Eco evolutionary dynamics

Question 1

Define Acclimatisation

Answer 1

The process in which an individual organism adjusts to a change in its environment

Question 2

How does global warming effect size structure?

Answer 2

There is a relative increase in small versus large organisms

Question 3

Give an example of how evolution has impacted ecology over long time scales

Answer 3

Oxygen as a result of photosynthesis

Question 4

Define evolutionary rescue

Answer 4

When adaptive evolutionary change restores positive growth to declining populations and prevents extinction

Question 5

Who tested the theory that evolutionary rescue could prevent extinction following environmental change and how?

Answer 5

Bell and Gonzalez in 1999 by exposing yeast cells to different salt concentrations

Question 6

What makes evolutionary rescue more likely?

Answer 6

Larger initial populations

Question 7

Give an example of how evolution affects predator prey interactions

Answer 7

Daphnia develop spikes and helmets against predators

–> evolutionary arms race between predator and prey

Question 8

How does warming impact predator prey systems?

Answer 8

Warming has a stabilising effect on predator-prey interactions by dampened oscillations but warming reduces flow to higher trophic levels