EEB 2100 UCONN FINAL EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
m Overexplotation - overharvesting natural resources faster than their replacement
is a main cause of biodiversity loss
Overexploitation-Cod Fishing - Atlantic Cod fishery is depleted by 1920's technological advances such as
diesel engines that allow for larger boats
Georges Bank - Inundated, highly productive island where the Gulf Stream causes upwellings of nutrients
as they are removed from the bottom of water bodies
Largest source of fish for Europe, and then the America's from 1500-1900's
Fish landings(Ships) in tons - Increase during times of more effort to get fish;the great acceleration.
Ultimately crashes in 1992 because Atlantic Cod population becomes so depleted.
Cod population has never rebounded, this is due to either changes in ecology(food web) or evolution
Fishing down the food web - Fishing for large, apex predators first (e.g Tuna). Then fishing smaller and
smaller as the apex predators get over fished
Overhunting: megafaunal extinctions(Bison) - Large scale extinctions of large mammal species
Population reduced from 50 million to 500 due to ecological trap that makes them easy to kill with guns
Now subject to genetic bottleneck because so low populations have reduced genetic variation and
adaptability
Overhunting: Government Sponsorship - Bounties placed on gray wolfs in North America as late as 1965,
$20-50 per wolf
Last wolf of Connecticut killed in Pomfret
,Tragedy of the Commons - Hardin's Tragedy of the Commons- When consumers maximize their gain on
shared resources they destroy those resources
Self interested customers deplete a shared resource
Tragedy of the Commons: Origin - Towns have common greens which were originally a place
townspeople could keep their cattle
Each townsperson then adds more cattle until the green is overgrazed
Each consumer acts rationally in their own self interest but irrationally for global interests
Maximum Sustainable Yield - Harvesting only up to the rate of replacement.
Limited Entry(fishing) - Only a set number of commercial fishing permits are provided at a time to
maintain populations
Sustainable Harvesting: Maine lobster - Sustainable practices used for over 100 years.
Limited entry utilized
Trap limit-800 traps per person
Slot limit- let the largest and smallest lobsters go
Consumer knowledge: *Potential exam bonus question* - In New England you should avoid Cod and
Bluefin Tuna because they are endangered species
Introduced, alien, or non-native species - Species established far from their natural range
Usually from a different continent or biogeographical range(really different place)
Invasive species - Species established far from their natural range WITH adverse effects on the invaded
habitat
IUCN 100 worst invasive species: Kudzu - Mile a minute vine that originated in Japan and is now in
Southern US.
Introduced purposefully to inhibit soil erosion, but is now out of control because it outcompetes native
plants
IUCN 100 worst invasive species: Norway Rat - Originated in tropical Asia and is now worldwide
,introduced via ships and outcompete native mammals and preys on bird eggs, also carrier of the plague
IUCN 100 worst invasive species: Asian Longhorn beetle - Originated in China and Korea
Introduced into eastern US via wood packing material from china. Threatens 30% of trees: $700 billion in
damage
Ecological opportunity - Open niche not filled by native species that allows invasive species to fill in
Competitor or enemy release - A non-native species may be leaving behind a biotic limitation or
abundant predators for a safer place that allows it to thrive
Toads are heavily parasitized by ticks in south america so if the toads move away from the enemy tick
population they do much better.
Traits of invasive species - Good dispersers/persisters (rats can live on ships for generations)
Associated with humans(live well with us)
Generalist diets(Can eat whatever)
Deal with human disturbances(can withstand degradation of habitats)
Invasive genotypes - Marsh grass(phragmites)
native to America but European genotypes used in packing material were transported to America and
outcompete American genotype.
Effects of Invasive Species to Native Species - 70% of native aquatic species extinctions in the US, and
30% in the world, are caused by invasive species.
42% of endangered species in the US are there because of invasive species
50% of vegetation is non-native
Biotic Homogenization - Biological communities become more similar to each other through extinctions,
invasions, and changes in abundances
, Invasive species replace local ones
generalist species replace specialists
fewer local species, less even abundances
Invasive species numbers - 17k established globally
>500 more being established every year
SIR models - susceptible-infected-resistant model of disease transmission
susceptible contract from infected, resistant do not contract, and dead or recovered no longer transmit
Vectors(epidemiology) - species that carries the disease but is not infected, such as mosquitos that carry
malaria
Reservoir host - The organism that becomes infected by a pathogen and serves as a source of transfer of
the pathogen to others
Lyme in ticks and mice
Resting spores - disease that hides dormant in spores, in the soil, and then come back when the
conditions are right
Anthrax
R(nought) of diseases - reproductive rate of a disease and is equal to how many people a single infected
is to infect on average. One or above indicates a self-maintaining disease
Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) - 335 new EIDs from 1940-2004
new diseases- SARS
new strains- Drug resistant TB
Increasing prevalence- Lyme
60% originate in animals
23% are vector-borne(transmitted by an intermediate animal)
Biodiversity increase vs. disease prevelance - Biodiversity increases the chances of a new disease
because there are more opportunities for the disease to make the jump
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
m Overexplotation - overharvesting natural resources faster than their replacement
is a main cause of biodiversity loss
Overexploitation-Cod Fishing - Atlantic Cod fishery is depleted by 1920's technological advances such as
diesel engines that allow for larger boats
Georges Bank - Inundated, highly productive island where the Gulf Stream causes upwellings of nutrients
as they are removed from the bottom of water bodies
Largest source of fish for Europe, and then the America's from 1500-1900's
Fish landings(Ships) in tons - Increase during times of more effort to get fish;the great acceleration.
Ultimately crashes in 1992 because Atlantic Cod population becomes so depleted.
Cod population has never rebounded, this is due to either changes in ecology(food web) or evolution
Fishing down the food web - Fishing for large, apex predators first (e.g Tuna). Then fishing smaller and
smaller as the apex predators get over fished
Overhunting: megafaunal extinctions(Bison) - Large scale extinctions of large mammal species
Population reduced from 50 million to 500 due to ecological trap that makes them easy to kill with guns
Now subject to genetic bottleneck because so low populations have reduced genetic variation and
adaptability
Overhunting: Government Sponsorship - Bounties placed on gray wolfs in North America as late as 1965,
$20-50 per wolf
Last wolf of Connecticut killed in Pomfret
,Tragedy of the Commons - Hardin's Tragedy of the Commons- When consumers maximize their gain on
shared resources they destroy those resources
Self interested customers deplete a shared resource
Tragedy of the Commons: Origin - Towns have common greens which were originally a place
townspeople could keep their cattle
Each townsperson then adds more cattle until the green is overgrazed
Each consumer acts rationally in their own self interest but irrationally for global interests
Maximum Sustainable Yield - Harvesting only up to the rate of replacement.
Limited Entry(fishing) - Only a set number of commercial fishing permits are provided at a time to
maintain populations
Sustainable Harvesting: Maine lobster - Sustainable practices used for over 100 years.
Limited entry utilized
Trap limit-800 traps per person
Slot limit- let the largest and smallest lobsters go
Consumer knowledge: *Potential exam bonus question* - In New England you should avoid Cod and
Bluefin Tuna because they are endangered species
Introduced, alien, or non-native species - Species established far from their natural range
Usually from a different continent or biogeographical range(really different place)
Invasive species - Species established far from their natural range WITH adverse effects on the invaded
habitat
IUCN 100 worst invasive species: Kudzu - Mile a minute vine that originated in Japan and is now in
Southern US.
Introduced purposefully to inhibit soil erosion, but is now out of control because it outcompetes native
plants
IUCN 100 worst invasive species: Norway Rat - Originated in tropical Asia and is now worldwide
,introduced via ships and outcompete native mammals and preys on bird eggs, also carrier of the plague
IUCN 100 worst invasive species: Asian Longhorn beetle - Originated in China and Korea
Introduced into eastern US via wood packing material from china. Threatens 30% of trees: $700 billion in
damage
Ecological opportunity - Open niche not filled by native species that allows invasive species to fill in
Competitor or enemy release - A non-native species may be leaving behind a biotic limitation or
abundant predators for a safer place that allows it to thrive
Toads are heavily parasitized by ticks in south america so if the toads move away from the enemy tick
population they do much better.
Traits of invasive species - Good dispersers/persisters (rats can live on ships for generations)
Associated with humans(live well with us)
Generalist diets(Can eat whatever)
Deal with human disturbances(can withstand degradation of habitats)
Invasive genotypes - Marsh grass(phragmites)
native to America but European genotypes used in packing material were transported to America and
outcompete American genotype.
Effects of Invasive Species to Native Species - 70% of native aquatic species extinctions in the US, and
30% in the world, are caused by invasive species.
42% of endangered species in the US are there because of invasive species
50% of vegetation is non-native
Biotic Homogenization - Biological communities become more similar to each other through extinctions,
invasions, and changes in abundances
, Invasive species replace local ones
generalist species replace specialists
fewer local species, less even abundances
Invasive species numbers - 17k established globally
>500 more being established every year
SIR models - susceptible-infected-resistant model of disease transmission
susceptible contract from infected, resistant do not contract, and dead or recovered no longer transmit
Vectors(epidemiology) - species that carries the disease but is not infected, such as mosquitos that carry
malaria
Reservoir host - The organism that becomes infected by a pathogen and serves as a source of transfer of
the pathogen to others
Lyme in ticks and mice
Resting spores - disease that hides dormant in spores, in the soil, and then come back when the
conditions are right
Anthrax
R(nought) of diseases - reproductive rate of a disease and is equal to how many people a single infected
is to infect on average. One or above indicates a self-maintaining disease
Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) - 335 new EIDs from 1940-2004
new diseases- SARS
new strains- Drug resistant TB
Increasing prevalence- Lyme
60% originate in animals
23% are vector-borne(transmitted by an intermediate animal)
Biodiversity increase vs. disease prevelance - Biodiversity increases the chances of a new disease
because there are more opportunities for the disease to make the jump
