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Natural selection, thermodynamics and ecosystem

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What is the difference between natural selection and ecological succession?

What are the first and second laws of thermodynamics? How do these laws affect ecosystems?

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Solution Summary

This solution explains the process of natural selection and the first two laws of thermodynamics in relation to evolution. It discusses the concept of thermalization and entropy.

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Natural selection is a process which selects among different variants of same species created by chance mutations. Whatever gene is favorably selected is better adapted than its unfavored alternatives. This is the reliable outcome of such selection, the prevalence of well-adapted genes. Ecological succession is a process in which some species within a community become less abundant while the others become more abundant or even new species invade and become incorporated in a particular ecosystem.

According to the first law of thermodynamics heat and work are forms of energy transfer. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed however, it may change it form or transfer from one place to another within a closed system. Total internal energy of a system ...

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