Mr. Lowrie's Science Site
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  • Environmental Systems
    • First Week Stuff
    • Key Terms Glossary
    • Unit 1: Introduction to Environmental Science >
      • Chapter 1: Science and the Environment >
        • Section 1: Understanding Our Environment
        • Section 2: The Environment and Society
      • Chapter 2: Tools of Environmental Science >
        • Section 1: Scientific Methods
        • Section 2: Statistics and Models
        • Section 3: Making Informed Decisions
      • Chapter 3: The Dynamic Earth >
        • Section 1: The Geosphere
        • Section 2: The Atmosphere
        • Section 3: The Hydrosphere and Biosphere
    • Unit 2: Ecology >
      • Chapter 4: The Organization of Life >
        • Section 1: Ecosystems: Everything is Connected
        • Section 2: Evolution
        • Section 3: The Diversity of Living Things
      • Chapter 5: How Ecosystems Work >
        • Section 1: Energy Flow in Ecosystems
        • Section 2: The Cycling of Materials
        • Section 3: How Ecosystems Change
      • Chapter 6: Biomes >
        • Section 1: What is a Biome?
        • Section 2: Forest Biomes
        • Section 3: Grassland, Desert, and Tundra Biomes
      • Chapter 7: Aquatic Ecosystems >
        • Section 1: Freshwater Ecosystems
        • Section 2: Marine Ecosystems
    • Unit 3: Populations >
      • Chapter 8: Understanding Populations >
        • Section 1: How Populations Change in Size
        • Section 2: How Species Interact with Each Other
      • Chapter 9: The Human Population >
        • Section 1: Studying Human Populations
        • Section 2: Changing Population Trends
      • Chapter 10: Biodiversity >
        • Section 1: What is Biodiversity?
        • Section 2: Biodiversity at Risk
        • Section 3: The Future of Biodiversity
    • Unit 4: Water, Air, and Land >
      • Chapter 11: Water >
        • Section 1: Water Resources
        • Section 2: Water Use and Management
        • Section 3: Water Pollution
      • Chapter 12: Air >
        • Section 1: What Causes Air Pollution?
        • Section 2: Air, Noise, and Light Pollution
        • Section 3: Acid Precipitation
      • Chapter 13: Atmosphere and Climate Change >
        • Section 1: Climate and Climate Change
        • Section 2: The Ozone Shield
        • Section 3: Global Warming
      • Chapter 14: Land >
        • Section 1: How We Use Land
        • Section 2: Urban Land Use
        • Section 3: Land Management and Conservation
      • Chapter 15: Food and Agriculture >
        • Section 1: Feeding the World
        • Section 2: Crops and Soil
        • Section 3: Animals and Agriculture
    • Unit 5: Mineral and Energy Resources >
      • Chapter 16: Mining and Mineral Resources >
        • Section 1: Minerals and Mineral Resources
        • Section 2: Mineral Exploration and Mining
        • Section 3: Mining Regulations and Mine Reclamation
      • Chapter 17: Nonrenewable Energy >
        • Section 1: Energy Resources and Fossil Fuels
        • Section 2: Nuclear Energy
      • Chapter 18: Renewable Energy >
        • Section 1: Renewable Energy Today
        • Section 2: Alternative Energy and Conservation
      • Chapter 19: Waste >
        • Section 1: Solid Waste
        • Section 2: Reducing Solid Waste
        • Section 3: Hazardous Wastes
    • Unit 6: Our Health and Future >
      • Chapter 20: The Environment and Human Health >
        • Section 1: Pollution and Human Health
        • Section 2: Biological Hazards
      • Chapter 21: Economics, Policy, and the Future >
        • Section 1: Economics and International Cooperation
        • Section 2: Environmental Policies in the United States
        • Section 3: The Importance of the Individual
  • AP Environmental Science
    • First Week Stuff
    • Unit I: Humans and Sustainability: An Overview >
      • Chapter 1: Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability
    • Unit II: Science, Ecological Principles, and Sustainability >
      • Chapter 2: Science, Matter, Energy, and Systems
      • Chapter 3: Ecosystems: What are They and How Do They Work?
      • Chapter 4: Biodiversity and Evolution
      • Chapter 5: Biodiversity, Species Interactions, and Population Control
      • Chapter 6: The Human Population and Its Impact
      • Chapter 7: Climate and Biodiversity
      • Chapter 8: Aquatic Biodiversity
    • Unit III: Sustaining Biodiversity >
      • Chapter 9: Sustaining Biodiversity: Saving Species and Ecosystem Services
      • Chapter 10: Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity: Saving Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services
      • Chapter 11: Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
    • Unit IV: Sustaining Natural Resources >
      • Chapter 12: Food Production and the Environment
      • Chapter 13: Water Resources
      • Chapter 14: Nonrenewable Mineral Resources
      • Chapter 15: Nonrenewable Energy
      • Chapter 16: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
    • Unit V: Sustaining Environmental Quality >
      • Chapter 17: Environmental Hazards and Human Health
      • Chapter 18: Air Pollution
      • Chapter 19: Climate Disruption
      • Chapter 20: Water Pollution
      • Chapter 21: Solid and Hazardous Waste
      • Chapter 22: Urbanization and Sustainability
    • Unit VI: Sustaining Human Societies >
      • Chapter 23: Economics, Environment, and Sustainability
      • Chapter 24: Politics, Environment, and Sustainability
      • Chapter 25: Environmental Worldviews, Ethics, and Sustainability
  • Chemistry
    • First Week Stuff
    • Matter

Chapter 4:  Biodiversity and Evolution


Section 1:  What is Biodiversity and Why is it Important?

​Concept 4-1:  
The Biodiversity found in genes, species, ecosystems, and ecosystem processes is vital to sustaining life on earth.

Section 2:  How Does the Earth's Life Change over Time?

Concept 4.2A:  
The scientific theory of evolution explains how life on the earth changes over time due to changes in the genes of populations.

Concept 4.2B:  Populations evolve when genes mutate and give some individuals genetic traits that enhance their abilities to survive and to produce offspring with these traits (natural selection).


Section 3:  How Do Geological Processes and Climate Change Affect Evolution?

Concept 4.3:  
Tectonic plate movements, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and climate change have shifted wildlife habitats, wiped out large numbers of species, and created opportunities for the evolution of new species.
Section 4:  How Do Speciation, Extinction, and Human Activities Affect Biodiversity?

Concept 4.4A:  
As Environmental conditions change, the balance between the formation of new species and the extinction of existing species determines the earth's biodiversity.

Concept 4.4B:  Human activities are decreasing biodiversity by causing the extinction of many species and by destroying or degrading habitats needed for the development of new species.


Section 5:  What is Species Diversity and Why is it Important?

Concept 4.5:  
Species diversity is a major component of biodiversity and tends to increase the sustainability of some ecosystems.

Section 6:  What Roles Do Species Play in Ecosystems?

Concept 4.6A:  
Each species plays a specific ecological role called its niche.

Concept 4.6B:  Any given species may play one or more of four important roles--native, nonnative, indicator, or keystone--in a particular ecosystem.

Files:
APES Ch. 4 Presentation
File Size: 5231 kb
File Type: pptx
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APES Ch. 4 Student Notes
File Size: 27 kb
File Type: docx
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APES Ch. 4 Glossary
File Size: 16 kb
File Type: docx
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Key Terms:
  • adaptation
  • adaptive trait
  • alien species
  • artificial selection
  • background extinction rate
  • biological evolution
  • biome
  • ecological niche
  • endemic species
  • evolution
  • exotic species
  • extinction
  • fossils
  • functional diversity
  • gene muttion
  • generalist species
  • genetic diversity
  • genetic engineering
  • ​geographic isolation
  • habitat
  • indicator species
  • invasive species
  • keystone species
  • mass extinction
  • mutation
  • native species
  • natural selection
  • niche
  • nonnative species
  • reproductive isolation
  • specialist species
  • speciation
  • species
  • species diversity
  • species evenness
  • species richness
  • ​theory of evolution
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