chapter 14: habitat selection, territory and migration Flashcards
habitat choice
choosing a place to live in
What are the main factors/resources that drive animals to choose particular habitats?
- shelter, food, enviornmental condition, mates
Ideal Free Distribution (IFD) model of habitat choice suggests.
individuals are free to settle in whatever habitat provides them with the highest fitness
What are the two main assumptions and major predictions the IFD model makes?
- animals are free to move unhindered by others
- animals can tell which habitats have more recources
- predicts first individuals to arrive should settle in habitat with the most recources
What is the equilibrium distribution point?
individuals will do equally well in either habitat
What is the resource Matching Rule, what does it predict?
predicts individuals should distribute themselves according to amount of recources in habitat
Understand what the equation R1/N1 = R2/N2 represents and what each variable
means.
individuals/ habitat is proportional to the amount of recources in that habitat
- R = amount of recources in habitat 1/2
- N = number of settled individuals in habitat 1/2
What is the ultimate goal of animals as they try to distribute themselves in a particular
habitat patch?
individuals should get equal distribution based on the recources in the habitats
What is the Ideal Despotic Distribution Model? How is it different from the IFD model?
modified version of IFD, habitat choice may be constrained by territorial behavior of already established individuals
What are other factors that individuals might consider when choosing habitats?
choosing certain habitats that are less prone to parasites and/or diseases, conspecific
cueing, etc.).
Understand the results of the study by Kiesecker and Skelly 2000 looking at how frogs
decide where to lay their eggs in order to avoid diseases/parasites.
…
What is territoriality? What are the benefits and costs of owning a territory?
occumation and defence of a particular area
- can provide owner with access to food, mates, and safe shelters
costs:
- must defend it
As the size of a territory increases, what else increases?
the costs increase
As the benefits of being territorial increases, what else increases?
if a territory is high quality providing many benefits, territory size can increase
If you have two territories and one has greater benefits than the other, which of these
territories will have a larger optimal territory size? Why?
*OPTIMAL territory size will be greater on territories that have fewer resources. ((need to have bigger territory size to get amount of resources u need bc there’s less available on lower quality habitat so u have to go longer distances to get more))
