AP Biology Unit 6

1960s

Current awareness of biosphere's limits stems mainly from when?

competative exclusion

"in competition, the species with the slightest advantage will use resources most efficiently and thus reproduce more rapidly. This advantage will eventually lead to local elimination of the inferior competitor." - Gause's principle of ____________ __________

agricultural revolution

10,000 years ago when agricultural societies replaced a lifestyle of hunting/gathering and birth rate increased while death rate decreased and gradual growth assumed

By repeatedly preventing the invasive growth of trees and woody plants

How do fires help maintain savannas as grassland ecosystems?

ecosystem, community, abiotic

A (an) _________ consists of a biological _________, or all the biotic factors in the area, along with the nonliving environmental factors, or ________ factors.

uniform

A _______, or even, pattern of dispersion often results from interactions among individuals of a population. For example, creosote bushes in the desert tend to be spaced this way because their roots compete for water and dissolved nutrients.

clumped

A ________ pattern, in which individuals are aggregated in patches, is the most common in nature. It often results from an unequal distribution of resources in the environment.

wtaer balance, solute concentration

Aquatic organisms may face problems of ______ _______ if their own ______ ____________ does not match that of their surrounding

pesticide DDT

As a call for environmental consciousness, Rachel Carson's Silent Spring focused on the destructive consequences of toxic pollutants, especially the _________.

random

In a ________ pattern of dispersion, individuals in a population are spaced in pattern-less, unpredictable ways.

....

Like desert plants, desert animals are adapted to drought and extreme temperatures, often coming out only at night or when it is cool, building burrows, and having special adaptation to help conserve water.

farming

Most now use N. American temperate grasslands for what?

Rachel Carson

One of the first to perceive the global dangers of pesticide abuse was _____ ________.

natural selection

Organisms are adapted to abiotic and biotic factors by _______ __________.

fluctuations, long-term changes

Organisms vary greatly in their ability to tolerate _____________ and ___-___ _______ in their environements,

Silent Spring

Rachel Carson's book, from which much of our environmental awareness stems.

metabolism

Temperature is an important abiotic factor because of its effect on __________. (0-50 degrees C)

kidneys

Terrestrial organisms have adapted to reduce the risk of drying out by evolving water-tight coverings and efficient _______ that save water by excreting concentrated urine.

age structure

The ___ _______ of a population is the proportion of individuals in different age groups. By studying these, we get an idea of population growth in the future

dispersion pattern

The ________ ________ of a population refers to the way individuals are spaced within their area.

air movements, water currents

The uneven heating of Earth's surface is a major factor driving ___ ____________ and _______ ________.

exponential growth model

This model gives an idealized picture of the unregulated growth of a population.

logistic growth model

This model is a description of idealized population growth that is slowed by limiting factors

high fire risk

What is the main reason that homeowner's insurance is relatively expensive for people who choose to build in the chaparral?

The bioshere includes both biotic and abiotic factors.

Why is it more accurate to define the biosphere as the global ecosystem rather than the global community?

Because deserts are define by relatively little precipiation and dry soil, not mainly by temperature.

Why isn't "cold desert" an oxymoron?

water loss

Wind also increases an organism's rate of _____ _____ by evaporation.

Solar, photosynthesis

______ energy is such an important abiotic factor because ______________ provides the organic fuel and building material needed for the organisms of most ecosystems.

Physical, chemical

__________ and _________ factors influence life in the biosphere.

prevailing winds

___________ _______ result from combined effects of the rising and falling of air masses and Earth's rotation

Environmental problems

________________ _________ reveal the limits of the biosphere.

savanna

a biome dominated by grasses and scattered trees; regulated by fires and grazing

temperate grasslands

a biome similar to savannas, except are mostly treeless (except along rivers and streams), and have relatively cold winter temperatures. (ex. N. American plains)

geographic shift

a change in the population's geographic range relative to a change in some environmental factor, such as temperature

niche

a population's role in its community, or the sum total of its use of the biotic and abiotic resources of its habitat

patchiness

a prominent feature of the biosphere - on both global and regional scale (distribution)

chaparral

a region of dense, spiny shrubs with tough green leaves. The climate of __________ areas results mainly from cool ocean currents circulating offshore, which usually create mild, rainy winters and long, hot, dry summers

coevolution

a series of reciprocal adaptations of two species

keystone predator

a species that reduces the density of the strongest competitors in a community, thus maintaining diversity in a community (ex. sea otter)

westerlies

a type of prevailing wind that blows from W to E

mutualism

a type of symbiotic relationship in which both partners benefit

parasitism

a type of symbiotic relationship in which one organism, the parasite, derives its food at the expense of its host

commensalism

a type of symbiotic relationship in which one partner benefits without significantly affecting the other

water

abiotic factor that is essential to all life

community

all the populations of organisms living together and potentially interacting in a particular area

estuary

an area where fresh water merges with seawater - among the most productive environments on Earth

wetland

an ecosystem that is intermediate between and aquatic ecosystem and a terrestrial one. Important because filters pollutants.

camouflage

an especially common type of defense in the animal kingdom

population

an interacting group of individuals of a species that use common resources and are regulated by the same natural phenomena, such as temperature, water and food supply, and predation

symbiotic relationship

an interaction between two or more species in which one species lives in or on another species.

predation

an interaction where one species eats another. the consumer is called the predator and the eaten is called the prey

population

an interbreeding group of individuals belonging to the same species and living in a particular geographical area

life history

an organism's ____ _______ is the series of events from birth through reproduction to death

intrinsic rate of increase (r)

an organism's inherent capacity to reproduce - depends on the kind of organism but remains constant for any population expanding without limits

zooplankton

animals that drift in the pelagic zone either because too small or don't swim; eat phytoplankton and in turn are eaten by other animals

prevalent form of vegetation

applies mainly to terrestrial situations: what plants prevail in a community? (2nd property of community)

organism level

at this level of study, an ecologist may examine how one kind of organism meets the challenged of its environment. (ex. adaptations of clams to extreme temperatures around hydrothermal vents)

community level

at this level of study, an ecologist might focus on interactions among organisms, such as predation

population level

at this level of study, an ecologist might study a populations' growth rate relative to an abiotic factor, or look at genetic differences among populations.

ecosystem level

at this level of study, critical questions an ecologist may pose concern how chemicals cycle, and how energy flows between organisms and their environments

chaparral

biome most associated with "Mediterranean climate"

deserts

biome with sparse rainfall, freezing nights, rapid evaporation. not necessarily hot, but very dry. centered between 30 degrees N and S latitude.

coniferous forests

biomes in which the principal trees are cone-bearers - dominated by only a few species of trees

doldrums

calm and light winds at the equator - rising air

tropical thorn forests

common in equatorial lowlands, such as India and Africa, where rain is scarce. These areas have prolonged dry seasons, thorny shrubs and trees, and nonwoody plants that retain water

community

consisting of all the populations of a different species that inhabit a particular area

phytoplankton

diverse algae and cyanobacteria that drift in the photic zone - ocean's main photosynthesizers (making up most of the organic food molecules on which ocean-dwellers depend)

trade winds

dry air descending, 30 degrees latitude from the equator, occur at the tropics, deserts form here (NE to SE)

population-limiting factors

environmental factors that restrict population growth

habitats

environmental situations in which organisms live. Each ______ has a characteristic community of organisms.

tundra

found at the northernmost limits of plant growth and at high altitudes just below places covered with ice and snow. Plants found here include small woody shrubs, grasses, mosses, and lichens. Climate is very cold. Brief warm summers with rapid plant growth and flower bursts.

tropical decidious forests

found in areas with distinct wet and dry seasons in Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. Vegetation will drop their leaves during the long dry season and releaf only during heavy rains or monsoons

tropical rain forests

found in very humid equatorial areas, such as Indonesis and the Amazon river basin in S. America, where rain is abundant and a season of reduced rainfall lasts no more than a few months. Among one of the most complex biomes.

life tables

graphs that show how long, on average, an individual of a given age could be expected to live

wind

important abiotic factor for many reasons: distributes nutrients, weathers soil, destroys forests creating patchiness in ecosystem

temperate zones

latitudes between tropics and arctic/Antarctic circles with milder climates

biotic factors

living factors in the environment such as plants and animals

"boom and bust" cycle

long term changes in two populations that fluctuate cyclically in relation to one another

rarity of trees

long, very cold winters (short growing season) and permafrost account for the ______ __ _____ in the arctic tundra.

biomes

major terrestrial ecosystems that cover the land surface of Earth. many are named for climate (temperature and rainfall) and vegetation

relative abundance

measure of the distribution of individuals among populations

species richness

measure of the total number of different species in a community

industrial revolution

mid-1700s when rapid growth occurred due to falling death rates (especially infant mortality) because of improved nutrition, medical care, and sanitation (all technological, not biological)

equilibrial life history

much larger bodied species generally mature later and have fewer offspring but care for their young; population size is stable and held near carrying capacity by density-dependent factors (K-selected)

organism, population. community, ecosystem, biosphere

name the five levels at which ecologists study how organisms interacts with their environment

abiotic factors

non-living factors in the environment such a s temperature, gases, forms of energy, nutrients, and chemicals. These factors largely determine the kinds of organisms that live in different habitats

scientific process

observations, questions, hypothesis, procedure for testing the hypothesis, predicted results, and testing. But unlike in lab experiments (where simplified experiments can be controlled), environments are very complex

pelagic zone

ocean water itself

density-dependent factors

population-limiting factors whose effects depend on population density

density-independent factors

population-limiting factors whose occurrence is not affected by population density

solar energy

powers nearly all surface terrestrial and shallow water ecosystems

stability

refers to communities ability to resist change and return to its original species composition after being disturbed (3rd property of community)

photic zone

relatively small portion of ocean water where light penetrates and photosynthesis occurs

ocean currents

river-like flow patterns in the oceans, formed by a combination of prevailing winds, earth's rotation, and location/shapes of continents

opportunistic life history

small bodied species usually reproduce young, and produce many species; the population tends to grow exponentially when conditions are stable. (r-selected)

ecosystem

the _________ includes all the life forms existing in a certain area and all the nonliving factors as well

permafrost

the arctic tundra is characterized by a continuously frozen ground called __________.

desertification

the conversion of other biomes - especially savannas - to deserts. A significant environmental problem caused by weathering and loss of nutrients/native grasses in soil. Caused by overgrazing, unsustainable agriculture,

trophic structure

the feeding relationships among various species making up the community (4th property of community)

biosphere

the global ecosystem, consisting of the portion of Earth that is alive or holds life. It is self-contained, with the exception of heat absorption from the sun and loss of heat to space

salinity

the major difference between seawater and freshwater

taiga

the most extensive coniferous forest (a.k.a. boreal coniferous forest) characterized by harsh winters and short summers, thin and acidic soil, fewer pollinators b/c no flowers

carrying capacity (K)

the number of individuals (usually the maximum) that an environment can maintain ("carry") with no net increase or decrease

population density

the number of individuals per unit of area or volume

ecology

the scientific study of the interactions of organisms with their environments

benthic zone

the seafloor

intertidal zone

the shallow zone at the edge of an estuary or ocean where estuarine water or seawater meets land . This area is often flooded by high tide and left dry during low tide. All of this zone is a kind of wetland

high temperature, rainfall

the soils of a tropical rainforest are typically poor, because ____ __________ and __________ lead to rapid decomposition and recycling rather than to a build up of organic material needed to return nutrients to the soil.

diversity

the variety of different kinds of organisms that make up a community (1st property of community)

temperate deciduous forests

these biomes grow in latitudes b/w 35 and 50 degrees, where there is sufficient moisture to support the growth of large trees. Seasons occur here, much leaf litter, soil is rich in organic/inorganic nutrients, home to many animals, flowering trees

developing nations

these types of nations project rapid population growth in the future

equator

tropical forests cluster near the _______.

survivorship curves

type I, type II, type III

mark-recapture method

using the proportion of marked to unmarked individuals gives an estimate of the number of individuals (N) in a population N = marked * total catch second time / recaptured marked

aphotic zone

vast dark region of the ocean where light does not penetrate

a population is a local subset of a species

what is the relationship b/w a population and a species?

Batesian mimicry

when a palatable species mimics an unpalatable one

interspecific competition

when two species compete for the same limited resource

Müllerian mimicry

when two unpalatable species that inhabit the same community mimic each other

poor soil

why to tropical rainforests recover so slowly?