SG 6

Question 1

What is evolution? Know the basic process of evolution including the role of mutations.

Answer 1

The process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth. —-

Question 2

Describe the theory of natural selection. Understand that natural selection does not simply “weed out” unfit individuals. It
leads to the diversification of traits that in the long run leads to the formation of new species. Recognize and give examples
of natural selection.

Answer 2

Natural selection is the process in nature by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce more than those less adapted to their environment. For example, treefrogs are sometimes eaten by snakes and birds. Butterfly non-poison. Caterpillar with eyes.

Question 3

What is artificial selection? Recognize and give examples of artificial selection.

Answer 3

Examples of artificial selection include the breeding of thoroughbred racehorses, and the breeding of animals used for meat, such as domesticated cows, pigs, sheep and chickens. Other examples include dogs and cats bred to have certain desirable characteristics.

Question 4

Describe natural selection as it pertains to antibiotic resistance. Recognize that the rise of antibiotic resistance may prove to
be one of the greatest threats to public health.

Answer 4

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Question 5

Define biodiversity? Be able to define and distinguish between species, populations, and communities of organisms.

Answer 5

the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Question 6

Define extinction? Know that speciation and extinction determine Earth’s biodiversity.

Answer 6

the state or process of a species, family, or larger group being or becoming extinct.

Question 7

Describe the factors believed to be responsible for the extinction crisis facing amphibian species. Why and how do
amphibian declines impact other species including our own?

Answer 7

Fungus that infects the skin. Fertilizer, medicines that make it through water treatment, and pesticides the run into the water.

Question 8

Define and distinguish between habitat, niche, specialists, and generalists. How are some species more vulnerable than
others to extinction?

Answer 8

Specialist species can thrive only in a narrow range of environmental conditions or has a limited diet. Specialists more vulnerable.

Generalist species is able to thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions

Question 9

Distinguish between population size and population density? What are disadvantages and advantages of high versus low
population density?

Answer 9

Population size is the number of individuals in a population. Population density is the average number of individuals per unit of area or volume. ————-

Question 10

Describe and give examples of how populations may be distributed. Which distribution is most common in nature?

Answer 10

Populations may be evenly distributed to minimize competition. Random, uniformed, and clumped (us)**

Question 11

Describe how are age structure diagrams are useful in predicting growth populations?

Answer 11

You can see trends.

Question 12

Describe exponential growth of a population. Understand the analogy of money in a savings account.

Answer 12

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Question 13

When does exponential growth of a population occur in nature? Give examples.

Answer 13

When keystone predators are removed.

Question 14

What factors limit the growth of populations?

Answer 14

Keystone predators. Also, birth rate + immigration rate / Death rate + emigration rate. Also fertility rate.

Question 15

What is the carrying capacity of a population? Recognize that a graphical representation of a population that has reached its carrying capacity is sometimes demonstrated by the logistic growth curve. What is meant by overshoot and collapse?

Answer 15

We don’t know. —–

Overshoot occurs when a population temporarily exceeds the long term carrying capacity of its environment.

Question 16

Describe and give examples of the following types of species interactions: competition, predation, parasitism, herbivory, and mutualism.

Answer 16

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Question 17

What are trophic levels? Describe how biomass, the number of organisms, and energy flow changes from lower to
higher trophic levels. Is the energy transfer from one trophic level to the next, high or low?

Answer 17

Any class of organisms that occupy the same position in a food chain, as primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers. The rate at which energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next is called the ecological efficiency.

Question 18

Describe how the transfer of energy between trophic levels demonstrates why the ecological footprint of an herbivore
is smaller than that of a carnivore.

Answer 18

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Question 19

What is meant by a keystone species, and what types of organisms are often considered keystone species? Describe
their roles and importance?

Answer 19

a species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such that if it were removed the ecosystem would change drastically. Predators are often considered keystone. They prevent excessive growth of other species.

Question 20

Describe the functions and importance of ecosystem engineers and foundation species? Give examples.

Answer 20

Ecosystem engineer is any organism that creates, significantly modifies, maintains or destroys a habitat.
Foundation species is used to refer to a species that has a strong role in structuring a community.

Yellowstone wolves,

Question 21

Distinguish between an exotic species and an invasive species.

Answer 21

Exotic species is a species that historically lives in one place, but that has been moved to a new geographic location due to human interference.

Invasive species are plants, animals, or pathogens that are non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause harm.