Unit 2 Evolution Flashcards
what is ecology?
The study of interactions between organisms and their environment and with each other.
Biotic factors
Living and biological compound, ex plants, animals etc
Abiotic factors
non living compound, ex rocks, water, wind etc
Biotic limiting factors
Competition , predators, parasites, human interference
Abiotic limiting factors
Space/shelter, average temp, food/inorganic nutrients, water availability, soil type, sunlight, wind speed
Levels of organization?
Biosphere>ecosystem>community>population>organism>organ system>organ>tissue>cell>molecule>atom
What is a biome?
A large scale ecosystem
Where is a biome found?
Around the world ex, tundra, grassland
How are biomes distributed
Based on climate (temperature and rainfall)
What is climate and rainfall influenced by?
Incoming solar radiation that increases energy (heat) which results in density changes in the air and in the water.
What does solar radiation affect?
1 .Rise and fall of air masses
2. Evaporation or precipitation of moisture
3. Ocean currents
What are the 6 biomes in Alberta?
1.Muskeg
2.Boreal forest
3.Grassland
4.Rocky mountains
5.Parkland
6.Canadian shield
Things about the Muskeg
-Cold temperatures
-Short growing seasons
-Permafrost layer beneath the soil
-Low precipitation (50-150 cm/year)
-Black bear, caribou, moss, lichens, rapid flowering plants
Things about the Boreal forest
-Also called taiga
-Northern and central Alberta
-Changeable weather
-Soil contains some water and is acidic
-Black and grizzly bears, wolverines, weasels, grouse, deer, moose, owls, spruce, pine, shrubs, ferns, mosses and lichens.
Things about the Grassland
-Central and southern Alberta
-Increased sunlight and warmer temperatures than other ecosystems
-Rich fertile soil
-Bison, deer, rabbits,grasses, grasshoppers, hawks..
Things about the Rocky mointains
-Western Alberta
-Harsh climates up high, mild in valleys
-Polar, pine, spruce, fir, deer, bears, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats..
Things about Parkland
-Central Alberta
-Increased temperature and sunlight compared to the rest of Alberta
-Rich soil
Things about the Canadian shield
-North eastern most part of Alberta
-Harshest temperatures
-Permafrost in some areas (land frozen all year long)
-Short warm summers, long Cold winters
Different ecosystems have a variety of habitats, TRUE or FALSE?
TRUE
What is a habitat?
An area with a particular set of biotic and abiotic characteristics
Within each habitat are various of different ecological niches, TRUE or FALSE?
TRUE
What is an ecological niche?
Organisms role in an ecosystem, consisting of its place in the food web, its habitat, its breeding area and time of day at which its most active.
Basically ecological niche is
-Where it lives
-what it eats
-How it breeds
What are the factors limiting growth in ecosystems?
- Biotic potental
- Birth potential
- Capacity for survival
- Breeding frequency
- Length of reproductive life
- Competition
What is biotic potential?
The maximum # of number of offsprings that a species could produce with unlimited resources.
What is growth, survival and distribution of populations controlled by?
Limited factors, abiotic and biotic conditions that limit the number of individuals in a population.
What is birth potential?
The maxium # of offspring per birth. ( ex, women can only have one kid, on average, per 9 months )
What is capacity for survival ?
The # of offspring that reach reproductive age.
What is breeding frequency?
The number of times a species reproduces each year
What is the length of reproductive life ?
The age of sexual maturity and the number of years and individual can reproduce
What is competition?
Struggle between organisms for resources in the environment
What is intraspecific competition?
Competition between members of the same species
What might populations compete over?
Water, sunlight, soil nutrients, shelter, mates and breeding species
What is inter specific competition?
Competition between different species
What reduces competition?
Niches, species are resource partioning
What reduces competition?
Niches, species are resource partioning
What happens when new species enter the ecosystem?
Causes a disturbance due to competition for niche with the species that was origin there
Can two species occupy the same niche?
No
How are new species introduced?
Happens naturally, animals are mobile and can move from one ecosystem to another.
What does introduction of new species by humans cause?
Species depletion and extinction, second to habitat loss.
-native species may not be able to compete and may not have the défense mechanisms
What’s a predator?
Organism consuming another organism
What is a prey?
Organism being consumed by the predator
What is parasitism?
Interaction where one organism derives its nourishment from another organism (the host)
In parasitism Is the host always permanently harmed or killed?
no
What is bioaccumulation?
the accumulation of substances, such as pesticides, or other chemicals in an organism
What is biomagnification?
-Concentration of toxins in an organism after ingesting them from other plants or animals
-More concentrated as you move up the food chain
What is monocultures?
Large crops of all the same type of plant
-efficient and time saving
-modern farmers method
What are negative aspects of monoculture?
-Decreased biodiversity
-Loss of wild plants
-Loss of insect species
-More susceptible to disease
-Hard on soil
What are special concern species?
Wildlife species that may become a threatened or endangered species because of a combination of biological chractersitics and identified threats.
What are extriprated species?
A species that no longerexists in the wild Canada but occuring elsewhere
What are threatened species?
Species that is likely to become endangered if limiting factors are not reversed.
What are endangered species?
A species that is facing imminent extirpation or extinction
What are extinct species?
Species no longer present in its original range or as a distinct species any longer.
What are species?
A group of organisms that can reproduce with one another in nature and produce fertile offspring.
What is population?
A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time
What is a community?
All of the organism in all interacting populations in a given area.
What is an ecosystem?
Community of populations, together with the abiotic factors that surround and affect it.
What is an ecotone?
A reason of transition between two biological communities.
What are the 6 terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems?
- Prairies, mountain, forests
- Ponds, lakes, oceans
What can forests be broken up into?
1.Canopy
2. Sub canopy or understory
3. Forest floor
4. Soil
What is the canopy?
the aboveground portion of a plant cropping or crop, formed by the collection of individual plant crowns.
What happens when the canopy is denser?
Less things grow on the forest floor
What are the 4 levels of soil views as typical series of layers?
- Litter
- Topsoil
- Subsoil
- Bedrock
What is the litter layer?
Upper layer, partially decomposed leaves/grasses
What is the topsoil?
Under litter, small particles of rock mixed with decaying plant and animal matter called humus. ( great for plants )
What is subsoil?
Under topsoil, more rock particles with only small amounts of organic matter
What is bedrock?
Beneath soil, composed of rocks
The richer the soil the more?
Plants an area can support
What human activities disrupt the soil?
Mining, farming, housing
What are the 3 factors that affect terrestrial ecosystems?
- Water
- Temperature
- Sunlight
What does available water depend on?
-Precipitation
-Duration it stays in the soil
-How much is collected beneath soil
Things about temperature
- changes how organisms function in their environment
- organisms are able to adapt to temperature fluctuations
- organisms can also migrate or hibernate to escape undesired temperatures
Things about sunlight
- sunlight varies between different ecosystems
- this results in different varieties and specializations of organisms in these ecosystems
What are the 4 aquatic zones
- Littoral zone
- Limnetic zone
- Profundal zone
- Benthic zone
Things about the littoral zone
- closest to the shoreline
- rooked plants, clinging insects, wading birds, turtles, frogs
Things about the limnetic zone
- sunlight surface away from the shoreline of lake or ocean
- phytoplankton photosynthesize and produce oxygen
- zooplankton feed on phytoplankton, small minnows and larger fish
Things about the profundal zone?
- insufficient light for photosynthesis
- decomposers live here
- catfish and whitefish feed on debris
Things about the benthic zone?
- stream lake or ocean floor (slit/sana)
- light does not penetrate
- decomposers (bacteria) break down waste
- worms, snails, clams, crayfish
What are the 4 abiotic factors affecting ecosystems?
- Chemical environment
- Temperature and sunlight
- Water pressure
- Seasonal variation
chemical environment?
- freshwater vs saltwater
- amount of dissolved substance, ex phosphorus, nitrogen, pollutants
- amount of dissolved oxygen
Temperature and sunlight in aquatic ecosystems
- affected by depth of water as well as the seasons
- ecosystems near the surface will get more light and warmer temperatures
- the deeper you go the less light you get
Water pressure in relation to aquatic ecosystems?
Water pressure increases when you move deeper into the water body because water is 800 times denser than air
Seasonal variation?
- as water cools, it becomes more dense until it reaches 4 degrees Celsius then it becomes less dense. (density varies with temperature)
- this change in density causes water to circulate seasonally in lakes
Why do we classify?
To understand complex variety of living things
How do we identify organisms?
Use data about common features
What is phylogeny?
The evolutionary history of a species or a group of related species
What is taxonomy?
Science of classification according to inferred relationships among organisms
Who is Carolus Linnaeus and what did he do?
-regarded as the father of taxonomy
-laid the foundations of the binomial system of nomenclature
What is the binomial system of nomenclature?
A system of naming organisms with a two part latin scientific name
What are the rules of nomenclature?
-First part is the genus
-Second part is the descriptive name or species
-Each genus can include many species or related organisms
-genus and species are itralicized or underlined if handwritten
-All taxa from the genus level and higher are capitalized
What are the levels of taxa?
The levels of taxa in biological classification, from broadest to most specific
-DKPCOFGS
What are domains?
-Highest level of organization
-three domains
1.Archae
2.Eubacteria
3.Eukarya
What is eubacteria
-Also known as the TRUE bacteria or Eurobacteria
-They are microscopic prokaryotic cells
-prokaryotic means they dont have a nucleus or organelles
What is archaea bacteria?
-Most microbes that live in extreme environments. (called extremeophyles)
-Dont have a nucleus
-Most likely the ancestors of eukaryotic cells
What is eukarya
-Have cells that contain a nucleus
-Domain includes
>plants
>animals
>fungi
>protista
8 levels in the hierarchy of taxa?
- Domain
- Kingdom
- Phylum
- Class
- Order
- Family
- Genus
- Species
way to remember 8 levels?
King phil can on friday get spaghetti
What do phylogenic trees show?
relationships between different organisms evolutionary pathways
-starts from the oldest (most ancestral) form and branches off to descendants
What is a dichotomus key
-Use observable characteristics to identify organisms
-They are organized in steps with 2 steps each
-These statements are used to identify the organism being looked at
What are adaptations?
A structure, behavior or physiological process that helps an organism survive and reproduce in a particular environment.
What is structural adaptation?
Physical features of an organism
What is behavioural adaptation?
Things organisms do in order to survive
What is physiological adaptation?
Adaptations affecting internal functions
ex; breathing, temp, chemical mechanisms
What is evolution?
Process in which populations change because individuals with certian traits survive and reproduce
-often called survival of the fittest
What is survival of the fittest?
-Organisms that are best suited for their environment survive and breed
-Beneficial traits tend to become more common over time
What is microevolution?
-A small scale evolution within populations
What is macroevolution?
-Evolution on a large scale over the history of life on Earth
-Both involved in mutation, natural selection and migration.
What is overproduction?
-Number of offspring produced is more than can survive
-some bacteria can divide every 20min
What is variation
differences among individuals within a population
What can variation be caused by?
Mutation- changes in the DNA
>mostly neutral or harmful
>rarely are beneficial
When does mutation occur?
Mutation occurs when there is a change in the DNA sequence of an organism, often during DNA replication or due to environmental factors.
Examples of mutation
sickle cell anemia
-single base pair change causes the shape of the white blood cell to change shape
What happens with mutations in populations?
They produce very quickly (bacteria) mutations can occur and spread really quickly
What is sexual reproduction?
-Creates genetically distinct offspring by blending the DNA f two different individuals
-During this blending genes combine in different ways creating combinations
-speeds up evolution
What is speciation?
The formation of a new species
When does speciation occur?
-When accumulation of inherited variations over numerous generations
What is reproductive isolation?
both groups evolve independently so even when they come back together they can’t make in nature to produce fertile offspring.
what is allopatric speciation?
Allopatric speciation happens when two populations are isolated and cant breed when brought back together
What did Plato and Aristotle believe?
-life persisted in a perfected and unchanging form from the moment of creation
-persisted until the 16th century
What did Georges-Louis Leclerc suggest?
-saw that humans and apes had similarity
>common ancestor
-thought that species may improve or degenerate based on the environment they live in
-suggested that the earth was very old (more than 6000 years)
What did Georges Cuvier suggest?
Georges Cuvier suggested the theory of catastrophism, proposing that Earth’s geological features were shaped by sudden, short-lived, and violent events
Charles Lyell
Geologist who proposed the theory of uniformitarianism, suggesting that Earth’s geological features were shaped by slow, continuous processes over long periods, rather than sudden catastrophes
Jean Baptiste Lamarck
-compared current species with fossils
-observed there was a line of descent leading from simple to complex organisms
-most complex organisms had achieved perfection (humans)
Jean baptiste three theories?
- theory of passing on acquired traits
- Theory of need
- Theory of use and disuse
What is the theory of passing on acquired traits?
-traits acquired during an orgnaisms time could be passed onto offspring
-didnt know about genes or DNA
What is theory of need?
-organisms change because they need to
-this is because of environement prssures
-girraffes NEED to reach the tall leaves so they strecth their necks, over time this longer neck ispassed on to their offspring
What is the theory of use and disuse?
-If a developed trait is used it will remain and be passed on
-if a developed trait is notused it will weaken and disappear
Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace?
-acceoeted the idea that populations change over time
-needed a MECHANISM to explain how species changed
Thomas Malthus?
-overproduction
-Malthus work was that population growth would always overpower food supply growth, creating perpetual states of hunger, disease and struggle
-Darwin extended Malthus’ principle to the evolutionay scheme.
Natural selection?
Organisms that are more adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and pass on the genes that aided their success. This process causes species to change and diverge over time.
What are modern theories of evolution?
-Gradualism> changes occur steadily in a linear fashion
>new species come from lots of small changes over time
>problems: no fossils that show this, but fossil record is incomplete.
What is punctuated equilibrium?
-sudden rapid change
-fossil records show long periods where there is little change followed by short burst of speciation
-can happen when animals or plants are REPRODUCTIVELY isolated
What are fossils? DE
Remains, impressions and traces of ancient organisms.
How do fossils occur?
-organic components of organism are replaced by minerals
-impressions left by organisms are preserved by the solidification of mud
-organisms can be caught in tree sap
-mammoths, bison and other extinct animals have been found frozen in Arctic ice
