Intro to biodiversity

Question 1

what is an organism? and what are examples?

Answer 1

• a complex organization of cells, tissues, organs and body systems that work together to create an individual
• ex: mammals, birds, insects, plants, mosses, bacteria

Question 2

what is a species?

Answer 2

• a group of organisms that resemble one another in appearance, behaviour, chemical make up, genetics, and other characteristics

Question 3

What is a population?

Answer 3

• a group of individuals of the SAME SPECIES living and interacting in the same geographic area at the same time

Question 4

What is a community? and what is an example?

Answer 4

• An area where different species interact

- ex: Prairie community: grasses, other types of plants, fungi, pronghorns, coyotes, bird

Question 5

What is the difference between a population and a community?

Answer 5

• A population is a single species

- a community is all living organisms in that area

Question 6

what is an ecosystem? what does it include?

Answer 6

• a community of organisms that interact w/ one another and its interaction w/ the non-living parts of the area
• includes living and non-living organisms

Question 7

what is a habitat? and whites an example?

Answer 7

• the place where an organism or population lives

- ex: forest, aspen forest, stream, ocean

Question 8

what is biodiversity? and how is it calculated?

Answer 8

• the diversity of life on earth

- it is calculated by = speciation - extinction

Question 9

what is speciation?

Answer 9

the formation of a new species

Question 10

what is extinction?

Answer 10

the permanent loss of a species OR the elimination of all individuals of a group or organisms

Question 11

why do speciation and extinction occur?

Answer 11

they happen b/c of evolutionary processes like natural selection which operates over time

Question 12

what is an endemic/native species?

Answer 12

a species that is native to an ecosystem or a species that naturally occurs in an ecosystem

Question 13

what is a Non-native species?

Answer 13

a species that enters the ecosystem from a different part of the world either through deliberate or accidental introduction by humans

Question 14

why should we worry about non-native species?

Answer 14

• there would be a decline in biodiversity

- economic/social/cultural impact

Question 15

what are background extinctions?

Answer 15

-the normal rate of extinction which is due to a changing environment (ex: the ice age melting would shift the species around)

Question 16

what is mass extinction?

Answer 16

A catastrophic, widespread, often global event in which major groups of species are wiped out over a short period of time
- ex: dinosaur extinction from meteor

Question 17

what are the 5 major extinctions? (ODPTC)

Answer 17

1. Ordovician
2. Devonian
3. Permian
4. Triassic
5. Cretaceous

Question 18

what are the key take aways of mass extinction?

Answer 18

• Mass extinction events have happened (5 of them)
• Recovery rates take a very long time ranging from 20 million years - 100 million years
• Each of these wiped out 30-60% of species