E1: What is Ecology?

Question 1

What is Ecology?

Answer 1

The scientific study of the interactions that determine the distrobution and abundance of organisms.

Question 2

What is distribution?

Answer 2

Where organisms are found.

Question 3

What is abundance?

Answer 3

How many organsisms in a given area.

Question 4

What is the theme of Ecology vs Conservation Biology?

Answer 4

Ecology: patterns and process.

Conservation: preserve biodiversity.

Question 5

What is the focus in Ecology vs Conservation Biology?

Answer 5

Ecology: interrelations of all plants and animals.

Conservation: analysis of human impact - includes polatics, economics, etc.

Question 6

What are the three Ecology points of view?

Answer 6

1. descriptive
2. functional
3. evolutionary

Question 7

What is the descriptive POV?

Answer 7

-describe natural history and vegetation
-foundation of all ecological science, historically important
-some areas and organisms are still poorly known

Question 8

What is the functional POV?

Answer 8

• dynamics and relationships
• populations and communities
• includes proximate causes (responses to immediate factors of the environment)

Question 9

What is the evolutionary POV?

Answer 9

• examines ultimate causes
• why natural selection has favored a particuar ecological solution

Question 10

What are the 3 approaches in Ecology?

Answer 10

1. theoretical
2. laboratory
3. field

Question 11

Describe the theortical approach.

Answer 11

• Creative thinking and modeling arrive at interesting ideas
• Use problems (violated assumptions) to investigate further ideas
• Power in application

Question 12

Describe the laboratory approach.

Answer 12

• take ideas to conteolled conditions of the lab
• control as many variables as possible to “iron out” details

Question 13

Describe the field approach.

Answer 13

• investigate in natural habitats where complexities are operating
• all to further the knowledge in the ditrobution and abundance.

Question 14

Define evolution.

Answer 14

The change in allele frequencies through time in a population.

Question 15

Define natual selection.

Answer 15

Increase or decrease in the number of individuals with certian geneotypes as a result of differential survival and reproduction.

Question 16

What are the three types of selection?

Answer 16

1. Directional
2. Stabilizing
3. Disruptive

Question 17

Describe directional selection.

Answer 17

Phenotypes at one extreme are selected against.

Question 18

Describe stabilizing selection.

Answer 18

Phenotypes near mean are selected for.

Question 19

Describe disruptive selection.

Answer 19

Phenotypes at the extremes are favored over the mean.

Question 20

What is a determinate layer? (Birds)

Answer 20

Tend to lay a given number of eggs, even after losses. (Does not lay more when some lost)

Question 21

What is an indeterminate layer? (Birds)

Answer 21

Tend to keep laying until nest is full, even after removals. (Will replace lost eggs)

Question 22

What is Lack’s Hypothesis?

Answer 22

Egg number are determined by the number of young parents can provide with food.

Question 23

Describe the coevolutionary arms race.

Answer 23

Selection will favor improvements on one side, then the other will catch up in a continuous cycle.

Question 24

Give an example of coevolutionary arms race.

Answer 24

1. brown-headed Cowbirds and being a bird nest parasite
2. Garter snake resistance to rough-skinned newt toxins

Question 25

What are the four units of selection?

Answer 25

1. individual selection
2. gametic selection
3. kin selection
4. group selection

Question 26

What is the most common and most powerful form of selection?

Answer 26

Individual selection.