Foundations of Environmental Science

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This pdf will help you to understand:
1. Natural selection
2. How evolution influences biodiversity
3. Reasons for species extinction
4. Ecological organization
5. Population characteristics
6. Population ecology
7.Conservation biology

1. Ch 5
Evolution, Biodiversity, and
Population Ecology
Part 1: Foundations of
Environmental Science
PowerPoint® Slides prepared by
Jay Withgott and Heidi Marcum
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

2. This lecture will help you understand:
• Natural selection
• How evolution influences
biodiversity
• Reasons for species
extinction
• Ecological organization
• Population characteristics
• Population ecology
• Conservation biology
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

3. Striking gold in Costa Rica
• Golden toads were
discovered in 1964, in
Monteverde, Chile
• The mountainous cloud
forest has a perfect
climate for amphibians
• Unfortunately, they
became extinct within 25
years
- Due to global
warming’s drying
effect on the forest
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

4. Evolution: the source of Earth’s biodiversity
• Biological evolution = genetic change in
populations of organisms across generations
• May be random or directed by natural
selection
- Natural Selection = the process by
which traits that enhance survival and
reproduction are passed on more
frequently to future generations than
those that do not
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

5. Understanding evolution is vital
• It alters the genetic makeup of a population
• It is important for understanding antibiotic
and pesticide resistance, agricultural issues,
production, medicines, etc.
• Organisms adapt to their environment and
change over time
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

6. Natural selection shapes organisms
• In 1858, Darwin and Wallace both proposed natural
selection as the mechanism of evolution
- Organisms face a constant struggle to survive and
reproduce
- Organisms tend to produce more offspring than
can survive
- Individuals of a species vary in their
characteristics due to genes and the environment
- Some individuals are better suited to their
environment and will survive and pass their genes
on in their offspring
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

7. • Biodiversity
- increases with speciation
- decreases with extinction
• Give-and-take between speciation and
extinction  changes in biodiversity
• Extinction creates evolutionary
opportunities for adaptive radiation of
surviving species
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

8. Genetic variation
• Adaptive Trait (Adaptation) = a trait that promotes
reproductive success
• Mutations = accidental changes in DNA that may be
passed on to the next generation
- Non-lethal mutations provide the genetic variation on
which natural selection acts
• Sexual reproduction also leads to variation
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

9. Adaptive Radiation
Emergence of numerous
species from a common
ancestor introduced to new
and diverse environments
Hawaiian Honeycreepers
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

10. Natural selection acts on genetic variation
• Directional selection =
drives a feature in one
direction
• Stabilizing selection =
produces intermediate traits,
preserving the status quo
• Disruptive selection =
traits diverge in two or
more directions
If the environment changes, a trait may no longer be adaptive
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

11. Evidence of natural selection is everywhere
• It is evident in every
adaptation of every
organism
• Evident in bacteria and
fruit flies in
laboratories
• Selective breeding of
animals
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

12. Convergent Evolution
Species from different evolutionary branches may come to
resemble one another if they live in very similar
environments
1. Ostrich (Africa) and Emu (Australia).
2. Sidewinder (Mojave Desert) and
Horned Viper (Middle East Desert)
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

14. • Evolutionary change
- One species acts as a selective force on a
second species
- Inducing adaptations
- that act as selective force on the first species
Example:
1. Wolf and Moose
2. Acacia ants and Acacia trees
2. Yucca Plants and Yucca moths
3. Lichen
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

16. Artificial selection
• Artificial Selection = the process of selection
conducted under human direction
- For example, artificial selection has led to the great
variety of dog breeds
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

17. Evolution generates biodiversity
• Biological Diversity = An area’s sum total of all
organisms
- The diversity of species
- Their genes
- Their populations
- Their communities
• Species = a population or group of populations whose
members share characteristics and can freely breed
with one another and produce fertile offspring
• Population = a group of individuals of a species that
live in the same area
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

18. Speciation produces new types of organisms
• The process of generating new
species
- A single species can generate
multiple species
• Allopatric speciation = species
formation due to physical
separation of populations
- Can be separated by glaciers,
rivers, mountains
- The main mode of species
creation
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

19. Another type of speciation
• Sympatric speciation = species form from populations
that become reproductively isolated within the same area
- Feed in different areas, mate in different seasons
- Hybridization between two species
- Mutations
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

20. Speciation results in diverse life forms
• Speciation generates complex patterns of diversity above the
species level
• Phylogenetic trees (Cladograms) = Represents the history of
species divergence
- Scientists can trace when certain traits evolved
- Show relationships between species
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

21. • Species generally evolve from
simple to complex and small to big,
but the opposite can occur, and
some even disappear
• Extinction = the disappearance of a
species from Earth
- Occurs when a species cannot
adapt quickly enough to a
changing environment
- Speciation and extinction affect
species numbers
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

22. • Evolution and extinction are affected by:
- large scale movements of continents
- gradual climate changes due to continental
drift or orbit changes
- rapid climate changes due to catastrophic
events
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

24. Extinction is a natural process
• Extinction is irreversible: once a species is lost, it is
lost forever
• Humans profoundly affect rates of extinction
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

25. Some species are more vulnerable to
• Extinction occurs when the environment changes too rapidly for
natural selection to keep up
• Endemic species = a species only exists in a certain, specialized
area
- Very susceptible to extinction
- These species usually have small populations
• Many other factors also cause extinction
- Severe weather
- New species
- Specialized species
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

26. Earth has had several mass extinctions
• Background extinction rate = extinction usually
occurs one species at a time
• Mass extinction events = five events in Earth’s
history that killed off massive numbers of species at
once
- 50-95% of all species went extinct at one time
• Humans are causing the sixth mass extinction event
- Resource depletion
- Population growth
- Development
Adaptive Radiation-- new species evolve during
recovery period following mass extinction
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

27. Mass Extinctions
Date of the Percent
Extinction Species Species Affected
Event Lost
65 mya 85 Dinosaurs, plants (except ferns and seed bearing
(million plants), marine vertebrates and invertebrates. Most
mammals, birds, turtles, crocodiles, lizards, snakes,
years ago)
and amphibians were unaffected.
213 mya 44 Marine vertebrates and invertebrates
248 mya 75-95 Marine vertebrates and invertebrates
380 mya 70 Marine invertebrates
450 mya 50 Marine invertebrates
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

28. Four causes of evolutionary change:
1.Mutation: fundamental genetic shifts.
• fundamental origin of all genetic (DNA) change.
2. Genetic Drift: isolated populations accumulate
different mutations over time.
In a continuous population,
genetic novelty can spread
locally.
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

29. But in discontinuous
populations, gene flow is
blocked.
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

30. Four causes of evolutionary change
1. Mutation: fundamental genetic shifts.
2. Genetic Drift: isolation  accumulate mutations
3. Founder Effect: sampling bias during immigration.
When a new population is formed, its genetic
composition depends largely on the gene frequencies
within the group of first settlers.
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

31. Human example: your tribe had to live near
the Bering land bridge…
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

33. Four causes of evolutionary change:
1. Mutation: fundamental genetic shifts.
2. Genetic Drift: isolation  accumulation of mutations
3. Founder Effect: immigrant sampling bias.
4. Natural Selection: differential reproduction of
individuals in the same population based on genetic
differences among them.
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

34. Evidence of Evolution
• 1. Biogeography
• 2. Fossil Record
• 3. Taxonomy
• 4. Homologous Structures
• 5. Comparative Embryology
• 6. Molecular Biology
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

35. Species’ ranges can be severely restricted
Some U.S. salamander species live on top of single mountains
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

36. Ecology is studied at several levels
• Ecology and evolution are
tightly intertwined
• Biosphere = the total living
things on Earth and the areas
they inhabit
• Ecosystem = communities
and the nonliving material and
forces they interact with
• Community = interacting
species that live in the same
area
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

37. Levels of ecological organization
• Population ecology = investigates the quantitative
dynamics of how individuals within a species interact
• Community ecology = focuses on interactions among
species
• Ecosystem ecology = studies living and nonliving
components of systems to reveal patterns
- Nutrient and energy flows
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

38. Organismal ecology: habitat
• Habitat = the environment in which an organism
lives
- Includes living and nonliving elements
- Scale-dependent: from square meters to miles
• Habitat use = each organism thrives in certain
habitats, but not in others
• Habitat selection = the process by which organisms
actively select habitats in which to live
- Availability and quality of habitat are crucial to an
organism’s well-being
- Human developments conflict with this process
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

39. Organismal ecology: niche
• Niche = an organism’s use of resources and its
functional role in a community
- Habitat use, food selection, role in energy and
nutrient flow
- Interactions with other individuals
• Specialists = species with narrow niches and very
specific requirements
- Extremely good at what they do, but vulnerable to
change
• Generalists = species with broad niches that can use
a wide array of habitats and resources
- Able to live in many different places
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

40. Population characteristics
• All populations show
characteristics that help
scientists predict their
future dynamics
• Population size = the
number of individual
organisms present at a
given time
- Numbers can increase,
decrease, cycle or
remain the same
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

41. Population characteristics
• Population density = the number of individuals within a
population per unit area
- High densities make it easier to find mates, but
increase competition, and vulnerability to predation
- Low densities make it harder to find mates, but
individuals enjoy plentiful resources and space
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

42. Population characteristics
• Population distribution
(dispersion) = spatial
arrangement of organisms
within an area
- Random – haphazardly
located individuals, with no
pattern
- Uniform – individuals are
evenly spaced due to
territoriality
- Clumped – arranged
according to availability of
resources
- Most common in nature
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

43. Population characteristics
• Sex ratio = proportion of males to females
- In monogamous species, a 50/50 sex ratio maximizes
population growth
• Age Structure = the relative numbers of organisms of each
age within a population
- Age structure diagrams (pyramids) = show the age
structure of populations
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

44. Birth and death rates
• Crude birth/death rates =
rates per 1000 individuals
• Survivorship curves = the
likelihood of death varies
with age
- Type I: More deaths at
older ages
- Type II: Equal number
of deaths at all ages
- Type III: More deaths at
young ages
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

45. Four factors of population change
• Natality = births within the population
• Mortality = deaths within the population
• Immigration = arrival of individuals from outside the
population
• Emigration = departure of individuals from the
population
• Growth rate formula =
- (Crude birth rate + immigration rate) - (Crude death
rate + emigration rate) = Growth rate
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

46. Exponential population growth
• Steady growth rates cause
exponential population
growth
- Something increases by a
fixed percent
- Graphed as a J-shaped
curve
• Exponential growth cannot be
sustained indefinitely
- It occurs in nature with a
small population and ideal
conditions
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

47. Limiting factors restrain growth
• Limiting factors = physical, chemical and
biological characteristics that restrain
population growth
- Water, space, food, predators, and disease
• Environmental resistance = All limiting
factors taken together
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

48. Carrying capacity
• Carrying capacity = the
maximum population size
of a species that its
environment can sustain
- An S-shaped logistic
growth curve
- Limiting factors slow
and stop exponential
growth
• Carrying capacity changes
Humans have raised their carrying capacity by decreasing
the carrying capacity for other species
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

50. Population density affects limiting factors
• Density-dependent factors = limiting factors whose
influence is affected by population density
- Increased risk of predation and competition for mates
occurs with increased density
• Density-independent factors = limiting factors whose
influence is not affected by population density
- Events such as floods, fires, and landslides
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

51. Biotic potential and reproductive strategies
• Biotic potential = the ability of an organism to produce
offspring
• K-selected species = animals with long gestation periods
and few offspring
- Have a low biotic potential
- Stabilize at or near carrying capacity
- Good competitors
• r-selected species = animals which reproduce quickly
- Have a high biotic potential
- Little parental care
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

53. Population changes affect communities
• As population in one species declines, other species may
appear
• Human development now displaces other species and
threatens biodiversity
- As Monteverde dried out, species from lower, drier
habitats appeared
- But, species from the cloud-forest habitats disappeared
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

54. Challenges to protecting biodiversity
• Social and economic factors affect species and
communities
- Nature is viewed as an obstacle to development
- Nature is viewed as only a source of resources
- Human population growth pressures biodiversity
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

55. Preserving biodiversity
• Natural parks and protected areas help preserve
biodiversity
- Often, they are underfunded
- Ecotourism brings jobs and money to developing
areas
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

56. QUESTION: Review
Which of the following is NOT a part of the process of
natural selection?
a) Organisms struggle to survive
b) Organisms limit the number of young they
produce
c) Individuals vary in their genetic characteristics
d) Some individuals are better suited to their
environment than others
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

57. QUESTION: Review
Disruptive selection would result in which of the following?
a) Dogs with black coats evolving whiter coats in
colder areas
b) Red and white flowers interbreeding, producing pink
flowers
c) Fish evolving bigger eyes as the water gets muddier
d) A population of birds, some with thicker beaks that
eat seeds and others with thinner beaks that eat
insects
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

58. QUESTION: Review
Biological diversity includes all of the following, except:
a) Species diversity
b) Genetic diversity
c) Population diversity
d) Community diversity
e) All of these are included in the concept of
biodiversity
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

59. QUESTION: Review
Sympatric speciation would occur in ....
a) One population that mates in May, and another
that mates in June
b) Two populations separated by the Mississippi
River
c) Two populations separated by a glacier
d) Two populations separated by the Rocky
Mountains
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

60. QUESTION: Review
Which of these species is least vulnerable to extinction?
a) A species with a population size of 50 individuals
b) A species distributed throughout the United States
c) A species that eats only river snails
d) A species that lives on mountaintops
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

61. QUESTION: Review
An ecosystem is defined as:
a) The total living things on Earth
b) Members of the same population that can interbreed
c) Interacting species in an area
d) Species and the nonliving material they interact
with
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

62. QUESTION: Viewpoints
Should we care whether a species goes extinct?
a) Yes, because all life is important and valuable
b) Yes, because we are causing this wave of
extinction, so we should fix it
c) We should not, because it’s natural
d) I don’t care; it really does not affect me
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

63. QUESTION: Viewpoints
Do you think humans are subject to limiting factors and,
ultimately, a fixed carrying capacity?
a) Yes, although we have raised the carrying capacity,
there are limits to the number of humans the Earth
can support
b) Yes, but technology will keep raising the carrying
capacity, so it’s not much of a problem
c) No, humans are no longer constrained by
environmental limits, due to our technology and
ability to manipulate the environment
d) I don’t care; it really does not affect me
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

64. QUESTION: Interpreting Graphs and Data
Which of the following graphs shows a population that will
have fewer individuals in the future?
(a) (b) (c) (d)
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

65. QUESTION: Interpreting Graphs and Data
Which type of distribution is a
result of individuals guarding
their territory?
a) Random
b) Uniform
c) Clumped
d) None of these
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

66. QUESTION: Interpreting Graphs and Data
What does this graph show?
a) The effects of
carrying capacity
on population
growth
b) A population that
keeps growing
c) The effects of
exponential growth
d) The effects of
increasing carrying
capacity
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings

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