13. What is Ecology and Why Does it Matter?

Question 1

Lynn Margulis

Answer 1

Endosymbiotic theory for the origin of mitochondria

Question 2

Population

Answer 2

is all the individuals of the same species in one place at one time (all the zebras in a savanna)

Question 3

Ecological Community

Answer 3

is all the species living together in one place at one time (zebras, giraffes, elephants, plants and insects in a savanna)

Question 4

Ecosystem

Answer 4

is all the species plus the non-living environment (the entire savanna)

Question 5

Model organisms

Answer 5

mice (vertebrates), fruit files (insects), Arabidopsis thaliana (plants)

Question 6

What determines where species live?

Answer 6

1) Dispersal
2) Abiotic conditions (climate/ nutrients)
3) Species interactions (competition, predation and mutualism)

Question 7

Malthus (ideas about population growth)

Answer 7

human populations (and plant and animal populations) can not grow faster than their resources