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74 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
The oxpecker bird lives near herds of zebra and rhinoceroses. The oxpecker eats ticks and other parasites off the herbivore. The herbivore in turn has less disease from pests. Which type of symbiosis is this? |
mutualism |
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What type of distribution pattern would wildflowers display whose seeds are spread by wind? |
random |
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Monarch butterfly caterpillars take poisons from its food to make itself poisonous, poisons are incorporated into adult form. Adult form is mimicked by many other viceroy butterflies. Which defense mechanism are the viceroy butterflies using? |
physical |
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Which type of growth curve is exhibited by a species with limited resources available to them? |
logistic |
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Which survivorship curve would a salmon display if laid 1500 eggs at once, less than half survived to adulthood and the parent did not extend care to the young? |
Type III |
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American bison are most likely to be found in which biome? |
prairie (temperate grassland) |
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A key feature of estuaries is |
mixture of saltwater and freshwater |
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Which type of biome is being described: "They can range in size; temperature is an important factor; thermal stratification occurs usually in summer time; and sometimes they can be severely affected by algal blooms." |
lakes and ponds |
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The ________ zone is the part of the ocean that extends along the ocean bottom from the shoreline to the deepest parts of the ocean floor. |
benthic |
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All of the following are ways in which humans cause extinctions EXCEPT: -destruction of habitats -geophysical disasters -pollution -exploitation of commercially valuable species |
geophysical disasters |
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Converting a prairie to a farm field is an example of ___________. |
habitat loss |
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What is the name of the law enacted in 1973 that helps regulate hunting/fishing particularly of those species in danger of becoming extinct? |
Endangered Species Act |
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A(n) ________ species is a species that has been introduced to an ecosystem in which it did not evolve. |
exotic |
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Which factor is not used in determining biodiversity? -numbers of species -ecosystem diversity -genetic diversity -annual rainfall |
annual rainfall |
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ecology |
study of the interaction between organisms and their environment |
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population |
all of the individuals of a species in a given area |
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population density |
amount of x per unit area |
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3 types of species distribution patterns |
random clumped uniform |
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3 types of survivorship curves |
Type I: (humans) low mortality rates in young offspring; produce few offspring; provide more parental care Type II: (birds) constant mortality rate over entire life span across all age groups; all age groups equally likely to die/survive regardless of the amount of parental care Type III: (trees) high mortality rates in young offspring; produce many offspring; provide less parental care |
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Compare exponential growth curves to logistic growth curves. |
Exponential (population doubles every reproduction cycle) Logistic (population doesn't double each time) Exponential (no limits) Logistic (limited by resource availability) Exponential (J-shaped curve) Logistic (S-shaped curve) |
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Define carrying capacity and list some of the resources that affect it. |
carrying capacity - the number of individuals in a population that the environment can support Defined by the available resources (water, nutrients, space, light, weather, natural disasters) |
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density-dependent factors |
Mortality factors that aren't affected by density (predation, competition, parasite/diseases) |
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density-independent factors |
Mortality factors that have nothing to do with population density (natural disasters, weather, pollution) |
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K-selected species |
adapted to stable, predictable environments; exist close to carrying capacity; larger size; fewer offspring; allocate more resources to offspring; ex. elephants |
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r-selected species |
adapted to unstable, unpredictable environments; large numbers of small offspring; minimal parental care; ex. dandelions |
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Describe the growth curve of human population |
Human population growth also restricted by resource availability Humans can change their carrying capacity using biotechnology |
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Characteristics of age-structure diagrams |
Fancy A = rapid growth (many reproductive-aged people; underdeveloped countries) Normal A = slow growth (fewer reproductive-aged people; more older-aged people; developed countries) Arch = stable growth (zero population growth; mostly middle-aged people; developed countries) |
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Consequences of overpopulation of humans |
degradation of the environment, global climate change, family planning, emissions standards |
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Describe the relationship between a predator and prey. |
As prey population increases, predator population increases. As prey population decreases, predator population decreases. |
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List and identify different defense mechanisms. |
Mechanical DMs discourage physical contact (rough or painful covering). Chemical DMs discourage consumption through toxic substances (poison). Physical DMs are used in avoidance techniques (camouflage, bright red and orange colors aka warning coloration, mimicry, plants growing out of season or out of reach, plants growing nonessential parts more noticeably than essential parts) |
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3 types of symbiotic relationships |
mutualism (both species benefit) commensalism (one species receives a benefit and the other is not impacted) parasitism (one species benefits and the other is harmed) |
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foundation species |
-base of the community with highest impact on overall structure -primary producers -abundant -may physically modify the environment of produce/maintain habitats ex. coral reefs |
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keystone species |
presence has excessive influence in maintaining prevalence of other species in the area ex. sea star which, when removed, causes mussels to proliferate, causing other species to die out, reducing biodiversity |
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succession |
the sequential appearance and disappearance of species in a community over time after a disturbance |
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primary succession |
newly exposed or formed land; primary producers colonize the area |
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secondary succession |
a community replaces one that has been destroyed by a natural disaster |
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climax community |
the final composition of the area until the next natural disaster |
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food chain |
linked series of feeding relationships |
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autotroph |
producers |
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photoautotroph |
an organism that gets energy from the sun and makes its own food |
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chemoautotroph |
an organism that gets energy from inorganic molecules and makes its own food |
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heterotroph |
consumers; they get energy from the organisms they eat |
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net primary productivity |
the energy that remains in the producers made available to primary consumers |
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Explain what happens to the available energy as you move up a trophic level. |
90% of the energy available at the first level is lost as heat. |
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biomagnification |
the increasing concentration of persistent, toxic substances in successive trophic levels (Occurs with PCBs, DDT, mercury, and lead) |
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Explain how matter moves through the earth. |
Matter is recycled and conserved (water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur) |
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List the various processes of the water cycle. |
evaporation (liquid to water vapor) sublimation (ice to water vapor) transpiration (evaporation of water off leaves) condensation precipitation subsurface water flow surface runoff and snowmelt streamflow |
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Identify processes that increase CO2. |
-breaking glucose bonds (cellular respiration) -breaking carbon bonds in fuels (human impact) -deforestation -death |
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Explain how humans increase the amount of nitrogen on the planet |
combustion of fossil fuels use of artificial fertilizers, which wash into water by surface runoff (eutrophication: excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen) |
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List the reasons phosphorus is important and how it is added into its cycle |
-major component of nucleic acids, phospholipids, & bones -often the limiting nutrient in aquatic ecosystems -Weathering of rocks and volcanic activity release phosphate into the soil, water, and air -Enters the oceans through surface runoff, groundwater flow, and river flow |
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What causes dead zones? |
excess phosphorous and nitrogen from fertilizers and sewage cause excessive growth of algae; depletes oxygen and kills fauna |
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biome |
a large-scale community of organisms, with a characteristic climate and plant types |
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List the abiotic factors that affect aquatic biomes. |
-light -temperature -flow regime (movement) -dissolved solids (salt) |
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Compare oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries. |
ocean - continuous body of salt water that is relatively uniform in composition coral reefs - ocean ridge w/ sunlight inhabited by Cnidarians (coral polyps) estuaries - salt water and fresh water mixed |
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zones of the ocean |
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Compare the 3 categories of freshwater biomes. |
-Lakes and ponds: contained bodies of freshwater -Rivers and streams: continuously moving bodies of water -Wetlands: soil is saturated with water; near continuous cover of emergent vegetation |
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Which freshwater biome suffers from thermal stratification? |
lakes and ponds |
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Compare marshes, swamps, bogs, and mudflats. |
All are wetlands. Marshes are herbaceous. Swamps are forested. Bogs have wet, spongy ground called "peat." Mudflats have oxygen-poor mud. |
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What are the 3 levels of biodiversity? |
genetic diversity ecosystem diversity species diversity |
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genetic diversity |
heritable variation within and between populations of organism |
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ecosystem diversity |
the number of different ecosystems on Earth or in a geographical area |
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species diversity |
the number of species in a given area |
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Explain why it is not good to have low biodiversity in a species. |
Low biodiversity makes the species more susceptible to diseases and less likely to survive major environmental changes. |
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Identify the 3 areas that biodiversity is important to. |
human health food sources economics |
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biophilia |
instinctive desire to commune with nature |
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3 major threats to biodiversity |
habitat loss overharvesting exotic species |
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Tragedy of the Commons |
Fishers have little motivation to exercise restraint in harvesting a fishery when they do not own the fishery |
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competitive exclusion principle |
If two different species utilize the exact same limiting resource at the exact same time at the exact same place, then one will go extinct. No two species can occupy the same niche. |
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Explain how climate change will affect biodiversity in the future |
-major extinction threats -alteration of regional climates will make habitats less hospitable to the species living in them -There will be increased competition because of habitat loss. |
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background extinction vs. mass extinction |
background extinction: normal # of species go extinct mass extinction: widespread and rapid extinction of species |
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ecological footprint |
the total impact a person has on the environment |
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Compare the 2 major world views |
***Human-centered worldview*** We are in charge of nature. Nature is for us to use. The value of nature depends on its utility to us. ***Earth-centered worldview*** We are a part of nature. Species should be preserved for their own sake. All forms of life have inherent value. |
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biodiversity hotspot |
geographical areas that contain high numbers of endemic species |
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List several ways that we are combating extinction. |
Legal initiatives Habitat Restoration Zoos and captive breeding |