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AP Environmental Science Chapter 4

Terms in this set (44)

evolution
cumulative genetic changes that occur over time in a population of organisms; evolution explains many patterns observed in the natural world
adaptation
evolutionary modification that improves the chances of survival and reproductive success of the population in its environment
natural selection
the process in which better-adapted individuals - those with a combination of genetic traits better suited to environmental conditions - are more likely to survive and reproduce, increasing their proportion in the population
overproduction, variation, limits on population growth, differential reproductive success
evolution by natural selection occurs by four methods
prokaryotic
This cell structure lacks a nuclear envelope and other internal cell membranes - bacteria, neither plant nor animal
eukaryotic
This cell structure has a high degree of internal organization, contains nuclei, chloroplasts (in photosynthetic cells), and mitochondria. Plant and animal.
community
an association of different populations of organisms that live and interact together in the same place and at the same time
ecosystem
a biological community and its abiotic environment together
succession
the process of community development over time, which involves species in one stage being replaced by different species
primary succession
the change in species composition over time in a previously uninhabited environment.
secondary succession
the change in species composition that takes place after some disturbance destroys the existing vegetation; soil is already present
climax community
a stable and persistent community, such as a forest
pioneer community
the initial community that develops during primary succession
symbiosis
any intimate relationship or association between members of two or more species; includes mutualism, commensalism, parasitism
coevolution
the interdependent evolution of two interacting species
mutualism
a symbiotic relationship in which both parties benefit
commensalism
a type of symbiosis in which one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed
parasitism
a symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is adversely affected
epiphytes
Smaller plants, such as mosses, orchids, and ferns that live attached to the bark of the tree's branches. They do not obtain nutrients or water directly from the tree, rather, the tree lets them get closer to the sun. Example of commensalism.
habitat fragmentation
results in the division of large, continuous habitats into a greater number of smaller patches of lower total area, isolated from each other by a matrix of dissimilar habitats
pathogen
when a parasite causes disease and sometimes the death of a host it is know as a ----------
predation
the consumption of one species (the prey) by another (the predator)
competition
the interaction among organisms that vie for the same resources (such as food or living space) in an ecosystem
intraspecific competition
competition occurs among individuals within a population
interspecific competition
competition occurs among individuals within different species
ecological niche
the totality of an organism's adaptations, its use of resources, and the lifestyle to which it is fitted
fundamental niche
the potential, idealized ecological niche of an organism
realized niche
the lifestyle an organism actually pursues and the resources it uses in its ecological niche
limiting resource
any environmental resource that, because it is scarce or at unfavorable levels, restricts the ecological niche of an organism. an organism is limited by any environmental resource that exceeds its tolerance or is less than the required minimum
competitive exclusion
one species excludes another from a portion of a niche as a result of competition between species (interspecific competition)
Gause
Russian biologist, found out in 1934 that when two similar parmeciums are put in the same niche, one will triumph and the other will die
resource partitioning
coexisting species' niches differ from each other in one or more ways (feeding times, nest sites, etc) (fruit eating bats, birds and primates specialize in the fruit they eat and this allows them to have enough fruit for each species)
Robert MacArthur
studied five North American warblers to find classical example of resource partitioning: spend feeding time in different portions of the tree, move in different directions through the canopy, consume different combinations of insects, and nest at slightly different times.
keystone species
a species, often a predator that exerts a profound influence on a community in excess of that expected by its relative abundance
species richness
the number of different species in a community
ecotone
a transitional zone where two or more communities meet
edge effect
the change in species composition produced at ecotones
animalia
archaebacteria
eubacteria
fungi
plantae
protista
list the Six Kingdoms of Life (list - enter, no commas, alphabetical order)
plantae
Kingdom of Life, multicellular, eukaryotic, cell wall
animalia
Kingdom of Life, multicellular, eukaryotic, cell membrane
fungi
Kingdom of Life, multicellular,eukaryotic, mushrooms
protista
Kingdom of Life, eukaryotic, unicellular and multicellular, photosynthetic autotrophs
eubacteria
Kingdom of Life, unicellular, prokaryotic
archaebacteria
Kingdom of Life, unicellular, prokaryotic
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