Mod 14: Biodiversity: (see also chapter 7 in Froggie book)
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Species diversity:
richness vs. evenness:
richness = number of species,
evenness = balanced proportions
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Mod 15: Evolution
Three conditions must be met:
1. genetic variation (mutation)
2. some stress that favors this variation (adaptation)
3. survivors procreate, pass on the variation (reproduction)
Genotype: set of genes (dominant and recessive)
Phenotype: traits expressed in a living creature
Genetic drift-pretty much what it sounds like
Bottleneck effect-VERY important: when a species is almost extinct, there is little variation in the gene pool of the survivors, even if their population rebounds (e.g. whales hunted almost to extinction, the entire gene pool is limited to the diversity of the sole survivors)
Founder effect: random selection of survivors, creating a new gene pool (birds, gilligan)
Questions:
1. If the early atmosphere of our planet was thinner and less developed, it might have allowed more cosmic radiation to reach the surface. How would this impact the natural mutation/evolution rate?
2. what would be the impact on an ecosystem of rampant mutation rates?
Mod 16: speciation
Geographic isolation (e.g. Galapagos) also found where we disturb natural habitats with roads
This causes Allo (other) Patric (father) speciation
Eventually reproductive isolation will result: different breeds will not be able to procreate
There is another more rare form of speciation: Sympatric ("same father"), from polyploidy, ("many chromosomes")
GMO: see roundup ready corn and wheat, freeze proof tomatoes and others.
Not to be confused with Dwarf Wheat and Norman Borlaug (see population chapters for more on this).
Dwarf wheat was a simple hybrid, not a GMO.
Look up "gene guns" and CRISPR
Mod 17: niches and species distribution
Check this out:
You'll see another like this in population distributions...
Range of tolerance-where it can survive
Fundamental niche-happy place
Realized niche-de facto place
Distribution-areas where they live (we'll see more of this in the chapter on population distributions: random, scattered, patterned)
Global Biodiversity:
Note biodiversity increases closer to the equator:
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Biodiversity Hot spots:
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Global warming and biodiversity:
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Alternates to low biodiversity food sources (e.g. monoculture):
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Biodiversity benefits:
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Major extinctions leading to the 6th anthropocene (man caused) exctinction:
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Past human impact:
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Invasive species:
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We can calculate biodiversity:
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Lab: Calculating Shannon's index, using baked goldfish (the cheddar kind, not the ones that stink)
- wash your hands
- pour out a random number of different colored goldfish on your plate (your "pond")
- determine the number of distinct populations by color, using chopsticks
- determine the proportion for each population (e.g. 5 red ones out of 20 total would be 5/20 or 0.25)
- calculate Shannon's index (H) for this "pond"
- repeat the experiment with a very low biodiversity, calculate H
- repeat with a very high biodiversity, calculate H
- eat the contents of your "pond", representing a catastrophic event
Questions:
- what is the value of biodiversity in any community?
- what are the benefits and drawbacks of a low biodiversity?
- how does this play into competition (next chapter)
- why is it important to determine the number of "distinct populations"?
- what is the impact of this on a human population, e.g. the census?
Check-in review:
Unit 2 from Cliff notes 2011:
Unit 2 practice exam p. 190
-----NEXT: Population ecology-----------
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