Download APES Chapter 4 Study Guide - Bennatti

APES Chapter 4 Study Guide
Vocabulary
Evolution
Natural Selection
Mutation
Community
Kingdom
Succession
Primary succession
Secondary succession
Climax community
Pioneer Community
Symbiosis
Mutualism
Commensalisms
Parasitism
Intraspecific competition
Interspecific competition
Symbionts
Coevolution
Predation
Pathogen
Parasitism
Competition
habitat
Niche
Fundamental niche
Realized niche
Limiting resource
Resource partitioning
Keystone species
Species richness
Ecotone
Ecosystem services
1.
What factors led to the extirpation (local extinction) of gray wolves in the lower 48 states?
Federal predator control programs….shot, trapped, poisoned, snared
2.
3.
What state in the lower 48 did not lose all their gray wolves by the 1960s? Minnesota
Describe how the reintroduction of gray wolves to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming
affected Yellowstone ecosystems.
Reduced elk population which were too high leading to starvation during winters and
overgrazing; eased grazing pressure on aspen, willow, cottonwoods etc has allowed plants to
regenerate and led to increased plant diversity and improved plant growth ; herbivores such as
beaver and snowshoe hare have increased as food supply increased due to reduced competition from
elk; small predators such as foxes, badgers and marten have increased in numbers; coyote
populations have dropped sharply resulting in an increase in small mammals such as chipmunks,
ground squirrels as well as pronghorn antelope whose fawns were preyed upon by coyotes;
Scavenger populations (magpies, eagles, ravens, wolverines and bear) have increased as they feed on
remains from wolf kills;
4.
What steps were taken to reduce the opposition for the reintroduction of wolves by ranchers?
Yellowstone pop was classified as experimental instead of endangered so ranchers could kill wolves
that attacked livestock. Defenders of Wildlife reimbursed ranchers for the value of livestock lost to
wolf predation. (Also..tho not in book… ranchers were paid a financial reward for any wolf dens on
their property.)
5.
Evolution by natural selection is based on four observations about organisms. Identify these.
-overproduction…more organisms are born than will survive to maturity or are needed to
replace their parents
-variation….individuals of a species exhibit variations that lead to some individuals being
more likely to survive than others
limits on population growth….resources such as food, space and water limit how many
organisms can survive in an area. Disease and predators also limit pop growth
-differential reproductive successs…..individuals whose characteristics increase their chances
of surviving are more likely to reproduce and pass on their favorable traits to their offspring
5.
Name the six kingdoms and give an example of an organism in each kingdom.
Archaea- anaerobic prokaryotes (no distinct nucleus surrounded by a nuclear membrane or other
organelles surrounded by membranes) found in hot springs , hydrothermal vents and in low oxygen
environments
Bacteria- all other prokaryotes includes some that cause disease, important decomposers, some that
are photosynthetic….
Protista- simple Eukaryotes that are often unicellular or at least simple multicellular organisms;
includes algae, slime molds, water molds, protozoans such as paramecium, rotifers…
Plants- complex, multicellular Eukaryotes that can make their own food
Animals- complex, multicellular Eukaryotes that eat other organisms (are consumers) and digest
food inside their bodies
Fungi- generally complex, multicellular Eukaryotes that secrete digestive enzymes onto their food
and then absorb predigested nutrients
6.
Give an example of primary succession.
Lichens growing on bare rock (or grasses on sand dunes)
7.
Give an example of secondary succession.
Conversion of old field to woods
8.
Is an old field in Maine a climax community? Defend your answer.
No, a climax community is a stable and persistent community. An old field will eventually be replaced
with shrubs and fast-growing trees, then finally with a forest.
9.
Give an example of the organisms you would find in a pioneer community.
Lichens on rock (or grasses on sand dunes)
10.
Which occurs faster, primary succession or secondary succession? Why?
Primary as no soil yet exists
11.
Give an example of mutualism.
Relationship between pollinators and the flowers they pollinate; interdependence between reefbuilding coral animals and the zooxanthellae (algae living inside the coral animals); mycorrhizae
(associations between fungi and the roots of plants)
12.
Give an example of commensalism.
Tropical trees and epiphytes; silverfish (insects) that march with army ants and find food stirred up
by ants
13.
Give an example of parasitism.
Tapeworms; ticks, mosquitoes, fleas…
14.
Describe one example of a plant defense against herbivores.
Milkweed toxins; thick wax on leaves; thorns; leathery leaves; hairy leaves
15.
Give an example of interspecific competition.
Competition for food between different species of birds at a feeder or between moose and deer for
browse
16.
Is interspecific competition a biotic factor or abiotic factor?
Biotic factor
17.
Discuss some of the factors that should be included when describing an organism’s niche.
Habitat, how the abiotic environment affects it and is affected by it; what it eats; what eats it… (a
complete description of the resources it uses, its adaptations and its lifestyle)
18.
Which is generally broader, an organism’s fundamental niche or its realized niche?
Fundamental niche is larger
19.
If two species compete for similar resources and one of the species is removed, which is likely
to change for the remaining species, its fundamental niche or its realized niche?
Realized niche
20.
Explain how global warming could affect an organism’s limiting resource.
An extended growing season may allow a species of plant enough time for seeds to be produced; a
warmer winter may allow species that are limited by minimum winter temperatures (deer ticks for
example)
21.
Explain what is meant by the principle of competitive exclusion.
No two species occupy exactly the same niche in the same place at the same time.
22.
Give an example of resource partitioning.
Resource partitioning will reduce competition between species. For example, insect-eating warblers
may specialize in different parts of the tree some spending most of their time in the upper canopy,
some close to the trunk, some in the lower canopy….
23.
Explain why wolves are considered to be keystone species.
Their presence has a dramatic effect on biodiversity and ecosystem health
24.
Describe several factors that are associated with high species richness (biodiversity).
Ecotones (edge effects); abundance of potential ecological niches; geographic isolation; dominance
of one species over others; habitat stress; geologic history
25.
Describe several examples of ecosystem services.
Forests purify air and water, produce and maintain soil, store carbon, provide wildlife habitat, offer
wood and recreation for humans
(see table 4.1 on page 84)
25.
Explain why species richness (biodiversity) has changed dramatically in Lake Victoria in
recent years.
The 2nd largest freshwater lake in East Africa was home to about 400 sp. Of cichlids. The Nile perch
was introduced into the lake to help fishermen and stimulate the economy but by 1985 cichlid pops
had crashed due to predation by Nile perch and pollution including sedimentation resulting from
deforestation. Nile perch pops appeared to have peaked and are now in decline. Some of the cichlid
pos have started to recover.
26.
Describe one possible explanation for the decrease in sea otter populations along the coast of
Alaska.
Drop in fish stocks caused by overfishing and/or climate change caused seal and sea lion pops to
drop. This caused orcas which normally feed on seals and sea lions to turn to sea otters.
27.
Why are sea otters classified as keystone species?
They feed on sea urchins. W/out the otters, sea urchins decimate kelp forests which are habitat for
many species.