Define:
extinction
The death of all members of a species of plants, animals or other organisms on Earth.
Define:
mass extinction
A significant and rapid loss of species on Earth during a short geological timeframe, with a rate of extinction far greater than the rate of speciation.
Some well known mass extinction events include:
- Permian extinction
- Ordovician-Silurian extinction
- Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction
- End-Triassic extinction
- Devonian extinctions
What is the moment of extinction?
The moment at which the last individual of a species dies or can no longer reproduce, marking the species’ extinction.
Once the last individual of a species dies, the species is considered extinct.
How did the Dodo bird become extinct?
- Over-harvesting by humans
- Introduction of invasive predator
- Habitat loss
What is predicted to happen to extinction and biodiversity in the next 100 years?
Global biodiversity is expected to decline, with estimates suggesting that up to 54% of species are at risk of extinction if current trends continue.
What is a major consequence of rapid climate change on species?
Forcing species to adapt to new climate patterns.
Some organisms, such as tree pests, adapted successfully, while others, like coral species, declined or died.
What was a major factor contributing to the extinction of the Carolina parakeet?
Overexploitation by hunting and fishing.
What are the main causes of extinction?
- Catastrophic events
- Diseases
- Predators
- Overexploitation
- Climate change
- Lack of genetic diversity
What are some catastrophic events that can cause extinction?
- Massive glaciation
- Meteors
- Various natural disasters
- Tectonic Plate Movement
- Volcanism
What are some major human causes of extinction?
- Overharvesting
- Pollution
- Habitat destruction
- Introduction of invasive species
- Overhunting
Define interspecific competition in ecology?
The battle between two species for the same resources in an ecosystem.
Examples:
- Woodpeckers and squirrels competing for nesting sites in trees.
- African savanna lions and cheetahs struggling for the same food.
What is the outcome of interspecific competition?
It frequently results in extinction for the less well-adapted species.
Define:
competitive exclusion
It occurs when two species compete for the same niche and one outcompetes the other, eventually excluding it from the environment.
What are the three basic types of competition?
- Interference competition
- Exploitation competition
- Apparent competition
Define:
interference competition
Direct interaction between species over a limited resource, involving aggressive seeking to exclude one individual from certain habitats.
Define:
exploitation competition
An indirect interaction between species over a limited resource where one organism’s use of resources depletes the total amount available to another organism.
Define:
niche differentiation
The process by which competing species exploit their environment differently in order to coexist.
Define:
fundamental niche
A theoretical niche that reflects all ideal environments with no limiting factors or competition in which a species may survive.
Define:
realized niche
Where the species actually live, reflecting the environments they inhabit.
What is the difference between fundamental niche and realized niche.
- Fundamental niche reflects all ideal environments where a species may survive.
- Realized niche is where the species actually live.
What are ecomorphs?
Populations of distantly related species that have independently developed similar morphological traits in response to environmental pressures.
What is the Competitive Lotka-Volterra Model?
A mathematical model that describes how two species compete for resources and how their population sizes change over time.
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1A1 Nature of Scientific Knowledge30
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1A2 Experiments and the Scientific Method98
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1A3 Lab Equipment and Safety72
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1B1 Science, Technology and Society162
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1B2 Ethics and Science58
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2A1 Structures and Properties of Major Biomolecules101
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2A2 Reactions in Living Organisms40
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2A3 Enzymes and their Importance34
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2A4 Energy in Organisms93
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2B1 Living vs Nonliving Things61
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2B2 Cell Structures and Functions99
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2B3 Maintaining Balance: Cells95
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2B4 Cellular Growth and Reproduction49
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3A1 Structure and Function of Chromosomes34
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3A2 Transfer of Genetic Material97
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3A3 Genetic Mutations75
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3A4 Laboratory Technology104
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3A5 Mendelian Genetics36
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3A6 Non-Mendelian Genetics65
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3B1 Causes of Genetic Variation36
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3B2 Drivers of Evolution72
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3B3 Evidence of Evolution and Origins of Life56
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3B4 Causes of Extinction22
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4A1 Classification of Organisms and Characteristics of the Kingdoms84
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4A2 Organization of Living Things and Order in the Biosphere52
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4B1 Characteristics of Animals50
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4B2 Organ Structure and Functions171
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4B3 Maintaining Homeostasis30
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4B4 Animal Reproduction and Behavior97
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4C1 Characteristics of Plants105
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4C2 Plant Storage and Transportation41
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4C3 Plant Growth, Development, and Survival76
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5A1 Relationship in Ecosystem37
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5A2 Reproductive Strategies and Population Growth48
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5A3 Biotic vs Abiotic Factors29
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5A4 Humans and Ecosystems55
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5B1 Ecological Succession30
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5B2 Energy Flow Through Biomes85
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5B3 Biogeochemical Cycles42
