Unit 2

Question 1

Biodiversity

Answer 1

The number of different species in an area

Question 2

genetic diversity

Answer 2

the variety of genes within a given species

Question 3

species diversity

Answer 3

Variety of different kinds of organisms that make up a community.

Question 4

habitat diversity

Answer 4

the different kinds of habitats in a given unit area

Question 5

species richness

Answer 5

the number of different species in a community

Question 6

species evenness

Answer 6

the relative proportion of different species in a given area

Question 7

founder effect

Answer 7

the reduction in genomic variability that occurs when a small group of individuals becomes separated from a larger population.

Question 8

population bottleneck

Answer 8

an event that drastically reduces the size of a population.

Question 9

generalist species

Answer 9

Species with a broad ecological niche. They can live in many different places, eat a variety of foods, and tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. Examples are flies, cockroaches, mice, rats, and human beings. Compare specialist species.

Question 10

specialist species

Answer 10

Species with a narrow ecological niche. They may be able to live in only one type of habitat, tolerate only a narrow range of climatic and other environmental conditions, or use only one type or a few types of food.

Question 11

provisioning services

Answer 11

Goods taken directly from ecosystems or made from nat. resources (wood, paper, food)

Question 12

regulating services

Answer 12

Nat. ecosystems regulate climate/air quality, reducing storm damage and healthcare costs (helps climate/lessens ecosystem damage)

ex: flood control, decomposition

Question 13

cultural services

Answer 13

ecosystems provide cultural or aesthetic benefits to many people

ex: recreation and tourism, camp grounds

Question 14

supporting services

Answer 14

Nat. ecosystems support processes we do ourselves, making them cheaper and easier (bees pollinate crops which saves us time and $).

Question 15

anthropogenic activities

Answer 15

Anthropogenic activities are human activities that have an impact on the environment, such as deforestation, pollution, and the burning of fossil fuels.

Question 16

island biogeography

Answer 16

• proposes that the number of species found on an undisturbed island is determined by immigration and extinction
• Distance from the mainland: closer island, higher immigration
• Size of the island: small islands have fewer species than large islands and smaller targets for immigration…higher extinction because fewer resources and diversity

Question 17

endemic species

Answer 17

Species that is found in only one area. Such species are especially in danger to extinction.

Question 18

ecological tolerance

Answer 18

the range of conditions, such as temperature, salinity, flow rate, and sunlight that an organism can endure before injury or death results

Question 19

range

Answer 19

The range refers to the range of environmental conditions within which an organism can survive and reproduce.

Question 20

temperature

Answer 20

A measure of how hot or cold something is.

Question 21

salinity

Answer 21

the amount of salt in water

Question 22

flow rate

Answer 22

The speed at which a fluid flows from one point to another

Question 23

Volcanic disruption

Answer 23

A volcanic eruption is when molten rock, ash, and gas are expelled from a volcano. The type of eruption depends on factors such as the viscosity of the magma and the type of volcano. Eruptions can have both negative and positive impacts on the environment and human health.

Question 24

flooding

Answer 24

A flood is when water overflows its normal boundaries and covers land that is usually dry. Floods can occur due to various reasons such as heavy rainfall or coastal storms. Floods can have both negative and positive impacts on the environment and human health, from property damage to replenishing soil moisture.

Question 25

glaciation

Answer 25

A glacier is a large mass of ice that forms over time from the accumulation and compaction of snow. Glaciers can have impacts on the environment, such as shaping the landscape and influencing the climate. However, the retreat of glaciers due to climate change is a concern.

Question 26

drought

Answer 26

A long period of dry weather

Question 27

wildfire

Answer 27

a large fire that spreads quickly over a natural area

Question 28

earthquake

Answer 28

The shaking that results from the movement of rock beneath Earth’s surface.

Question 29

physical adaptations

Answer 29

Physical adaptations are changes to the physical structure of an organism that help it survive and thrive in its environment. Examples of physical adaptations include the sharp teeth of a carnivore, the webbed feet of a duck, and the thick fur of a polar bear.

Question 30

physiological adaptations

Answer 30

Physiological adaptations, on the other hand, are changes to an organism’s internal systems that help it survive and thrive in its environment. Examples of physiological adaptations include the ability of camels to store water in their humps, the ability of some fish to regulate their buoyancy, and the ability of some animals to hibernate during the winter

Question 31

primary ecological succession

Answer 31

Primary succession is the process of ecological succession that occurs in an area that has never been colonized before. Pioneer species, which are small and hardy, begin to colonize the area and change the environment, eventually leading to the development of a mature ecosystem. The process can take hundreds or thousands of years and can result in an ecosystem that is different from what existed before

Question 32

secondary ecological succession

Answer 32

Secondary ecological succession is the process of ecological succession that occurs in an area that has been previously colonized by living organisms but has experienced a disturbance that has removed most of the organisms. Pioneer species colonize the area, change the environment, and larger and more complex species eventually develop, leading to the development of a mature ecosystem. The process can take decades or even centuries and can result in an ecosystem that is similar or different from what existed before.

Question 33

pioneer species

Answer 33

The first species to populate an area

Question 34

keystone species

Answer 34

Keystone species are species that play a critical role in maintaining the structure and function of the ecosystem, and their removal can have significant consequences for other species in the ecosystem. They can be predators, herbivores, or even plants, and they can influence the ecosystem in a variety of ways.

Question 35

trophic cascade

Answer 35

A series of changes in the population sizes of organisms at different trophic levels in a food chain, occurring when predators at high trophic levels indirectly promote populations of organisms at low trophic levels by keeping species at intermediate trophic levels in check. Trophic cascades may become apparent when a top predator is eliminated from a system.