Biodiversity Study Guide

Define the following:

Natural Selection -

Selective Breeding –

Adaptations –

Sexual Selection –

1) ______– variety of life in an ecosystem; measured by number of species in area

2) How would a deer population be affected if a wolf population began to drastically decline due to a new disease?

3) Male beetles with large mandibles are best at guarding their burrows where females have laid eggs. Males whose mandibles are absent are best at digging alternate entrances to a guarded burrow to reach females. The table below shows the number of male stag beetles with different mandible types in one population.

Which two mandible types will probably become more common in the population over time?

3) The table below shows the percentage of individuals in a population of insects that is resistant to certain types of insecticides. Which two populations would be most affected by a widespread use of insecticide 3? 4) ______– # 1 reason for reduced biodiversity (ex. deforestation)

5) Large sea urchin populations can eat so much kelp (a kind of seaweed) that the seafloor becomes bare. Otters eat sea urchins. What is the most likely consequence of a decline in the sea urchin population due to an increase in the otter population?

6) ______crowd out native species, introduced by humans

7) We need to maintain biodiversity because every species plays an important part in complex ______.

8) Bees play an important part in ______plants and crops.

9) What is the most common measure of biodiversity?

10) As you move toward equator biodiversity increases. Why?

11) ______of fossils can be determined by their location in rock layers.

12) Label the following fossils found in lake sediment below from youngest to oldest.

13) Two fossils are believed to be approximately the same age. What evidence might suggest this?

14) Two geologic columns are shown below. Which layers were most likely deposited at the same time? 15) Why are some organisms brightly colored?

16) What are 3 adaptations of desert plants?

17) What are adaptations of water plants?

18) Why would a certain plant species evolve to smell like a rotting carcass?

19) Draw or describe the feet of a bird that has to swim to find food.

20) What are some adaptations of animals found in the Arctic tundra?

21) Why would a plant species evolve to have small needle like leaves that stay green year round?

22) What are 3 adaptations of plants found in grasslands?