Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this lesson, the student will be able to:
• describe chemical and biological evolution
• appreciate the enormous spans of geological/evolutionary time
• explain how natural selection acts on variation
• define ecological niche
• compare and contrast broad and narrow ecological niches
• explain the relationship between ecological niche and evolutionary adaptation
• compare and contrast generalist and specialist species
• describe the processes of speciation and adaptive radiation
• explain extinction and appreciate the historical importance of mass extinction
• appreciate how human activities affect biodiversity
• describe the process of "genetic engineering" (more in chapter on farming)
• understand the relationship between movement and interaction of air masses and weather
• describe a cyclone
• define climate
• understand the relations between Earth's rotation, air currents, ocean currents, and climate
• explain how greenhouse gases affect climate
• explain how local topography affects local weather
• define biome and give at least five examples
• describe how temperature and water availability relate to biomes
• explain how a limiting factor relates to a terrestrial biome and give at least three examples
• explain the major differences between terrestrial and aquatic biomes
• list and describe the major zones in the freshwater biomes
• explain how a limiting factor relates to an aquatic biome and give at least three examples
• describe a coral reef ecosystem and explain why they are important
• list and describe the major zones in the marine biome
• explain how runoff may affect freshwater biomes
• describe a wetland and explain their ecological importance
Reading Q’s: Evolution and Biodiversity
1. Earth: The Just-Right Adaptable Planet
1. List 3 reasons Earth is Just-Right for life.
2. Origins of Life
1. Development of Life on the Primitive Earth: The Big Picture
1. Describe natural selection.
2. How old is the Earth?
3. Describe the chemical evolution.
2. How do we Know Which Organisms lived in the Past?
1. What is the fossil record?
3. Evolution, Natural Selection, and Adaptation
1. Genetic Mutations: Changes in a Population’s Gene Pool
1. What are mutations?
2. Natural Selection and Adaptation: Leaving More Offspring With Beneficial Genetic Traits
1. What are the 3 conditions necessary for biological evolution?
3. Coevolution: A Biological Arms Race
1. Define coevolution and provide 2 examples of organisms that have coevolved.
4. Hybridization and Gene Swapping: Other Ways to exchange genes
1. What is hybridization and what types of organisms use this technique?
2. What is horizontal gene transfer and what types of organisms use this technique?
5. Limits on Adaptation through Natural Selection
1. Identify 2 reasons why we will not be able to adapt to pollutants in the near future.
6. Common Myths about Evolution through Natural Selection
1. Identify 3 misconceptions about biological evolution.
4. Geologic Processes, Climate Change, Catastrophes, and Evolution
1. Geologic Processes and Evolution by Natural Selection
1. What are tectonic plates?
2. List 2 effects that the movement of tectonic plates has had on evolution.
3. How can Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes effect evolution?
2. Climate Change and Natural Selection
1. How does long term climate change effect biodiversity?
3. Catastrophes and natural selection
1. How do asteroid catastrophes affect natural selection?
5. Ecological Niches and adaptation
1. Ecological Niches: How Species Live and Coexist
1. What is a niche, fundamental niche, and realized niche?
2. Generalist and Specialist Species: Broad and narrow Niches
1. Identify and provide 3 examples of generalist and specialist species.
2. What happens when two species niches overlap?
6. Speciation, Extinction, and Biodiversity
1. How do New Species Evolve?
1. What is speciation?
2. Identify and describe 2 methods of speciation.
2. Extinction: Lights Out
1. What is extinction?
2. What is an endemic species?
3. Background Extinction, Mass Extinction, and Mass Depletion
1. Identify and describe background extinction, mass extinction, and mass depletion.
4. Effects of Human Activities on the Earth’s Biodiversity: Are we a Wise Species?
1. What is the formula for biodiversity?
2. How are humans changing the biodiversity of the planet?
3. How many species are humans causing the premature extinction of?
7. Genetic Engineering and the Future of Evolution
1. Artificial Selection and Genetic Engineering
1. What is artificial selection?
2. Using Figure 4-14, identify how humans create a Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).
3. Identify 4 uses of GMO’s.
2. Synthetic Biology and Cloning
1. Identify uses of synthetic biology and cloning.
3. Some Concerns about the Genetic Revolution
1. What are 3 concerns about genetic engineering?
2. What are 3 environmental impacts of genetic engineering?
4. Controversy over Genetic Engineering
1. What are 2 unintended harmful consequences of GMO’s?
2. Explain this statement: “Whenever we intervene with nature, we must pause and ask, ‘what happens next?’”
Community Ecology: Chapter 7 Reading Q’s
1. Why should we care about the American Alligator?
1. List and describe 4 roles that Alligators play in ecosystems.
2. What is a keystone species?
3. Describe the alligator population between the 1950’s and 1980’s. Identify 2 things that caused the changes in population.
2. Community Structure and Species Diversity
1. Community Structure: Appearance Matters
1. How do ecologists describe overall community physical appearance?
2. What are 3 problems that can occur with increasing the edges of a community?
2. Species Diversity and Niche Structure: Different Species Playing Different Roles
1. What is species diversity?
2. Compare and contrast species richness with species evenness.
3. What is niche structure?
4. Why are tropical species specialist species?
3. Types of Species
1. Types of Species in Communities
1. What are native species?
2. What are nonnative or invasive species?
3. Give 4 examples of nonnative species.
2. Case Study: Species Diversity on Islands
1. Describe the theory of island biogeography.
2. What are 2 factors the effect islands immigration and extinction rates?
3. Indicator Species: Biological Smoke Alarms
1. What is an indicator species?
2. Describe 3 indicator species.
4. Case Study: Why are amphibians vanishing?
1. What are amphibians?
2. What has happened to amphibians since the 1980’s?
3. List 9 reasons why amphibians may be vanishing.
4. List 3 reasons why we should care about amphibians.
4.
5.
6.
7.
5. Keystone Species: major Players
1. What is a keystone species?
2. List 4 types of keystone species and describe their roles in communities.
6. Case Study: Why should we protect sharks?
1. What is the trophic level of sharks?
2. Why are we killing sharks?
3. What can we learn from sharks?
4. How much have shark populations decreased since 1992?
5. How many shark species are endangered or threatened?
7. Foundation Species: Other Major Players
1. What is a foundation species?
2. Give 2 examples of foundation species.
Species Interactions: Competition and Predation
1. How do species interact?
1. What are the 5 types of interactions between species?
2. Reducing or Avoiding Competition: Sharing Resources
1. What is resource partitioning?
3. Predators and Prey: Eating and Being Eaten
1. How can predators help prey species? Give 3 examples.
4. Sensing the Environment to Find Food and Mates
1. Give 3 examples of how organisms have heightened senses and how this helps them survive and reproduce.
5. How do Predators Increase their Chances of Getting a Meal?
1. List and describe 2 adaptations of predators to help them catch food?
6. How do Prey Defend against or avoid predators?
1. Describe how the following adaptations help preys avoid predators: hard, protective coverings; camouflage;
chemical warfare; warning coloration; mimicry.
Species Interactions: Parasitism, Mutualism, and Commensalism
1. Parasites: Sponging off others
1. What is a parasite? Give 2 examples.
2. Mutualism: Win-win Relationships
1. What is mutualism? Give 3 examples.
3. Commensalism: Using without Harm
1. What is Commensalism? Give 2 examples.
Ecological Succession: Communities in Transition
1. Ecological Succession: How Communities Change over Time
1. What is succession?
2. What is the difference between primary and secondary succession?
2. Primary Succession: Starting from Scratch
1. How does primary succession begin? Give 2 examples of locations that might undergo primary succession.
2. What are pioneer species?
3. How long does primary succession take?
3. Secondary Succession: Starting Over with some Help
1. Where does secondary succession begin? Give 2 examples of locations that might undergo secondary succession.
2. How can disturbances, such a fire, be beneficial for communities?
4. Can we Predict the Path of Succession, and Is Nature in Balance?
1. What is a climax community?
2. How have scientists views changed about climax communities in recent years?
Ecological Stability and Sustainability
1. Stability of Living Systems: Surviving by Change
1. List and define 3 aspects of stability in living systems.
2. Community Productivity and Sustainability
1. Does species diversity in a community lead to greater stability?
3. Why should we bother to Protect Natural Systems?
1. Why should we protect natural systems?