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What is interspecific competition? Lesson 2 page 1

What is direct competition? Lesson 2 page 1
If the population of a species increases, what happens to the species that consumes them? Lesson 2 page 2
What is adaptation?Lesson 2 page 1
What is a mutation?Lesson 3 page 1
What is genetic drift?Lesson 6 page 2
Why is genetic variation beneficial? Lesson 3 page 9
What is altruistic behavior? Give an example. Lesson 8 page 4
How are artificial selection and genetic modification similar? Lesson 6 page 9
What is natural selection?Lesson 6 page 2
Are organisms able to adapt to their environment quickly? Lesson 7 page 3
What was mostly responsible for the “great dying”?Lesson 7 page 3
Short answer questions:

13.In three to five sentences, explain why birds have different lengths and shapes of beaks. Lesson 3 page 3

14. In order to survive, animals need to adapt to their environment over many generations. Think about your favorite animal, its physical features, and its environmental challenges. Without doing any outside research, in 3-5 sentences, try to: a) describe what features have likely had to adapt to its environment over time, and b) hypothesize what ways it might have to adapt to environmental changes in the future. Think about what you have learned within the entire unit. How to answer: Identify any animal, describe its environment and the ways its physiological features help it to adapt to its environment, and hypothesize at least one way it will need to adapt to its environment in the future.

15. In one to two sentences, what are some ways to mitigate climate change?Lesson 7 pg10

Questions dropped on the Unit 6 Lesson 12 Test:

For Standard: #15 and #16 have been dropped. You do not have to answer these and will receive full credit.

1 answer

Definitions

  1. Interspecific Competition: Interspecific competition occurs when individuals of different species compete for the same resources (such as food, space, or light) within an ecosystem. This type of competition can lead to a decrease in population sizes or even the extinction of one species if one outcompetes the other.

  2. Direct Competition: Direct competition is a form of competition that occurs when organisms directly confront each other for limited resources. This can involve aggressive interactions, dominance hierarchies, or physical confrontations that can directly impact the survival and reproduction of the competing individuals.

  3. Population Increase Impacts: If the population of a particular species increases, the species that consumes them (predators) may also see an increase in their population as a result of greater availability of food resources. This dynamic can lead to predator-prey population cycles.

  4. Adaptation: Adaptation refers to the process by which a species becomes better suited to its environment through changes in its characteristics and behaviors over time. These changes are typically the result of natural selection acting on heritable traits that enhance survival and reproduction.

  5. Mutation: A mutation is a change in the DNA sequence of an organism's genome. Mutations can occur naturally or can be induced by environmental factors, and they are a significant source of genetic variation within a population.

  6. Genetic Drift: Genetic drift is a mechanism of evolution that involves random changes in allele frequencies within a population. This process can lead to significant changes in small populations, potentially resulting in the loss of genetic diversity over time.

  7. Genetic Variation Benefits: Genetic variation is beneficial because it provides populations with the ability to adapt to changing environments. High genetic diversity increases the likelihood that some individuals within a population will possess traits that enable them to survive and reproduce under new conditions.

  8. Altruistic Behavior: Altruistic behavior refers to actions by individuals that benefit others at a cost to themselves. An example of altruistic behavior is when a warning call is made by a bird to alert others of a predator, thus increasing the risk of being caught by the predator yet benefiting the group.

  9. Artificial Selection and Genetic Modification Similarities: Artificial selection and genetic modification are similar in that both involve human intervention to influence the traits of organisms. In artificial selection, individuals with desirable traits are bred, while in genetic modification, specific genes are directly altered or inserted to achieve desired characteristics.

  10. Natural Selection: Natural selection is the process through which individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, thereby passing those traits on to future generations. This mechanism is a key driver of evolution.

  11. Organism Adaptation Speed: Organisms are not typically able to adapt to their environments quickly within a single generation; instead, adaptations occur over many generations through the gradual accumulation of beneficial traits that enhance survival and reproduction.

  12. Great Dying Causes: The "great dying," or the Permian-Triassic extinction event, was mostly caused by a combination of catastrophic environmental changes, including volcanic eruptions, climate change, and ocean anoxia, which led to a dramatic loss of biodiversity.

Short Answer Questions

  1. Bird Beak Variation: Birds have different lengths and shapes of beaks as adaptations to their feeding habits and the specific types of food available in their environments. For example, birds that feed on seeds tend to have thicker, stronger beaks to crack open seeds, while nectar-feeding birds may have longer, slender beaks to reach into flowers. These variations in beak shape allow birds to exploit different ecological niches and resources.

  2. Adaptations of Favorite Animal: One favorite animal could be the polar bear. Over time, its thick layer of blubber and dense, water-repellent fur have adapted to the cold Arctic environment, allowing it to hunt for seals on sea ice. In the future, as climate change continues to reduce sea ice, polar bears may need to adapt by developing alternate foraging strategies or shifting their ranges further north to find stable ice habitats.

  3. Mitigating Climate Change: Some ways to mitigate climate change include reducing greenhouse gas emissions through renewable energy sources, enhancing energy efficiency, and promoting reforestation and sustainable land use practices to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.