Chapter 1 Flashcards by Mira F.

What are the focuses on Pacific Islands?

Islands have interesting natural histories, with rich diversity relative to their size

Their small size also implies they may be vulnerable to certain kinds of environmental disturbances

We live here

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What are the two main rock types of the geology of Oceanic Islands?

Basalt
Rich in iron and aluminum
Denser than continental crust
Igneous rock

Limestones
Skeletons of dead marine organisms
Primary calcium carbonate
Sedimentary rock

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What are the two common islands?

Oceanic Island

Continental islands

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What are oceanic islands?

Islands formed in oceanic crust

Majority of islands in remote Oceania; isolated from continental land areas

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What are continental islands?

Islands formed on continental crust

Islands that are part of a continental landmass.

Most common in New Oceania

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What are the four common island formations in Oceania?

Volcanic islands - Single volcanic peak, fringing reef/barrier reef. (Sarigan, Northern Marian islands)

Low Limestone islands - Reef material/coral remains, tips of a sunken volcano. (Majuro, Marshall Islands)

Raised limestone islands - coral reefs or atolls are pushed up above sea level (Tinian, Luta, Aguigan, Northern Marianas Islands)

Continental island (Fiji)

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What are the three features of the four common island formation Guam has?

Volcanic Island

Raised Limestone

Low Limestone

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Are islands static or dynamic features of the earth?

Islands are dynamic due to the movement of tectonic plates.

Animals coming in and out of the islands

People settling on the islands

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What is a biota?

the animal and plant life of a particular region, habitat, or geological period

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What Biota do Oceanic islands have?

Have a distinct collection of plants and animals

Many endemic species

It has a distinct biodiversity that is suited to its particular habitat.

Isolation resulted into distinct ecosystems in oceanic islands

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What biota do Continental islands have?

Much easier for plants and animals to colonize

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What island regions/groups are in the Pacific Ocean?

Micronesia
Melanesia
Polynesia

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What are prehistoric species that were introduced to Micronesia?

Tar(suni)
Dogs
Chicken
Rats
Breadfruit
Several geckos species
Monitor lizards
Various insects

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What is a Hypothesis?

A hypothesis is a “scientific question or explanation” that can be tested through observation or controlled experiments

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What was the hypothesis of island formation?

Hypothesized that the low limestone atolls and the volcanic high Islands were part of a continuum

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What is a theory?

an explanation of a broad or widespread phenomenon that is widely supported by results from many experiments.

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what is a law?

An observation of a phenomenon that happens the same way each time given identical conditions.

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What is proximate cause/question?

how it happens now

Functional Biology

Scientific questions about processes happening in the present, “can be answered with experiments in the present”

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What is ultimate cause/question?

how did it get there

Evolutionary biology

Scientific questions that include a historical component and usually “cannot be answered by experiments in the present day”

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What is a laboratory experiment?

Able to control most extraneous variable
Typically short term
Sacrifices biological realism

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What is a field experiment?

Typically longer than lab experiments (weeks, months, even years!)
More environmental variability
More biological realism

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What is a Natural “Experiment”?

Study which involves observations and data recording in the interest of finding interesting and unique patterns

Lack controls

Less powerful than either lab or field experiments

Can provide important natural history information for future controlled studies

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What are factors/variables?

Anything that influences something

Ecology = Environmental factors -> affect where or whether a species exists or how well it survives

Conditions that may be influencing the system. May be biotic (living) or probiotic (nonliving, 1)competition between geckos and 2) lights

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What is Experimental control?

“Tests condition which is held constant or is unmanipulated”

A test condition of factor is left out but all other conditions are the same

This allows for comparisons between replicates that have been “treated” and “untreated” and allows us to make determinations of causality

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What are the features of science?

Develops predictions that are testable and REFUTABLE Methods are reasonably replicable Peer review Publication of information Uses tentative language: avoid claims of certitude Results in a body of evidence open and accepting of scrutiny

Does Pseudoscience confirms a theory?

Yes

Does science disconfirms a theory?

Yes

What are aspects when doing science?

Willingness to change with new evidence Ruthless peer review Takes account of all new discoveries Invites criticism Verifiable results Limits claims of usefulness Accurate measurement

What are aspects when doing pseudoscience?

Fixed ideas No peer review Selects only favorable discoveries Sees criticism as conspiracy Non-repeatable results Claims of widespread usefulness “Ball-park” measurements

Are the number of islands in Oceania large and varied?

Yes

Are a piece of land surrounded by water define it being an island?

No. The definition of an island relates to the ecology of the land

What does tropical describe?

Describes the range of climates Between tropics of cancer (23.5 degrees N) and Capricorn (23.5 degrees S)

What influences the species of animals that inhabit it?

Vegetations

Do Oceanic Islands have fewer species?

Yes It has a distinct biodiversity that is suited to its particular habitat. Isolation resulted into distinct ecosystems in oceanic islands

Do continental islands have species closely resembling the ones in the mainland?

Yes

What did the farmers bring to first settling into the Oceanic Islands?

Staple crops, domestic animals and medicinal plants

What did the first settlers do when living onto the islands?

Altered the natural landscape and ecology of the islands

What did the Europeans dramatically do to the islands?

Accelerated rate of species introduction, habitat destruction, and extinction.

Did the indigenous people always live in harmony with nature?

What do atolls in the central pacific form?

A series of volcanic islands that go from larger to smaller. The reef then remains.

What reasoning is Darwin's hypothesis when it comes to the formation of atoll islands?

Inductive reasoning Darwin Based his hypothesis on individual evidence - No evidence of volcanic rock holding up the coral

How is an oceanic island formed?

When a volcanic peak grows up from the sea floor and builds land above sea level

How are coral reefs made?

Algae and animals living and dying together

How do islands sink?

added volcanic material cause seafloor to spread, carrying it downwards.

How are atolls made?

Volcano first emerge onto land (Youngest) Then the volcano sinks (Middle) After time, coral continues to build up from the original fringing reef and Shrinking shoreline The mountains almost completely submerged; exposed peaks in the middle of the lagoon (Oldest) When completely submerged, the island is now an atoll

What is a barrier Reef?

An offshore coral reef, separated from the island by a lagoon or other deep water

what is an atoll?

A ring of coral reefs and islets surrounding a lagoon; the remains of a former volcanic island

What are morning geckos?

Native to pacific islands forests and people's homes W's on their backs

What are house geckos?

Native to the Philippines and Indonesia Larger, tan Spread/introduced in WWII

What is competition?

Direct and indirect interaction between organisms over limited resources

What is exploitation?

individuals use the same resources, but do not interact

What is interference?

An individual prevents another from using the resource, limits its access

What is deductive arguments conclusion necessitated by?

The premise If premise and argument is valid, conclusion must be true

What do scientist use Inductive reasoning for?

To develop hypothesis and draw conclusion Note: Better to use for hypothesis

What do scientist use deductive reasoning for?

Devise tests that must include controlled experiments and observations

What is correlation?

Two events are related but without indication of cause-effect relations

What is coincidences?

The occurance of two events of things at the same time and place by chance alone

What Pacific groups are Oceanic Islands?

Micronesia and Polynesia

What Oceanic Group are Continental islands?

Melanesia

What happens to species when introduced to a new area?

Species genetically altered

What is an independent Variable?

Factors believed to influence the system

What is dependent Variable?

Factors measured for a response (response variable)