BIOL 1020H 1st half MIDTERM Flashcards
What is Reductionism?
An approach to the western scientific method that involves the reduction of complex systems to simpler components
What is Inductive Thinking?
When you use many INDV. observations to make a generalization about a group
What is Deductive Reasoning?
When you start with a general idea and determines if it applies to a specific observation
What is the Hypo-Deductive Method
The CLASSIC scientific method where you test hypotheses to see if they’re supported or not
What is Biodiversity?
The sum total of all ecosystems, species and genes where each layer is supported by those underneath
What is Ecology?
The study of the relationship of organisms to one another and to their enviornment
What’s an Abiotic factor
The physical enviornment
What’s a Biotic Factor
Living organisms
What’s a population
All the INDV. of a species that live and breed in a particular place
What is population size?
The number of INDV. of all ages alive at a particular time and space
What is population range?
The area over which a species is spread
What is population density
The number of INDV. divide by the total range
What is the Mark and Re-capture method
A common method used in ecology to estimate population size by capturing and marking INDV. and then re-capturing them
What is Random Distribution
No pattern – Completely random
What is Clumped Distribution
When resources are clustered, INDV. will be clustered
What is Uniform Distribution
When limited resources, INDV. are far apart from each other
How does population size INCREASE?
Births and Immigration
How does population size DECREASE?
Death and Emmigration
What is the Carrying Capacity?
The maximum number of INDV. a habitat can support
What are some factors that keep populations under Carrying Capacity?
Predation, Parasites, and Disease
Why are older INDV. more important for population growth?
Since they can breed and produce more offspring than younger INDV.
Describe the following: Type 1, 2, and 3 Survivorship Curve Types
Type 1: Survive in early years and then steep decline in lifespan (Humans and other large mammals)
Type 2: Steady/Consistent decline in life span (Small mammals and Birds)
Type 3: Many don’t survive in early life but if they do, they have a slow decline over time (Fish, Frogs, herbaceous plants, etc.)
What is the K-strategy for Reproduction?
Create few offspring and provide high investment in the offspring that results in high offspring survival (Pop. lives near K)
What is the R-strategy for Reproduction?
Create lots of offspring and don’t provide much investment which results in low offspring survival
What is a niche?
The ways an organism responds to and affects the resources and other species in their habitat (What an org. occurs and what they do there)
What are differences between Habitat and Niche
Habitats are specific physical spaces that are inhabited by multiple species. Habitat is more WHERE and less HOW like niches. Many species may inhabit the same habitat but they use it differently (Niche)
What is a Fundamental Niche?
The full range of climate conditions and food resources that lets INDV. in a species live (LARGE, Theoretical, ideal environment)
What is a Realized Niche?
The actual range of habitats occupied by a species (SMALL, actual, many limiting factors)
What is an Antagonistic Interaction?
Interactions where 1 species LOSES more than it GAINS
What is Competition?
ANT. INT – When the use of a mutually needed resource by 1 group lowers the availability of the resource for another