AP Environmental Science
Team,
Please read chapter 4 for class tomorrow, questions after class.
Make sure you understand the terms noted below (under ----4----)
Nice work with your countries today...
aloha
b
keystone species
carrying capacity-K
repro rate-r
sympatric-same father
NPP-amt of biomass stored after resp.
complexity-number of trophic levels
edge effects-partitioning-amazon
ecotone-border
pri succession-pioneers
sec succession
climax community
----4----
70/% = doubling time
malthus
I = PAT
GFN
crude birth rate: births per 1000
TFR: total kids per woman (25-30!)
ZPG: birth+ imm = death + emig
replacement rate: 2.1
crude death rate: deaths per 1000
life expectancy-why? clean water
hans rosling TED
class histogram
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_pyramid
dependency ratio
Fig. 4.12 boom, boom echo
demographic transition 4.13
PROBLEM SET CH3:
1. Explain how tolerance limits to environmental factors determine distribution of a highly specialized species such as the saguaro cactus.
Species that are so highly specialized can only live in those certain environments. Therefore, environmental limits determine what kind of species live in a certain area because of their particular needs.
2. In Hawaii, the plants thrive because they receive an abundance of
water and sunlight. The plant life and coral reef produce lots of
biomass in Hawaii, which means it has high productivity. According to
Carole Simm, The Hawaiian Islands contain around 150 different
ecosystems, making Hawaii one of the most diverse bio-regions in the
world. The complexity of the ecosystem developed over millions of
years of evolution. Because of species diversity, Hawaii is fairly
resilient.
3. Selective pressure is a form of evolutionary pressure affects
reproductive of a population. An example of this in Hawaii would be
the Hawaiian Honey creeper has a long and curved beak adapted to sip
nectar from flowers.
4. Define keystone species and explain their importance in community structure and function.
keystone species play critical roles in the balancing of an ecosystem. for example, tropical figs have a slow but steady supply of fruit all season long. if you were to remove figs from the picture, fruit eating species would have a hard time finding food in times where other fruit trees do not produce fruits. on the other hand, if you were to remove frugivores, some plans would not be able to reproduce as they rely on them for pollination.
5. The concept of competition is what drives members of the same species into intense interactions. Since most species occupy a single niche they have to compete with their own species to get their fair share.
6. Explain how predators affect the adaptations of their prey.
The threat of predators creates survival of the fittest amongst the prey. In order for survival prey experience selective pressures, causing them to have better adaptations to survive and evade capture from predation. This in effect causes predators to become more fit hunters. The process of prey and predatory adaptations to one another affects in an evolutionary process called coevolution which normally makes both the predators and prey more advanced as species.
7. Interspecific competition can be dealt with by fights to determine
the alpha male, or whoever has the largest tail. Intraspecific
competition, however, usually resorts to one species making dinner out
of the other or scaring them off with size or numbers.
8.) When an existing community is disturbed, a new one develops from the biological legacy of the old. This is secondary succession occurring. If a fire were to burn down a forest the topsoil would still remain giving small short-lived plants the chance to grow. When these plants die they lay down their organic material that improves the soil's fertility and shelters other seedlings. Soon long-lived and deep-rooted perennial grasses, herbs, shrubs, and trees take hold, building up the soil's organic matter and increasing its ability to store moisture. Fires may be beneficial because they set back higher competitors and give smaller competitive species a chance to thrive.
9. Intensive agriculture, tropical rainforest, estuaries, and coral reefs are the most productive in terms of biomass. The units used to measure this is kilocalorie per meters squared per year.
10. Discuss the dangers posed to existing community members when
new species are introduced into ecosystems.
When new species are introduced into ecosystem the existing community
members have dangers because the new species will join or make a
trophic level. Selecting prey and predators. Since the species are
being introduced, none of the existing community can adapt or even get
used to the new species. Some organisms might have to share resources,
or adapt quickly to reduce population decrease. The new species would
be a disturbance, possibly over time emerging into the ecosystem.
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