Biodiversity, Evolution, and Species
JEOPARDY!! 
Biodiversity and
Evolution 1
Biodiversity and
Evolution 2
Speciation
And Niches
Saving Species
Potpourri
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10 Biodiversity and Evolution
1
Define biodiversity and list and
describe its four major components.
10
Biodiversity and Evolution
1
*Biological diversity, or biodiversity, is the variety of the
earth’s species (species diversity), the genes they contain
(genetic diversity), the ecosystems in which they live
(ecological diversity), and the ecosystem processes such
as energy flow and nutrient cycling that sustain
all(functional diversity).
20 Biodiversity and Evolution 1
Define species.
20
Biodiversity and Evolution 1
*A species is a set of individuals that can mate and produce
fertile offspring.
30 Biodiversity and
Evolution 1
What is a fossil and why are fossils
important for understanding the
history of life?
.
30 Biodiversity and
Evolution 1
**Fossils are mineralized or petrified replicas of skeletons,
bones, teeth, shells, leaves, and seeds, or impressions of such
items found in rocks that help to tell us the history of the earth.
30 Community 1
40 Biodiversity and
Evolution 1
What is natural selection?
40 Biodiversity and Evolution 1
*Natural selection is the process in which individuals with certain
traits are more likely to survive and reproduce under a particular set
of environmental conditions than those without the traits.
50 Biodiversity and
Evolution 1
How did humans become such a
powerful species?
.
50
Biodiversity and Evolution 1
*Human success is attributed to three adaptations:
(1)strong opposable thumbs that allow us to grip and use
tools better than the few other animals that have thumbs
(2) an ability to walk upright, which gives us agility and
frees up our hands for many uses
(3) a complex brain, which has allowed us to develop
many skills, including the ability to use speech to transmit
complex ideas.
10
Biodiversity and
Evolution 2
What are three myths about
evolution through natural selection?
10
Biodiversity and Evolution 2
(1) “Survival of the fittest” means “survival of the
strongest.”
(2) Organisms develop certain traits because they
need them.
(3) Evolution by natural selection involves some
grand plan of nature in which species become more
perfectly adapted.
20
Biodiversity and Evolution 2
Describe how geologic processes
can affect natural selection.
20
Biodiversity and
Evolution 2
*Tectonic plate movements, volcanic
eruptions and earthquakes have shifted
wildlife habitats, wiped out large numbers
of species, and created opportunities for
the evolution of new species.
30
Biodiversity and
Evolution 2
Distinguish between geographic
isolation and reproductive isolation
and explain how they can lead to the
formation of a new species.
30
Biodiversity and
Evolution 2
Geographic isolation occurs when different groups of the
same population of a species become physically isolated from
one another for a long period of time. For example, part of a
population may migrate in search of food and then begin living
as a separate population in another area with different
environmental conditions. Populations can also be separated by
a physical barrier (such as a mountain range, stream, or road),
a volcanic eruption, tectonic plate movements, or winds or
flowing water that carry a few individuals to a distant area.
In reproductive isolation, mutation and change by natural
selection operate independently in the gene pools of
geographically isolated populations.
.
40 Biodiversity and Evolution 2
* What is an endemic species and
why can such a species be
vulnerable to extinction?
40
Biodiversity and
Evolution 2
Species that are found in only one area are
called endemic species and are especially
vulnerable to extinction because they are
unlikely to be able to migrate or adapt in
the face of rapidly changing environmental
conditions.
50
Biodiversity and
Evolution 2
Distinguish between background
extinction rate and mass extinction.
.
50 Biodiversity and Evolution 2
** Throughout most of the earth’s long
history, species have disappeared at a low
rate, called background extinction. Mass
extinction is a significant rise in extinction
rates above the background level. In such a
catastrophic, widespread, and often global
event, large groups of species (25–95% of all
species) are wiped out worldwide in a few
million years or less.
10
Speciation and Niches
Define species diversity
and distinguish between
species richness and
species evenness.
10
Speciation and
Niches
** An important characteristic of a community and the ecosystem to which it
belongs is its species diversity: the number of different species it contains
(species richness) combined with the relative abundance of individuals within
each of those species (species evenness).
A biologically diverse community such as a tropical rain forest or a coral reef
with a large number of different species (high species richness) generally has
only a few members of each species (low species evenness). A single tree in a
tropical forest in Panama may house an estimated 1,700 different beetle species
but only a few individuals of each species. In contrast, an aspen forest
community in Canada may have only a few plant species (low species richness)
but large numbers of each species (high species evenness).
20
Speciation and
Niches
Define and distinguish between an
ecological niche (or niche) and a
habitat.
20
Speciation and
Niches
An important principle of ecology is that each
species has a specific role to play in the ecosystems
where it is found. Scientists describe the role that a
species plays in its ecosystem as its ecological niche,
or simply niche. It is a species’ way of life in a
community and includes everything that affects its
survival and reproduction, such as how much water
and sunlight it needs, how much space it requires,
and the temperatures it can tolerate.
A habitat is the place where a species lives.
30
Speciation and
Niches
Distinguish between generalist
species and specialist species and
give an example of each.
30
Speciation and
Niches
Generalist species have broad niches. They can live in
many different places, eat a variety of foods, and often
tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. Flies,
cockroaches, mice, rats, white-tailed deer, raccoons, and
humans are generalist species.
Specialist species occupy narrow niches. They may be able
to live in only one type of habitat, use one or a few types
of food, or tolerate a narrow range of climatic and other
environmental conditions. For example, tiger salamanders
breed only in fishless ponds where their larvae will not be
eaten.
.
40
Speciation and Niches
Why has the fact that the giant panda is a specialist
species led to its classification as an endangered
species?
40
Speciation and
Niches
Giant pandas have a very narrow
niche, and therefore are greatly
affected by human activities and
climate change.
50
Speciation and
Niches
Define and distinguish among native,
nonnative, indicator and keystone species
and give an example of each.
50
Speciation and
Niches
(1) Native species are those species that normally live and thrive in a
particular ecosystem.
(2) Other species that migrate into, or are deliberately or accidentally
introduced into, an ecosystem are called nonnative species, also referred to
as invasive, alien, and exotic species. The African bee would be native to
Africa but a nonnative to Brazil.
(3) Keystone species’ roles have a large effect on the types and abundance
of other species in an ecosystem. Honeybees are keystone species.
(4)Species that provide early warnings of damage to a community or an
ecosystem are called indicator species. The presence or absence of trout
species in water at temperatures within their range of tolerance is an
indicator of water quality because trout need clean water with high levels
of dissolved oxygen.
10
Saving Species
Distinguish between endangered
species and threatened species
and give an example of each.
10
Saving Species
An endangered species has so few individual
survivors that the species could soon become
extinct over all or most of its natural range (the
area in which it is normally found). Examples
include the California condor and the whooping
crane.
A threatened species (also known as a vulnerable
species) is still abundant in its natural range, but
because of declining numbers, is likely to become
endangered in the near future. Examples may
change depending on the status of the species. An
examples is the polar bear.
20
Saving Species
List four
characteristics that
make some species
especially
vulnerable to
extinction.
20
Saving Species
Characteristics that make some species especially
vulnerable to ecological and biological extinction
include: low reproductive rate, specialized niche,
narrow distribution, feed at high trophic level,
fixed migratory patterns, rare, commercially
valuable and large territories
30
Saving Species
What is the U.S.
Endangered Species Act?
30
Saving Species
The U. S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA; amended in 1982, 1985, and 1988) was
designed to identify and protect endangered species in the United States and abroad. This
act is probably the most far-reaching environmental law ever adopted by any nation,
which has made it controversial. Under the ESA, the National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) is responsible for identifying and listing endangered and threatened ocean
species, while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) is to identify and list all other
endangered and threatened species. Any decision by either agency to add a species to, or
remove one from, the list must be based on biological factors alone, without consideration
of economic or political factors. However, economic factors can be used in deciding
whether and how to protect endangered habitat and in developing recovery plans for listed
species. The ESA also forbids federal agencies (except the Defense Department) to carry
out, fund, or authorize projects that would jeopardize an endangered or threatened species
or destroy or modify its critical habitat. For offenses committed on private lands, fines as
high as $100,000 and one year in prison can be imposed to ensure protection of the
habitats of endangered species, although this provision has rarely been used. This part of
the act has been controversial because at least 90% of the listed species live totally or
partially on private land. The ESA also makes it illegal for Americans to sell or buy any
product made from an endangered or threatened species or to hunt, kill, collect, or injure
such species in the United States. Between 1973 and 2009, the number of U.S. species on
the official endangered and threatened species lists increased from 92 to 1,318. According
to a 2000 study by the Nature Conservancy, one-third of the country’s species are at risk
of extinction, and 15% of all species are at high risk—far more than the 1,318 species on
the endangered and threatened species lists
40
Saving Species
Summarize the roles and
limitations of wildlife refuges,
gene banks, botanical gardens,
wildlife farms, zoos, and
aquariums in protecting some
species.
40
Saving Species
Zoos, aquariums, game parks, and animal research centers
are being used to preserve some individuals of critically
endangered animal species, with the long-term goal of
reintroducing the species into protected wild habitats. These
institutions typically suffer from lack of funding and
inadequate space. Additionally, if the goal is reintroduction
to the wild, this may fail because of habitat destruction,
overhunting or poaching.
.
50
Saving Species
What is the precautionary
principle and how can we use
it to help protect wild species
and overall biodiversity?
50
Saving Species
The precautionary principle: When substantial preliminary evidence
indicates that an activity can harm human health or the environment,
we should take precautionary measures to prevent or reduce such
harm even if some of the cause-and-effect relationships have not
been fully established scientifically. This principle should be
invoked in protecting biodiversity, as we do not know what the
overall ramification of species loss will be on other species,
ecosystems or the human population.
10 Genetics 2
My name is Bond, Ionic Bond;
Taken, not shared!
10 Population Growth
From: Mariano Cecowski
<MCecowski#NoSpam.sif.com.ar>
Q: if both a bear in Yosemite and one in
Alaska fall into the water
which one disolves faster?
A: The one in Alaska because it is
HIJKLMNO
10 Population Growth
Alimentary: What Sherlock Holmes said to Dr. Watson.
Urinate: What a nurse would say if a patient asked her what room
he's in.
Urine - The opposite of "You're out!"
Benign: What we want when we are eight.
Intestine - Currently taking an exam
CARDIOLOGY: advanced study of poker playing
TERMINAL ILLNESS: getting sick at the airport
10
Potpourri
What are two limits on
evolution by natural
selection?
10
Potpourri
**Two limits to evolution by natural selection include:
1) a change in environmental conditions, which can
lead to such an adaptation only for genetic traits
already present in a population’s gene pool, or for
traits resulting from mutations
2) even if a beneficial heritable trait is present in a
population, the population’s ability to adapt may be
limited by its reproductive capacity.
10
Genetics 2
20
Define speciation.
Potpourri
20
Potpourri
Speciation is when one species splits into two or more different
species. For sexually reproducing organisms, a new species is
formed when one population of a species has evolved to the point
where its members no longer can breed and produce fertile
offspring with members of another population that did not change
or that evolved in a different way.
30
Potpourri
Explain why species-rich ecosystems tend to be
productive and sustainable.
30
Potpourri
*Species diversity is a major component of
biodiversity and tends to increase the
sustainability of some ecosystems. Research
suggests that species richness affect an
ecosystem because plant productivity is higher
in species-rich ecosystems and species
richness enhances the stability, or
sustainability of an ecosystem.
30
Genetics 2
40
Potpourri
Describe two economic
and two ecological
benefits of species
diversity.
40
Potpourri
Economic benefits include providing
the world with food plants and
ecotourism opportunities.
Ecological benefits include
pollination and chemical cycling.
50
Potpourri
Explain why prevention is the best
way to reduce threats from
invasive species and list five ways
to implement this strategy.
50
Potpourri
There are more than 7,100 harmful invasive (nonnative) species that have been deliberately or
accidentally introduced into the United States.
Ways to limit the harmful impacts of nonnative species include:
Fund a massive research program to identify the major characteristics that allow species to
become successful invaders and the types of ecosystems that are vulnerable to invaders.
Greatly increase ground surveys and satellite observations to detect and monitor species
invasions and to develop better models for predicting how they will spread and what
harmful effects they might have.
Step up inspection of imported goods and goods carried by travelers that are likely to
contain invader species.
Identify major harmful invader species and establish international treaties banning their
transfer from one country to another, as is now done for endangered species.
Require cargo ship handlers to discharge their ballast water and replace it with saltwater at
sea before entering ports, or require them to sterilize such water or to pump nitrogen into
the water to kill most invader organisms.
Increase research to find and introduce natural predators, parasites, bacteria, and viruses to
control populations of established invaders.