Environmental systems unit 4

how much do invasive species cost the united states every year?

$138 billion

1.Kingdom 2.Phylum 3.Class 4.Order 5.Family 6.Genus 7.Species

1.animalia 2.chordata 3.mammalia 4.sirenia 5.tricheidae 6.trichechus 7. manatus

What is population?

All the members of one species living together in the same place at the same time

Lesson 2

Human Populations

who is carl linnaeus?

a biologist who came up with the current way of naming species

define genus

a group of closely related species

Define dichotomous key

a method of classifying organisms by asking descriptive questions

Three urbanization trends

- Both the number of cities and the population of cities are increasing drastically. - The rate at which people are living in cities is increasing drastically. - In developing countries, poverty is increasing drastically in urban areas.

three advantages of urbanization

-Economic benefit -environmental benefit -preservation of habitat

three reasons people move to cities

-Employment -war -famine

three disadvantages of urbanization

-Urban sprawl -lack of vegetation -water problems

four different aspects that determine future population predictions

-age structure -fertility rates -movement rates -survivorship

three different types of population dispersion

-clumped -random -even

three problems associated with slums

-easily destroyed in natural disasters -disease -lack of adequate food and clean water

what are three synonyms for introduced species?

-exotic species -nonnative species -alien species.

three reasons why planting your garden with native species is a good idea

-fewer chemicals -less invasive species -preserves a way of life

select three ways invasive species get introduced

-for conservation. people bring in a species to solve and problem, but the species becomes invasive -by accident. invasive species bitch a ride on a boat, animal, or person to their new location, and thrive. on purpose. someone brings in a species from his or her home country, or someone releases exotic plants or animals into the wild when tired of caring for them.

two reasons a country would experience low fertility rates

-high education level of females -high cost of raising children

what three questions can the precautionary principle help conservationists answer?

-how do we decide which species to spend money on? -which are the most vital habitats? -with limited resources, how do we divide funds between saving habitats and saving certain species?

what are the four main threats to biodiversity?

-invasive species -habitat loss -infectious disease -illegal killing and capturing.

what are eight characteristics that make some species so successful at being invasive?

-invasive species have a lack of predators, pathogens, or diseases, which keeps population levels sustainable -invasive animals are generalists, which means they will eat almost anything -invasive species reproduce rapidly -some animals can reproduce both sexually and asexually -some invasive plants have the ability to make chemicals that stop the growth or nearby plants -invasive species are resistant to many pathogens and carry disease with them without being affected -invasive species have rapid growth rates -other invasive plants have long photosynthetic periods

what are three different ways habitats are lost?

-land loss -slash-and-burn agriculture -pollution.

What are two different aspects of biodiversity

-population numbers of individual species -the total number of different species.

what are four different ways the ESA seeks to conserve biodiversity?

-prohibit the unauthorized possession, sale, and transportation of endangered species -penalize persons who are in violation of the ESA -authorize and determine which species will be on the endangered and threatened list -conserve habitats through the purchase of land and waterways

four reasons a country would experience high fertility rate

-religious and cultural beliefs -low cost of raising and educating children -importance of children for labor -low education of women

Three terms to describe populations

-size -density -dispersion

Why did the reindeer population crash?

-starvation -depleted food source

select three reasons why native species are important

-their roles in ecosystems -their potential chemical uses, such as for making medicine -their genetic diversity

why are species illegally hunted and captured?

-to become trophies -meat, skins, or perceived medicinal properties -captured and sold in the illegal pet trade because the market is very lucrative -considered a nuisance

name and describe the three ways that new species were introduced to hawaii

-water: the oceans currents carried new materials to the island -wind:blew seed to the island from faraway places -wings:birds flew to the island carrying seeds and insects

what are three reasons biodiversity is important to humans

-we use plants and animals for our clothing -the more varieties of food crops we have, the better we can feed ourselves if an environmental change occurs -we use plants for medicine. about 25% of drugs in the U.S. coke from plants

what are four ways to help preserve biodiversity?

-zoos and captive breeding programs -ecotourism -preserve land -seed banks

how many people live in slums

1 billion or 1 out of 7

1. the number of individuals 2. the number of individuals per area 3. the arrangement of individuals within a certain amount of space

1. size 2. density 3. dispersion

What is the range for the carrying capacity of human populations?

2 billion to 40 billion.

cities account for only __ of the earth's land, but take up about __ of its resources.

2%, 75%

what is the human population projected to be in 2050?

9 billion

how is every organism named according to binomial nomenclature

Genus name is capitalized, the species name is not capitalized, and the word is italicized.

Lesson 4

Biodiversity Basics

what does it mean for the preservation of biodiversity to be ethical?

Biodiversity ethics means believing that all species have a right to exist for ethical reasons, whether or not they are of value to humans.

why is biodiversity important to ecosystems?

Biodiversity helps complex food webs remain intact.

why is preserving habitat the best way to preserve biodiversity?

By protecting or preserving a whole ecosystem, the chances for survival of endangered species increases.

What happens when a species gets removed from its ecosystem

If one species disappears, part of the food web is missing. This could have a huge rippling affect for all the other species somehow connected to that species. The stability of the ecosystem could be threatened.

what caused mass extinction in the past? what is causing mass extinction today?

In the past, it was because of climate change. Today it is caused by humans.

what is one reason the NOAA ship, Okeanos, is exploring the ocean depths?

One reason for ocean exploration is to look for new medicinal compounds hidden inside marine animals such as sponges and tunicates, because they often contain more antibiotic and anticancer chemicals than plants found on land.

Why are bed bugs so resilient?

Low genetic diversity does not weaken them; they can still inbreed and produce healthy and robust offspring.

are all nonnative species dangerous

No; Most nonnative species do not negatively impact the environment and are often called naturalized.

Lesson 1

Population Basics

What is the formula for growth rate?

Population Change / Total Population

why do scientists struggle with the classic definition of species?

Scientists can breed animals that don't normally breed in the wild and produce fertile offspring.

what are seed banks and why are they important?

Seed banks are genetic banks for the world's crops and plant species. If entire crops are wiped out worldwide, there will be seeds to replace them, and humans can survive.

why is slash and burn agriculture a problem now and not 10,000 years ago?

Ten thousand years ago, the population was much smaller and people did slash-and-burn solely for subsistence. Now, many more people are participating in the practice, and some are growing crops for big corporations.

Why is the Giant African snail so damaging to ecosystems?

The Giant African Snail not only voraciously feeds on over 500 different types of plants, it also carries a parasitic nematode. This parasite can dig inside a person's brain and cause meningitis.

why is it better for a species to have a greater genetic diversity?

The greater the genetic diversity a species' population has, the greater the ability for that species to adapt to any changes.

why does hawaii have such a high rate of endemic species?

The isolation of the islands allowed species to change and adapt.

Why are kudzu vines so damaging to ecosystems?

The kudzu vine grows rapidly, taking all available space and knocking down trees with its weight.

why is urban sprawl bad

These areas tend to be less dense than the city core and destroy more habitat.

why do you think endemic species are at greater risk of extinction?

They are only found in one place and are often highly adapted to live in only that location.

write the scientific name for the west indian manatee using binomial nomenclature

Trichechus manatus

Lesson 3

Urbanization

why are zebra mussels so damaging economically

Zebra mussels reduce the amount of other shellfish for harvest and selling, and they also clog pipes.

define a slum

a place that lacks basic living conditions necessary for it inhabitants to be safe and healthy

define the term native

a species has existed in a certain area for a long period of time, usually thousands of years, and before human contact

Define infectious disease

an illness that is caused by one organism or substance entering another organism and infecting it

Define invasive species

an introduced species that reproduces and spreads rapidly, causes great damage, and is difficult to control

how are organisms classified in the phylum category?

based on basic body structure

what happens to population growth in the preindustrial phase?

birth rates and death rates are high, creating stable population levels

the further you go down the levels of classification, the more _____ species become

closely related

postindustrial

fertility rates begin to fall below replacement levels, leading to population decline

Define the term exponential growth

for every generation, the population grows many times greater than the one before it

lesson 6

future of biodiversity

lesson 9

identifying species

Define precautionary principle

if the evidence, even if not fully studied, shows that human health or the environment can be harmed, then all precautionary measures should be taken to avoid or reduce the potential harm

lesson 8

invasive species

why is important to get rid of invasive species

invasive species destroy habitats and ruin economic activity

lesson 7

native species

define the term indigenous

native species that are found in more than one location on the earth

define the term endemic

native species that are only found in one location and nowhere else on the earth

Define the term limiting resources

natural resources that limit population growth

industrial

population rates begin to decrease, but population as a whole is much larger

transitional

population rates begin to explode as death rates decline due to increased hygiene and access to medicine, and birth rates remain high

which type of populations are more threatened by extinction through infectious disease?

populations with low genetic diversity

The best way to combat invasive species is to ___.

prevention

define threatened species

species that are declining in numbers and are likely to become endangered if protective measure are not taken

Define endangered species

species that are likely to become extinct if protective measures are not taken

what is extinction?

species that are no longer in existence

define the term total fertility rate

the average total number of children a woman will have in her lifetime in a certain area

define taxonomy

the branch science that describes, classifies, and named life forms

Define the term growth rate

the change in population numbers over time

What is slash and burn agriculture?

the cutting and burning of forest in order to grow crops

define urban sprawl

the development of land at the edges of cities

Define the term carrying capacity

the maximum number of a species an ecosystem can support indefinitely

Define the term reproductive potential

the maximum number of offspring an individual of the population can produce

Define the term fertility rate

the number of babies born per 1,000 women

define the term replacement level

the number of children each woman must have in order for population levels to remain the same in the future

what is meant by genetic diversity?

the number of variations for different genes

define biodiversity

the numbers and variety of different species in a given area

why is the bald eagle and ESA success story?

the population numbers of the bald eagle have sufficiently risen to take the bird off the endangered species list

Define conservation

the preservation and restoration of something

define and describe desertification

the process of a forest turning into a desert; happens when slash-and-burn fields are abandoned and the lack of nutrients make it difficult for new plants to begin to grow; leads to erosion, which leads to the hardening of the surface, and deserts are born

what is de-extinction?

the process of bringing extinct animals back to life through cloning

Define urbanization

the process of cities being built and expanded and people moving into those cities

Define demography

the study of populations

what are vertebrates classified by in the class category

their skeletal systems, general environmental adaptations, and reproductive systems

Lesson 5

threats to biodiversity

What is the Endangered Species Act? (ESA)

united states legislation which seeks to conserve species on the brink of extinction