Ecology Basics

Question 1

Ecology

Answer 1

The study of how each organism interacts with each other and with their environment

Question 2

Population Size

Answer 2

Total # of individuals in a population

Question 3

Population Density

Answer 3

Total # of individuals per unit area

Question 4

Intraspecific Competition

Answer 4

Individuals of the same species fight each other for limited resources

Question 5

Species Distribution

Answer 5

How species are organized in a habitat

Question 6

Three types of Species Distribution

Answer 6

1. Uniform
2. Clumped
3. Random

Question 7

3 Ways to estimate a Population Size

Answer 7

1. Count each individual (Often Difficult)
2. Quadrat Method (Used on slow/immobile organisms)
3. Mark & Recapture (Used on large/mobile organisms)

Question 8

Demography

Answer 8

Statistical study of a population’s birth/death rate, and life expectancy

Question 9

Formula for Birth Rate and Death Rate

Answer 9

Birth Rate: # of births / population size

Death Rate: # of deaths / # of surviving organisms

Question 10

Survivorship Graph

Answer 10

A graph of survivorship overtime, providing insight of an organisms history

Question 11

3 Types of Survivorship Graph

Answer 11

1. Type I: Low mortality in early life but high mortality in later life
2. Type II: Mortality and survivorship equally likely throughout life
3. Type III: High mortality in early life but low mortality in later life

Question 12

How can Type I be compared to Type III

Answer 12

Type I requires high parental care, resulting in few offspring, Type III offers no parental care but have many offspring

Question 13

Life Table

Answer 13

A tool that shows mortality and life expectancy changes from age class to age class