Unit 2

Question 1

Adaptation

Answer 1

any behavioral or physical characteristic that increases fitness

Question 2

Anthropogenic

Answer 2

(chiefly of environmental pollution and pollutants) originating in human activity.

Question 3

Biodiversity

Answer 3

The variety of life on Earth

Question 4

Ecosystem

Answer 4

particular location on Earth with interacting biotic and abiotic components

Question 5

Ecosystem Services

Answer 5

provisioning, regulating, supporting, cultural. The process by which natural environments provide life-supporting resources

Question 6

Genetic Diversity

Answer 6

Genetic variation among individuals in a population

Question 7

Habitat/Ecosystem Diversity

Answer 7

the variety of habitats that exist within a given region

Question 8

Indicator Species

Answer 8

give early warning signs of damage or danger to a community. i.e. absence of trout in areas that are within their range of tolerance indicates poor water quality. Common species: birds, butterflies, amphibians

Question 9

Island Biogeography

Answer 9

study of the ecological relationships and distribution of organisms on islands and of these organisms’ community organisms. Closer and larger have more species.

Question 10

keystone species

Answer 10

A species that influence the survival of many other species in an ecosystem. Ex: pollinators, apex predators, decomposers. Lose a species = food webs and nutrient cycles disrupted, population crashes, extinctions. Ex: sea otter, American alligator, beavers, red mangrove, bees

Question 11

limiting factors

Answer 11

the factor that causes the growth of a population to decrease. even if all other factors are optimum its the one most likely to regulate population growth. env factor most often in short supply.

Question 12

natural selection

Answer 12

A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.

Question 13

theory of natural selection

Answer 13

was developed by Charles Darwin and first presented in his book origin of species, published in 1859.

Question 14

pioneer species

Answer 14

The first species to populate a “new” area. Soil is formed by the presence of lichens

Question 15

bottleneck effect

Answer 15

drastic and sudden reduction in the size of a population leads to a change in the gene pool. Causes: overhunting, asteroid, disease, env stressors, habitat destruction

Question 16

primary succession

Answer 16

An ecological succession that begins in an area where no biotic community previously existed. No soil

Question 17

Provisioning Service

Answer 17

goods that humans use directly from ecosystems
- lumber, food crops, rubber, fur, medicinal plants (Taxol)
- disrupted by overharvesting, water pollution, clearing land for ag. and urbanization

Question 18

regulating service

Answer 18

the service provided by natural systems that helps regulate environmental conditions. natural ecosystems regulate climate/air quality, reducing storm damage and health care costs
- Ex: trees store CO2 through photosynthesis which decrease the rate of climate change and lessens damage caused by rising sea level and decrease in crop failure from droughts.
-4 gigatons of carbon removed by phytoplankton and plants, nutrient and water cycles
- disrupted by deforestation

Question 19

supporting services

Answer 19

natural ecosystems support processes we do ourselves, making them less costly and easier for us
- Ex: bees pollinate agriculture crops - more crop production and higher profits
- disrupted by pollinator habitat loss and filling in wetlands for development
- pollination, water filtration, natural pest control

Question 20

cultural services

Answer 20

revenue from rec. activities (hunting, fishing, camping) and profits from scientific discoveries made in ecosystems (health/ag./edu. knowledge)
- Ex: landscapes draw tourists who pay to enter parks, spend money at local stores/restaurants, or camping fees
- ecosystems provide cultural or aesthetic benefits to many people.
- disrupted by deforestation, pollution, urbanization
-Tourism, real estate, recreation

Question 21

Resilience

Answer 21

ability and rate of an ecosystem to recover from a disturbance and return is pre-disturbance
- higher species diversity = higher ecosystem resilience - high species diversity = more plant species to repopulate disturbed ground, anchor soil, provide food and habitat for animal species

Question 22

resistance

Answer 22

ability to remain unchanged when being subjected to disturbance

Question 23

secondary succession

Answer 23

reestablishment of a damaged ecosystem in an area where the soil was left intact. often after disaster like fire or volcano

Question 24

specialist species

Answer 24

live under a very narrow range of conditions or feed on one or a very small group of species. Ex: Koalas, pandas, salamanders

Question 25

generalist species

Answer 25

Can live with a wide range of Biotic/abiotic conditions Ex: deer, squirrel, wolves, raccoons, possums, rats

Question 26

species diversity

Answer 26

The number of species in a region or habitat (in a community or ecosystem)
- critical env indicator: higher diversity = healthier ecosystem

Question 27

species evenness

Answer 27

Abundance of individuals within each species

Question 28

species richness

Answer 28

The total number of species

Question 29

tolerance

Answer 29

Populations thrive within certain ranges of abiotic factors such as pH, temp, light, and amount of moisture.

Question 30

environmental stressors

Answer 30

▪Physical Stress (natural
disasters)
▪Wildfires
▪Pollution
▪Thermal stress
▪Radiation
▪Climatic (light, temperature)
▪Biological (predation,
competition, parasitism, lack
of mates)

Question 31

genetic diversity

Answer 31

Genetic variation among individuals in a population

Question 32

intrinsic values

Answer 32

moral/spiritual/religious/philosophical

Question 33

provising/instrumental values

Answer 33

has worth in terms of goods and services

Question 34

natural disturbances

Answer 34

all natural events that destroy an ecosystem; fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, floods

Question 35

intermediate disturbance hypothesis

Answer 35

Ecosystems require a certain level of disturbance for maximum health and diversity

Question 36

fitness

Answer 36

differential ability to survive and reproduce

Question 37

adaptation

Answer 37

any behavioral or physical characteristic that increases fitness

Question 38

common descent with modification

Answer 38

every living species has descended, with changes, from other species over time

Question 39

ecological succession

Answer 39

gradual change in living communities that follows a disturbance

Question 40

climax community

Answer 40

A stable group of plants and animals that is the end result of the succession process

Question 41

relative abundance

Answer 41

the number of how many individuals are present for each species

Question 42

Gaia hypothesis

Answer 42

organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings on Earth to form a synergistic self-regulating, complex system that helps to maintain and perpetuate the conditions for life on the planet

Question 43

ecological footprint

Answer 43

a measure of human impact on earths ecosystems, its typically measure in area of wilderness or amount of natural capital consumed each year.

Question 44

non-native species

Answer 44

a species that is not known historically in an area, EX: cane toads in Australia

Question 45

lichen

Answer 45

a symbolic relationship of a fungus and an algae

Question 46

germination

Answer 46

sprout of a seed

Question 47

competitive exclusion principle

Answer 47

species with the same niche in the same area cannot coexist

Question 48

order of ecological succession

Answer 48

Exposed rock, lichens, mosses, grasses, weed and scrubs, “young” forest, mature forest, climax community.