Chapter 4+5 Study Guide Flashcards
What are the 4 components of biodiversity?
Functional Diversity, Species Diversity, Ecosystem Diversity, and Genetic Diversity.
What is Functional Diversity?
Functional Diversity is the variety of processes such as energy flow and matter cycling
What is Species Diversity?
The variety of species present and their presence in a specific ecosystem
What is Genetic Diversity?
The variety of genes in a species/population
What is Ecosystem Diversity?
The variety of biological communities on Earth ( biomes, ex.deserts, lakes, forests, etc. )
How could an ecosystem become more stable?
If an ecosystem contains many species with shared functional traits then that ecosystem will be able to withstand some species loss without losing functionality.
What is the difference between an ecological niche and a habitat?
A niche is an individual’s role in the ecosystem while the habitat is the place that it lives and obtains what it needs to survive.
What is the Difference between a generalist species and a specialized species.
A generalist species has a broad niche, and can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. However, a specialized species has a specific niche and can only eat a few foods and can tolerate a very narrow range of env. Conditions.
Describe the difference between native and nonnative species.
A native species are species that are naturally originated in a given ecosystem and has become suitable to the environmental conditions but a nonnative species is introduced to an ecosystem; could be natural or result of human action.
What is the difference between keystone and indicator species?
Keystone species play several important roles in sustaining an ecosystem while an indicator species can reveal the characteristics or quality of a certain environmental change through their presence or absence.
What are fossils?
Fossils are preserved remains or traces of prehistoric organisms and help us to understand the history of life on Earth.
What does genetic variability result from?
Mutations
What is a mutation?
Permanent change in a DNA sequence within a cell’s inherited genes.
What are the causes of mutation?
Most result from random changes but some occur from exposure to radiation, UV radiation, certain human made or natural chemicals ( mutagens ).
What are the limits of natural selection?
- Change in environmental conditions can lead to adaptations only if the genes are already present in the gene pool or if they arise from mutations
- Even if the heritable trait is present the pace the population adapts is dependent on the reproductive capacity
What is the difference between artificial selection and genetic engineering?
Artificial selection is when humans change the genetic characteristics of populations with similar genes but genetic engineering rapidly manipulates genes in order to select desirable or eliminate unwanted traits.
What is the difference between artificial selection and genetic engineering?
Artificial selection is when humans change the genetic characteristics of populations with similar genes but genetic engineering rapidly manipulates genes in order to select desirable or eliminate unwanted traits.
What is resource partitioning?
When species competing for similar scarce resources develop specialized traits to share the same resources.
What are the three feeding relationships? Describe each one.
Parasitism- when a parasite lives in or on a host and benefits off of it but the host is harmed
Mutualism- when two species behave in ways that benefit each other providing each with food, shelter, or other resources
Commensalism- one species benefits but the interaction does very little good or bad for the other.
What is coevolution?
A natural selection process in which changes to gene pools of one species lead to changes in the gene pool of another species.
What are the 2 types of ecological succession?
Primary and secondary ecological succession.
What is primary ecological succession?
Involves the gradual establishment of different species in mostly lifeless areas. Begins when there is no soil in a terrestrial ecosystem or no bottom sediment in an aquarium ecosystem.( takes thousand to years.)
What is secondary ecological succession?
This is the most common type and occurs when communities or ecosystems developed have been disturbed or destroyed, but some soil and bottoms sediment remains.
