Table of contents

1. Introduction to Biology2h 42m
2. Chemistry3h 37m
3. Water1h 26m
4. Biomolecules2h 23m
5. Cell Components2h 26m
6. The Membrane2h 31m
7. Energy and Metabolism2h 0m
8. Respiration2h 40m
9. Photosynthesis2h 49m
10. Cell Signaling59m
11. Cell Division2h 47m
12. Meiosis2h 0m
13. Mendelian Genetics4h 44m
14. DNA Synthesis2h 27m
15. Gene Expression3h 6m
16. Regulation of Expression3h 31m
17. Viruses37m
- Viruses
  37m
18. Biotechnology2h 58m
19. Genomics17m
- Genomes
  17m
20. Development1h 5m
21. Evolution3h 1m
22. Evolution of Populations3h 53m
23. Speciation1h 37m
24. History of Life on Earth2h 6m
25. Phylogeny2h 31m
26. Prokaryotes4h 59m
27. Protists1h 12m
28. Plants1h 22m
29. Fungi36m
- Fungi
  19m
- Fungi Reproduction
  17m
30. Overview of Animals34m
- Overview of Animals
  34m
31. Invertebrates1h 2m
32. Vertebrates50m
33. Plant Anatomy1h 3m
34. Vascular Plant Transport1h 2m
- Water Potential
  1h 2m
35. Soil37m
- Soil and Nutrients
  20m
- Nitrogen Fixation
  16m
36. Plant Reproduction47m
- Flowers
  33m
- Seeds
  14m
37. Plant Sensation and Response1h 9m
38. Animal Form and Function1h 19m
39. Digestive System1h 10m
- Digestion
  1h 3m
- Blood Sugar Homeostasis
  7m
40. Circulatory System1h 49m
41. Immune System1h 12m
42. Osmoregulation and Excretion50m
- Osmoregulation and Excretion
  50m
43. Endocrine System1h 4m
- Endocrine System
  1h 4m
44. Animal Reproduction1h 2m
- Animal Reproduction
  1h 2m
45. Nervous System1h 55m
- Neurons and Action Potentials
  1h 8m
- Central and Peripheral Nervous System
  46m
46. Sensory Systems46m
- Sensory System
  46m
47. Muscle Systems23m
- Musculoskeletal System
  23m
48. Ecology3h 11m
49. Animal Behavior28m
- Animal Behavior
  28m
50. Population Ecology3h 41m
51. Community Ecology2h 46m
52. Ecosystems2h 36m
53. Conservation Biology24m
- Conservation Biology
  24m

53. Conservation Biology

Conservation Biology

General Biology

53. Conservation Biology

Conservation Biology

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1:16 minutes

Problem 9

Textbook Question

The population size of mountain pine beetles in the American Northwest has long been held in check by freezing temperatures during the winters. As winters warm, populations of pine beetles are increasing, killing whitebark pine forest. Grizzly bears rely on the nuts of whitebark pine trees. Do you think climate change is affecting the fitness of the grizzly bear population?
a. No, because climate change is not a problem yet.
b. No, because climate change is affecting the beetles, not the bears.
c. Yes, because climate change is decreasing the food supply of the bears, which means they will be less strong.
d. Yes, because climate change is decreasing the food supply of the bears, which is likely to reduce their ability to survive or reproduce.

Verified step by step guidance

Understand the concept of 'fitness' in biology, which refers to an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment. Fitness is often influenced by factors such as food availability, predation, and environmental conditions.

Consider the ecological relationship between grizzly bears and whitebark pine trees. Grizzly bears rely on the nuts of these trees as a food source, which is crucial for their nutrition and energy, especially before hibernation.

Analyze the impact of climate change on mountain pine beetles. Warmer winters allow beetle populations to increase, leading to more damage to whitebark pine forests, which in turn reduces the availability of nuts for grizzly bears.

Evaluate how a decrease in food supply affects grizzly bears. With fewer nuts available, bears may struggle to find enough food, impacting their health, strength, and ability to reproduce, thereby affecting their overall fitness.

Conclude that climate change indirectly affects the fitness of grizzly bears by reducing their food supply, which is likely to decrease their ability to survive or reproduce. This aligns with option d, which states that climate change is decreasing the food supply of the bears, likely reducing their ability to survive or reproduce.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Climate Change

Climate change refers to long-term alterations in temperature, precipitation, and other atmospheric conditions on Earth. In the context of this question, warming winters are allowing mountain pine beetle populations to thrive, which impacts ecosystems by altering species interactions and resource availability, such as the food supply for grizzly bears.

Ecological Interactions

Ecological interactions involve relationships between organisms and their environment, including predation, competition, and symbiosis. The increase in mountain pine beetle populations due to warmer winters affects whitebark pine forests, which in turn impacts grizzly bears that rely on these trees for food, demonstrating a chain reaction in ecological dynamics.

Fitness in Biology

Fitness in biology refers to an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment. Climate change can affect the fitness of grizzly bears by reducing their food supply, which may lead to decreased strength, survival rates, and reproductive success, highlighting the interconnectedness of environmental changes and species survival.

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Textbook Question

Suppose that record snows blanket your campus this winter. Your friend says this is proof that global warming isn't really occurring. What is the flaw in your friend's logic?

a. The average temperature of the Earth is not actually increasing.

b. Global warming refers to temperatures, but snow is a type of precipitation.

c. While the average global temperature is increasing, local temperatures and precipitation (weather) will vary.

d. Your friend is confusing global warming and global climate change.

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Textbook Question

Which of the following actions can reduce humanity's ecological footprint?

a. Reducing our dependence on fossil fuels

b. Reducing meat consumption

c. Living in higher density settlements

d. Better management of human wastewater