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Question 1

keystone species

Answer 1

species that play roles affecting many other organisms (large impact) in an ecosystem. remove the keystone at top arch and arch collapses. limited #s. vulnerable extinction. Types and Roles-pollination bats, hummingbirds, butterflies, bees. Top predators - wolf, lion, american alligator, when they are gone lead population crashses species depend on them. Can increase species diversity when they are present.

Question 2

examples of resource paritioning through natural selection

Answer 2

1) specialist species of Hawiian honeycreepers -specialzed beaks (fruit/seed eaters vs insect and nector eaters) 2)Galapagos finishes with specialized beaks for feeding 3) MacArthurs 5 species of insect eating (insectivorous) warblers in spruce forests - preference food/digestion food. each species minimizes competition w/ others for food by spending at least half its feeding/foraging time in a distinct portion of spruce trues, consuming somewhat different insect species. Shorebirds. Lizards (Anoles) in Caribean living canapy, trunk and base.

Question 3

resource partioning

Answer 3

process of dividing up resources in an ecosystem so that closely-related species (interspecific competition) w/ similar needs (overlapping ecological niches) use same scare resources at different times (temporal partioning), different ways (morpholical), different places (spatial partitioning). live in same area. Reduce competition. Genetic Mutations - > traits -> adaptions in a species (specialization). Selection pressures generated by competition pushes the evolution of that organism toward a greater prevalence of this variation, leading to species with a certain adaption to allow it to be specialized. The end result of this natural selection process is resource paritioning.

Question 4

resource partioning Teacher Example

Answer 4

few different closely-releated species live in same area & eat very similar food, but that each are specialized to feed on a specific resource so that they are not in direct competition with each other.

Question 5

competition can cause

Answer 5

cause evolutionary adaptions (traits that will alleviate the (interspecific) competition

Question 6

resource partitioning is type of…

Answer 6

niche differentition

Question 7

(ecological) niche

Answer 7

physical or biological conditions that an organism needs to live and reproduce (range) –also defined as the role an organism plays in a area - including how it interacts with living and non-living elements requried by the organism. 2) The sum total of the abiotic (temp, nesting sites) and biotic interactions of a species.

Question 8

competition can cause

Answer 8

competition can cause increased biodiversity–because species are becoming specialized, and more species can exist in same general area. Rainforests have huge diversity and competition, and therefore many specialist species.

Question 9

what are 2 ecological affects of predation and competition

Answer 9

1) keep populations in check (or down) - population regulation 2) weed out sick and old individuals

Question 10

what is evolutionary affect of predation and competition

Answer 10

3) Drive Natural Selection (agents of natural selection) turn lead to adaptions

Question 11

coevolution

Answer 11

evolution brought about by two or more species interaction (predation, competition, mutalism, parasitism, etc) and exert selective pressures on each other that can lead each species to undergo adaptions – predators cause prety to evolve adaptions AND prey cause predators to evolve adaptions. co-evolution is often compared to an evolutionary form of an arms race. As one species evolves, the other species it interacts with must also evolve or they may go extinct. (prey though catch)

Question 12

competitive exclusion

Answer 12

The competitive exclusion principle, sometimes referred to as Gause’s Law of competitive exclusion or just Gause’s Law, states that two species that compete for the exact same resources cannot stably coexist.

Question 13

K, carrying capacity

Answer 13

maximum stable population size particular environment can support (this is characteristic of environment)

Question 14

evolution

Answer 14

change in the genetic makeup of a population over time resulting from natural selection. Evolution does not create progress or perfection. All evolution dependent upon genetic change.

Question 15

natural selection

Answer 15

the differential success (in terms of reproduction and survival) in organisms with different heritable traits resulting from the interaction of organisms with their environment; OR, the differential survival and reproduction of organisms such that those organisms best suited (or adapted) to their environment become more abundant. *sometimes there are conflicitng natural selection pressures. *end result of natural selection

Question 16

Predator Behavior traits and Prey defences

Answer 16

1) Detection of prey (Dectect also then Avoidance - remain still) 2) Attack (Escape - use defence against prey) 3) Capture (Escape) 4) Consumption. Prey and Predator - detect the other cues, including visual, chemical, auditory, and tactile senses

Question 17

predator behavior

Answer 17

A) hunting large GROUPS coordinated effort(wolfs) B) AMBUSH predators: nile crocodile ambushing wildebeest crossing mara river AND mountain lion

Question 18

prey physical defences

Answer 18

spines (porcupine) shells (turtle) thorns (cactus/rose)

Question 19

predator physical features

Answer 19

sharp senses 1) visual acuity raptor red-tailed hawk (eyes forward facing) & red tailed hawk talons AND 2) owl - hearing-rustle under snow - face funnels soundteeth: carnissal (shear meat, canine (stabbing prey), proment zyomatic arches, sagital crest

Question 20

prey defences - VISUAL - camouflage (cryptic coloring)

Answer 20

1) wandering leaf insect 2) Darwins Frog: (green)hen threatened, they roll over and play dead until the danger has passed, looking like dead leaves. They were discovered, as you may expect, by Charles Darwin in the forests of South America.

Question 21

predator - VISUAL - camouflage

Answer 21

2) praying mantise 3) tiger strips blend in with tall grass 4) crocidile

Question 22

prey defences - Chemical

Answer 22

bombardier beatle - Chemical & warning coloration (aposematic) - poison dart frog, skunk, bees and yellow jackets use orange yellow and black strips

Question 23

predator traits - Chemical

Answer 23

venom - 1) snakes - coral snake (red touches yellow kill a fellow 2) spiders - black widow

Question 24

r, rate of increase

Answer 24

rate of increase of pouplation (characteristic of the species)

Question 25

examples keystone species

Answer 25

southern sea otter-eats urchins (shelfish which humans want)-sea urchins eat kelp forests. If populations lower sea otter, kelp forest would destoryed and rich biodiversity with them. 2) Yellowstone (lamar valley) wolf - through ecology fear - population of elk, allowing willows to grow back in many riparian areas where the elk had grazed the willows heavily. Healthier willows are attracting birds and small mammals in large numbers.

Question 26

What are 3 parameters looked at when discussing Niche?

Answer 26

Niches are multidimensional in that they include a wide variety of aspects of the environment which must be considered. Normally, when defining a niche we look at 3 sets of parameters: 1) Range of physical factors for survival and reproduction: temperature, humidity, pH, soil, sunlight, etc. Gardeners of course are familiar with many of these parameters. When you buy plants or seeds you buy them with your garden in mind; some plants cannot live in wet soils, others require shade, still others need acid soils. Animals likewise have similar requirements; a tropical lizard like the iguana cannot survive the cold winter of a temperate forest. 2) Biological factors: predators, prey, parasites, competitors, etc. An organism’s niche may be further described by how it relates to other organisms. Squirrels require oak trees and their acorns for food, compete with chipmunks and deer and acorn weevils for the acorns, must avoid predators like hawks, and so on. 3) Behavior: seasonality, diurnal patterns, movement, social organization, etc.
An organism’s behavior will further define its niche. Organisms might be nocturnal, or burrowers (or both). They may migrate like many songbirds; they may be part of a colony of social insects like bees or a herd like bison.

Question 27

generalist

Answer 27

1) respond better changes /uncertaintiy. survive longer (+) switch food source (+) 2) more competition (-) 4) not efficient/waster energy

Question 28

specialist

Answer 28

1) when food disappears, you don’t develop mutation eat insects if your seed eater (-) 2) when conditions change, likely go extinct 3) you avoid competition (+) [ honey creepers, warblers ]

Question 29

what are generalists?

Answer 29

Generatlist species: broad niches: live many diff places, eat variety foods, tolerate wide range of env conditions EXP: flies/cockroaches, mice/rats, white-tailed deer/racoons, humans (picture p95) rapidly changing env conditions, generalists better off

Question 30

what are specialists?

Answer 30

narrow niches , live one habitat, use just one or only few types food, tolerate narrow range climatic and other env conditions EXP: shorebirds occupy specialed niches, feeding on crusaceans, insects, sandy beaches - this is exp RESOURCE PARTITIONING Problem: prone to extinction…china giant panda, habitat loss, low birth rate, specialized diet. if env conditions fairily contant, tropical rain forest, specialist few competitors