Chapter 4: Evolution, Biological Communities, and Speciec Interactions

Question 1

Acclimation

Answer 1

The ability of an organism to respond immediately to the changing environment.

Question 2

Adaptation

Answer 2

The aquisition of traites that allow a species to survive in its environment.

Question 3

Mutation

Answer 3

Changes in the DNA coding sequence that occur by chance.

Question 4

Habitat

Answer 4

The place or set of environmental condtions in which a particular organism lives

Question 5

Ecological niche

Answer 5

Describes the functional position of an organism in its envirnment

Question 6

Resource partitioning

Answer 6

species co-exist in a habitat by utilizing different parts of a single resource
Ex: Swallows eat insects during the day and bats eat insects at night

Question 7

Speciation

Answer 7

The developement of a new species

Question 8

Allopatric Speciation

Answer 8

whereby a sub-population becomes
separated from the main population and can no longer
share genes with it.

Question 9

Sympatric Speciation

Answer 9

Organisms continue to live in the same place but become isolated by some other means

Question 10

Genetic drift

Answer 10

Chance events that casue genes to be lost from a population through generations of reproduction

Question 11

Selection pressure

Answer 11

The selsetion pressures on the two populations are differentt if the populations are isolated

Question 12

Intraspecific competition

Answer 12

competition among members of the same species whihc can be reduced

Question 13

Interspecific competition

Answer 13

competition between members of different species

Question 14

Predator-mediated compition

Answer 14

One species may be the top predator in a given location, but its population may be reduced as the number of prey decreases

Question 15

Coevolution

Answer 15

Over time predator and prey evolve on response to one another

Question 16

Batesian mimicry

Answer 16

Harmless species mimic the warning coloration of harmful species to gain protection

Question 17

Mullerian mimicry

Answer 17

Two harmful species evolve to look alike

Question 18

Symbiosis

Answer 18

2 or more species living intimately together with their fates linked

Question 19

Mutualism

Answer 19

Both organisms benefit from their association

Question 20

Commensalism

Answer 20

One species benefits while the other neither benefits nor is harmed

Question 21

Parasitism

Answer 21

a form of preditation, also sometimes considered a symbiosis because of the dependency of the parasite on its host

Question 22

Keystone Species

Answer 22

Has a large effect on biological community relative to its abundance

Question 23

Primary Productivity

Answer 23

Rate of biomass production. Used as an indication of the rate of solar energy conversion to chemical energy

Question 24

Net Primary Productivity

Answer 24

energy left after respiration

Question 25

Abundance

Answer 25

Total number of organisms in a community

Question 26

Diversity

Answer 26

Number of different species, ecological niches, or genetic variation

Question 27

Ecological structure

Answer 27

pattern of spatial distribution of individuals and populations within a community

Question 28

clustered/clumped ditribution

Answer 28

for protection, mutual assistance, reproduction, access to resources

Question 29

uniform distribution

Answer 29

often the result of competition

Question 30

complexity

Answer 30

number of species at each trophic level and the number of trophic levels in a community

Question 31

3 kinds of resilience and stability

Answer 31

Constancy, Inertia, and Renewal

Question 32

Edge Effects

Answer 32

an important aspect of community structure is the boundary between one habitat and adjacent ones

Question 33

Ecotones

Answer 33

boundaries between adjacent communities

Question 34

Primary Succession

Answer 34

a community begins to develop on a site previously unoccupied by living organisms
Ex: a lava flow creates a new land area that is colonized. The first colonists are termed pioneer species

Question 35

Secondary Succession

Answer 35

An existing community is disrupted and a new one subsequently develops at the site

Question 36

Climax Community

Answer 36

Community that develops last and remains the longest