BIODIVERSITYBY:

Michael, Jake, Eric

Biodiversity is the variety of species in a particular ecosystem or habitat and processes that there a part of

PART A:What is Biodiversity?

1. Ecosystem Diversity: Many different types of ecosystems. Ex: Marshes, lakes, streams and forests. An ecosystem is all the biotic and abiotic interacting with each other.2. Community Diversity: Populations of different species within a community3. Species Diversity: Many variations within a particular species.4. Genetic Diversity: Variety of genetic materials in all living things5. Species Distribution Diversity: Plants and animals are not evenly distributed throughout various ecosystems on earth.

Explain 5 components of bio diversity

We find the most biodiversity around the equator and in Tropical rainforests they have the best climate that can host many species that coincide with each other.

What area of the earth do we find the most biodiversity?

Coral reefs are called the “Amazons of the ocean” because they are extremely rich in species diversity

Why are coral reefs called the amazons of the ocean?

Where one species depends on another species in its environment. Ex. Food webs, and food chains

What does interdependence mean?

An important example is elk and wolves. If the wolves do not get enough elk one year. (due to over hunting the wolves) Will die then during the next year. The wolves will die, and when the wolves die the elk will become over populated and eat all the grass and leaves in one area thus causing a rift in the web.

What is an important example of interdependence found in nature?

Symbiosis is a type of interdependence. An association between members of different species.◦ Commensalism: One organism benefits, and the other does not. Ex: A bird and a tree. The bird

uses the tree so it can have a place to live (Benefits) and the tree does nothing. (Doesn’t benefit)

◦ Mutualism: Both organism benefits. Ex: A bee and a flower. A bee pollinates the flower and the flower can reproduce.

◦ Parasitism: One organism benefits, and the other is harmed. Ex: A mosquito and a human. The mosquito draws blood from the human (Benefits) and the human is harmed, and may get diseases like malaria etc.

What is symbiosis and also explain the three different types of symbiosis , make sure to explain examples for each.

A niche describes a role of an organism in a ecosystem. What it eats, what eats it, habitat, and nesting sites, etc.

What is a niche?

Niches allow many species to all live in the same location

Why are niches important?

A Coyote that lives in the mountains fills a niche of a scavenger, due to competition from others. A Coyote that lives in a city fills a niche of a predator, killing cats, dogs, etc. because of no competition from others.

Give an example of an ecosystem and name some animals that live in that ecosystem and the niches they would fill.

Niches of organisms that live in an ecosystem can change during the lifetime of that organism. A Coyote that lives in the mountain could change from a scavenger to a predator during its lifetime.

Explain whether niches stay the same or can change...if they change explain this.

Niches can change in an organisms lifetime. Can also change depending on the environment that it lives in, Also interrelates with other organisms

What are two ways a niche can change…give a couple examples to help explain the two ways niches can change?

Resource partitioning happens when two or more niches overlap. Then species try and work out an arrangement to reduce niche size so there is no competition.◦ Two monkeys that live in a tree. They try and

make an agreement so there is no competition, So one monkey gets the top portion of the tree, and the other takes the bottom portion of the tree.

What is resource partitioning and give an example to help explain this?

Variability is important if the environment of a species changes. Environment changes often. If there is variation within species, some members of that species will have some characteristics that will help survive in the environment.

What are two reasons that variability is important in an ecosystem?

When the environment selects which individuals will survive to reproduce. The individuals will have offspring with similar survival characteristics. It relates to variability because natural selection chooses who survives and doesn’t, while variability has some members that have some survival characteristics.

Explain what natural selection is and how it relates to variability.

Variation is important because if the environment changes members of an ecosystems will get some survival characteristics that will happen them when the environment is harsh.

Describe why variation is important in helping organisms deal with change in the environment?

When the environment selects which individuals will survive to reproduce. It relates to variation because they both have the same thing in common. To survive. Its important because it chooses which species to survive or die.

What is natural selection and explain how it relates to variation and dealing with change in the environment...why is it important?

Heritable characteristics are passed from generation to generation though sexual reproduction, passed by genetic material

Ex: Skin color, Hair color, Eye color

Non-Heritable characteristics are acquired and learned, not exactly passed on from generation to generation

Ex: Artistic ability, Leadership skills, ability to play an instrument

PART B:Explain the difference between heritable and non-heritable traits and give some examples of each.

Explain how environment can play a role in the development of characteristics and give some examples of how environment can affect characteristics.

Discrete Variation refers to characteristics.

Ex: Being albino or having pigmentation on your skin, Having earlobes that are attached or not, Being able to roll tongue

Continuous Variation is when there are many variations in characteristics

Ex: Shoe size, Height, Weight, Arm length

Explain the difference between discrete and continuous variation and give some examples of each.

Asexual reproduction involves only one parent and offspring are identical to parent

Binary Fission – Happens only in single celled organisms. Cell splits into two cells, each being identical◦ Ex: Bacteria, amoeba and algae

Budding – Parent organism produces a bud, and which detaches from parent and becomes self sufficient individual◦ Ex: Hydra, yeats and coral

Spore production – Spores are similar to seads, produced by division of cells in the parent. One parent may produce many spores. Each spore turns into new individual.◦ Ex: Fungi, molds and ferns

Vegatative Reproduction – The reproduction of a plant not involving seed. Includes cuttings, runners, suckers and tubers◦ Ex: Potatoes, strawberries and aspen trees

Explain what asexual reproduction means and explain the four types of asexual reproduction with examples.

Sexual reproduction usually involves to individual organism. Offspring has mix of characteristics, half are from one parent and half from the other.

Give a scientific explanation of sexual reproduction.

Gametes.◦ Gametes are reproductive cells that join with

other gametes during reproduction

What special cells are involved in sexual reproduction?

Sexual reproduction in animals involves male gametes called sperm cells and female gametes called egg cells, when the female and male gametes are combined, they form a fertilized combination of cells called “Zygote”

In animals, what are the specialized cells called that are involved in sexual reproduction and what do they produce when they combine? What is formed next?

Through the process of pollination, male pollen grains are transferred to the stigma of a receptive flower. The pollen then travels down the stigma to the ovule. The male and female gametes combine again to produce a zygote, then finally an embryo. The embryo develops inside a seed, and the helps protects the developing

Briefly describe how sexual reproduction works in plants

Cross pollination: Occurs when pollen from one plant combines with the ovule of another plant. Resulting plants are not identical to either plant

Self pollination: Pollen from the same plants unites with ovule of the same plant, then the plants are identical to the parents

Artificial pollination: Flowers pollinated by man

Briefly explain the three types of sexual reproduction in plants.

Sexual◦ Advantage: Lots of variation helping it to survive when

environment changes

◦ Disadvantage: Takes lots of energy, populations tend to be smaller

Asexual: ◦ Advantage:  Quick “Doubling of Populations” (Faster), and

Less energy required for reproduction.

◦ Disadvantage: Lack of Genetic variation, and Population may go extinct

Give one major advantage and disadvantage of both sexual and asexual reproduction.

Many plants can. Such as sponges and yeasts can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Aphids are non plant and can reproduce both ways.

What are some examples of organisms that can reproduce both asexually and sexually?

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