating and emigrating
40
Q

what are factors affecting mortality rates ?

Population dynamics and population regulation

A
  • density independant factors (drought, flood etc)
  • density dependant factors (disease or food supply)
41
Q

what is a Density independent factor ?

Population dynamics and population regulation

A

Population density has no effect on chance of survival
Eg volcanic eruption

42
Q

what are factors that affect mortality rates ?

Species diversity and ecological stability

A

Density independant factors :
- drought
- flood

Density dependant factors :
- food supply
- disease

43
Q

what is a density dependant factor ?

Population dynamics and population regulation

A

Chance of survival will depend on population density of the species
Eg food supply

44
Q

what is carrying capactiy ?

Population dynamics and population regulation

A

Greatest population an area can support without damaging or over exploiting the environment

45
Q

predator-prey population relationships

Population dynamics and population regulation

A

When prey increases then its more food for the predators then the prey decreases so predators decrease = predator-prey relationships have the same shape and flow

46
Q

when will artificial population control be necessary ?

Population dynamics and population regulation

A
  • breeding rate is low (so captive breeding / release programme is needed)
  • non-indigenous species is introduced to remove indigenous species because it is either a predator / competitor / pathogen
  • indigenous predator has been removed so its prey has been overpopulated and needs to be culled
47
Q

whats a taxonomy ?

Ecological terminology

A

scientific grouping of organisms due to similar features

48
Q

whats a species ?

Ecological terminology

A

a group of closely related organisms that resemble each other more than other groups

49
Q

what are 3 reasons why most species can’t produce fertile offspring with others ?

Ecological terminology

A
  • Behavioural differences
  • Anatomical differences → mating= impossible
  • Difference in number/ shape of chromosomes makes fertilisation impossible
50
Q

What is the process of naming species ?

Ecological terminology

A
  1. First part of species name= the genus (group of most closely related species
  2. Second part of species name= added to identify individual species within the genus

Latin names are given to avoid confusion between different languages

51
Q

What is evolution ?

Ecological terminology

A

Is the process thta chnages the gene pool of a species

52
Q

What is a habitat ?

Ecological terminology

A

Area or location where species or community of species live

53
Q

what is an Ecological niche ?

Ecological terminology

A

It is the the role that a species plays in its habitat

54
Q

what is a population ?

Ecological terminology

A

Includes all the indeviduals of a single specoes that live in a particular area

55
Q

what is an ecosystem?

Ecological terminology

A

Combination of the biotic and abiotic features of an area

56
Q

what is a biome ?

Ecological terminology

A

Large geographical regions with specific climatic conditions within which a characteristic community of species lives

57
Q

what are differences between ecosystems and biomes ?

Ecological terminology

A
  • Biomes are much larger geographical areas
  • Each isolated area in a biome is a different ecosystem - eg separate coral reefs
  • All coral reef ecosystems= belong to the coral reef biome
58
Q

what are biospheres ?

Ecological terminology

A

all of planet earth that is inhabited by living organisms

Environmental science (7 decks)

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