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Biology for AP® Courses

Introduction

Biology for AP® CoursesIntroduction
Main photo shows fish jumping out of the water, and inset photo shows a pile of dead fish in a container.
Figure 36.1 Asian carp jump out of the water in response to electrofishing. The Asian carp in the inset photograph were harvested from the Little Calumet River in Illinois in May, 2010, using rotenone, a toxin often used as an insecticide, in an effort to learn more about the population of the species. (credit main image: modification of work by USGS; credit inset: modification of work by Lt. David French, USCG)

Chapter Outline

36.1 Population Demography
36.2 Life Histories and Natural Selection
36.3 Environmental Limits to Population Growth
36.4 Population Dynamics and Regulation
36.5 Human Population Growth
36.6 Community Ecology
36.7 Behavioral Biology: Proximate and Ultimate Causes of Behavior

Imagine sailing down a river in a small motorboat on a weekend afternoon; the water is smooth and you are enjoying the warm sunshine and cool breeze when suddenly you are hit in the head by a 20-pound silver carp. This is a risk now on many rivers and canal systems in Illinois and Missouri because of the presence of Asian carp.

This fish—actually a group of species including the silver, black, grass, and big head carp—has been farmed and eaten in China for over 1000 years. It is one of the most important aquaculture food resources worldwide. In the United States, however, Asian carp is considered a dangerous invasive species that disrupts community structure and composition to the point of threatening native species.

The Asian carp is now threatening to invade the Great Lakes. You can read more about this invasion here.

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