Ecology 1: Population Ecology (E2)

Question 1

Ecology

Answer 1

The study of the rules of engagement
(Seeks to explain why the world works and acts the way it does)

Question 2

Environment

Answer 2

The surroundings or conditions in which an organism lives

Question 3

Abiotic

Answer 3

Non living aspects of the environment
Ex.space, sunlight, heat, wind, water currents, etc

Question 4

Biotic

Answer 4

Living aspects of the environment
Ex.other organisms, parasites

Question 5

Density

Answer 5

The number of individuals per unit area or volume
(Not a static property of populations…it changes)
Ex.births, deaths, immigration, emigration

Question 6

Dispersion

Answer 6

Describes patterns of distribution within a species geographical range

Question 7

Clumped dispersion

Answer 7

Individuals live areas of high local abundance separated by areas of low abundance

Question 8

Uniform dispersion

Answer 8

Inidividuals are uniformly spaced throughout the environment

Question 9

Random dispersion

Answer 9

Individuals have an equal chance of living anywhere within the geographic range of population

Question 10

Life table

Answer 10

Summarize survival and reproduction of a cohort

Question 11

Resource

Answer 11

Environmental factors that an animal uses directly
expendable(food) and non expendable(sunlight, physical space)

Question 12

Population

Answer 12

A group of individuals of a single species living in the same general area or geographical range

Question 13

Immigration

Answer 13

Species coming into land

Question 14

Emigration

Answer 14

Species leaving land

Question 15

Demography

Answer 15

Study of population growth

Question 16

Survivorship curve

Answer 16

Plots the proportion or numbers in a cohort still alive at each age
(Graphical representation of a life table)

Question 17

Semalparity

Answer 17

Only one reproductive cycle in its lifetime

Question 18

Iteoparity

Answer 18

More than one reproductive cycle

Question 19

Population growth(exponential, logistic)

Answer 19

Difference between rates of birth and death
Exponential(idealized, dN/dt=rN, rate at which a population is increasing in size at each moment in time) vs logistic(realistic, describes how populations grow as resources are used up)

Question 20

Intrinsic rate of increase

Answer 20

Per capita change on population

Question 21

Carrying capacity

Answer 21

The largest population the limiting resource can support

Question 22

Limiting resource

Answer 22

Resource that is depleted first

Question 23

Density independent factors

Answer 23

All members of a population independent of age age or population size (abiotic)
Independent of popn size so cannot truly regulate popn growth, random
Ex.age, structure, sex ratio, growth

Question 24

Density dependent factors

Answer 24

Responds to density of the population predators, parasites, disease, competition (biotic)
Ex.Density increases, effects of disease/parasites increase
Ex. Competition between species for a common resource lowers the effective carrying capacity for each species