Download Environmental Science notes outline

Environmental Science Notes Outline
Unit 4: Species, Populations, and Communities
1. Define ecosystem -
2. Ecosystems are made from two main components:
a.
Biotic –
i. Examples:
b.
Abiotic –
i. Examples:
3. List and define each of the organization levels of life:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
4. Define habitat a.
What are two factors that can limit an organism’s range?
5. Define critical factor –
Environmental Science Notes Outline
Unit 4: Species, Populations, and Communities
6. Define adaptation –
a. How is a cheetah an example of this?
7. Define evolution -
8.
Define natural selection –
9. Natural selection is caused by :
a. Mutations –
b.
Selective Pressure –
10. There are five parts to the theory of evolution. Explain what each means:
a. Organisms produce more offspring than surivive.
b. The environment is hostile and has limited resources.
c. Organisms differ in the traits they have.
d. Some inherited traits provide an advantage.
e. Each generation has more organisms with advantageous traits.
Environmental Science Notes Outline
Unit 4: Species, Populations, and Communities
11. How is artificial selection different than natural selection?
Origin of Life
12. How long ago did each of the following occur?
a. Life began:
b. Plants growing on land:
c. First recorded animal fossils:
d. Age of Mammals:
e. Humans appear: About 150,000 years ago
13. What evidence is there that evolution has occurred?
a.
b.
c.
14. What is speciation
15. How do you know if two groups are different species?
a. Divergent evolution –
b. Convergent evolution –
c. Coevolution -
Environmental Science Notes Outline
Unit 4: Species, Populations, and Communities
Scientific Naming
16. How many different common names are there for the crayfish?
17. The scientific name of an organism includes its ______________ and ______________.
a. Write an example scientific name:
18. The taxonomic naming system uses the following levels of organization:
Taxonomic Levels
Humans
Corn
Phylogenetic Trees
19. A phylogenetic tree is also known as a ___________________.
20. Organisms are classified based on three characteristics:
a.
b.
c.
21. What does it mean if two organisms have many characteristics in common?
Environmental Science Notes Outline
Unit 4: Species, Populations, and Communities
Ecological Niche
22. Define habitat –
23. Define niche –
24. There are three specific types of niches. Explain each type:
a. Opportunistic –
b. Pioneer –
c. Keystone –
Species Interactions
25. What is a predator?
26. What is prey?
27. What is intraspecific competition?
28. How do each of these help avoid competition?
a. Dispersal –
b. Territoriality –
c. Resource Partitioning –
Environmental Science Notes Outline
29. What is interspecific competition?
30. What is commensalism?
31. What is mutualism?
32. What is parasitism?
Examples of Symbiosis
33. Whales and barnacles:
34. Clownfish and sea anemones:
35. Bison and cowbirds:
36. Ostriches and gazelles:
37. Mistletoe and spruce trees:
Unit 4: Species, Populations, and Communities
Environmental Science Notes Outline
Unit 4: Species, Populations, and Communities
38. What does population growth study?
39. Define biotic potential –
40. Describe exponential growth:
a. What shape of a curve does this growth make?
41. What is carrying capacity?
a. What happens during an overshoot?
b. What happens during a dieback?
42. Draw the population oscillation graph and label overshoot, dieback, and carrying capacity.
43. What is logistic growth?
44. What is environmental resistance?
a. Give an example of environmental resistance:
45. Draw and label an logistic growth curve:
Environmental Science Notes Outline
Unit 4: Species, Populations, and Communities
46. What are density dependent factors?
a. Give an example:
47. What are density independent factors?
a. Give an example:
Population Growth Strategies
48. What do k-strategists focus on?
49. What do r-strategists focus on?
50. Compare and contrast K and r-strategists:
Characteristic
r-strategists
K-strategists
Lifespan
Growth Rate
Maturity Rate
Number of offspring
Parental Care
Best Environment
Predator or Prey?
Example
Community Structure
51. Describe the three types of arrangement:
a. Random:
b. Clumped:
c. Regular:
52. Draw the three types of arrangement:
Random
Clumped
Regular
Environmental Science Notes Outline
Unit 4: Species, Populations, and Communities