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BIOLOGY 1M03 Final: Bio 1M03 Ecology Notes

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28 May 2016

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McMaster University

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Document Summary

Definition of ecology: the study of the factors determining the distribution and abundance of organisms; flows of energy and nutrients through biological systems. Tells you certain consequences of actions, not what you should do. Salmon migrate from saltwater to freshwater environments to breed. Important from management point of view (how many salmon will there be at any given time?) Interactions among different species (salmon are prey as well as predators) What maintains biodiversity (also used in epidemic models) Tracking energy and nutrient flows (salmon dies and then decomposes, releasing nutrients used by bacteria etc. ) Allochthonous inputs: moving nutrients into an environment from someplace else. Bottom up factors: things that organisms need to grow. Liebig"s law of the minimum: a general law that states the most limited factor is what will determine how much organisms can grow. Top-down factors: regulate the rate of loss, rather than the rate of production. Influence of predators (especially on grazers), fire.

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Related Questions

Question1.1. Accidental alterationsduring DNA replication that give rise to variations in organismsare __________. (Points : 1)

adaptive traits
mutations
symbioses
random distributions

Question2.2. The largest reservoir ofcarbon in the carbon cycle is comprised of _________. (Points :1)

freshwater systems andoceans
plants and animals
sedimentary rock andfossil fuels
atmosphere

Question3.3. The principle of utility________. (Points : 1)

holds that any naturalresource should be available for use in manufacturing
holds that something isright when it produces the greatest benefit for the greatest numberof people
is not an ethicalstandard
cannot be used toestimate the value of natural resources

Question4.4. The two processes thatdetermine current biodiversity on a global scale are __________.(Points : 1)

allopatric speciation andimmigration
mutation and habitatselection
mutation and globalclimate change
extinction andspeciation

Question5.5. The conservation ethicholds that we should ________. (Points : 1)

exploit natural resourcesfor economic gain regardless of sustainability
be prudent and efficientin the use of natural resources
consider the environmentthe ultimate servant of mankind
maintain the environmentin a pristine, unaltered state

Question6.6. The preservation ethicholds that we should ________. (Points : 1)

be responsible for wisemanagement while using natural resources
protect areas againstdevelopment while allowing public access
harvest naturalresources
maintain the naturalenvironment in a pristine, unaltered state

Question7.7. Trophic levels and foodchains diagram __________. (Points : 1)

logistic curves
energy flow in anecosystem
population density
natural resourcefluctuations

Question8.8. A hypothesis is ________.(Points : 1)

a prediction
an educated guess thatexplains a phenomenon or answers a question
an instrument that isused to examine environmental conditions
the design of anexperiment that can be used for the process of science

Question9.9. A biocentric view of theworld emphasizes ________. (Points : 1)

the role of corporationsin environmental law
the importance ofconsidering environmental impacts on all living things
the importance ofeconomics in environmental decisions
the dual-natured view ofhumans and animals as environmental controls

Question10.10. Malthus was responsiblefor ________. (Points : 1)

the book The PopulationBomb that described the disastrous effects of human populationgrowth
the idea that theincrease in human population would lead to famine and war
the concept that humanpopulation growth would lead to greater industry and prosperitythrough education
instituting fertilizeruse for agriculture

Question11.11. Ecology is ________.(Points : 1)

the study of how to solveenvironmental problems
the study of organismsand their interactions with each other and the environment
a subfield ofenvironmentalism
the study of the E. colifamily of bacteria

Question12.12. The scientific processis based on ________. (Points : 1)

observations thatresearchers keep in a scientific journal
testing hypotheses builton observation, and revising them based on results
intuitive understandingof natural laws and processes
the ancient writings ofHeraclitus

Question13.13. Which of the followingis an abiotic factor? (Points : 1)

Amphibians
Wood
Mammals
Water

Question14.14. In environmentalscience, "carrying capacity" means the ___________. (Points :1)

maximum population sizethat a given environment can sustain
average number of viableoffspring produced within a population
potential number ofspecies in a given area
limitation on the numberof species in an ecosystem

Question15.15. The Cuyahoga River madepeople aware of environmental problems because __________. (Points: 1)

people in manycommunities became sick when using water from the river
the drinking water inelementary schools near the river became contaminated
the river caught onfire
the river stoppedsupporting any plant or animal life

Question16.16. The conversion processwhere nitrogen gas combines with hydrogen to form ammonium ions,which is accomplished through the intense energy of lightening orwhen air in the top layer of soil comes into contact with certainbacteria, is known as ________. (Points : 1)

the carbon cycle
nitrogen fixation
ionic conversation
bacterial ionization

Question17.17. The fresh water wedepend on for survival accounts for approximately __________ of allwater on Earth. (Points : 1)

two-thirds
one-third
10%
3%

Question18.18. A paradigm is ________.(Points : 1)

a group of severalhypotheses that can be tested together
a dominant view inscience
the same as ahypothesis
synonymous with thescientific method

Question19.19. The degree of disorderin a substance, system, or process is called ________. (Points :1)

chaos
entropy
energy
electricity

Question20.20. A population is definedas ___________. (Points : 1)

a group of individuals ofmultiple, interacting species that live in a particular area
a group of similarspecies that inhabit various ecosystems
a group of individuals ofa single species inhabiting a particular area
(crude birth rate +immigration rate) - (crude death rate - emigration rate)

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