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Ecology Unit 1 Exam > Exam 1 Study Guide > Flashcards

Exam 1 Study Guide Flashcards

1
Q

Individual

A

One single organism of a species.

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2
Q

Population

A

A group of individuals of the same species living in a specific area.

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3
Q

Community

A

Association of interacting populations of different but often related, species that live near each other (strong modeling & theoretical background)

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4
Q

Ecosystem

A

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment. Scale depends on the target organisms (strong emphasis on biochemistry, physics etc)

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5
Q

Biosphere

A

The regions of the surface, atmosphere, and hydrosphere of the earth occupied by living organisms.

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6
Q

Theoretical models

A

Hypothesis, mathematical models, and predictions to gain info about a given ecological system

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7
Q

Field/Lab experiments

A

Alter one or more features of the environment and observe effects. Intermediate levels of realism & mechanistic validity

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8
Q

Observational studies

A

Research based on observations of natural ecological systems without experimental manipulation.

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9
Q

Climate

A

Long-term patterns of temperature, humidity, wind, and precipitation in an area.

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10
Q

Weather

A

Short-term atmospheric conditions like temperature, humidity, and precipitation.

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11
Q

Biomes

A

Large-scale biological communities characterized by the predominant growth forms of plants, determined by patterns of temperature & precipitation

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12
Q

Ecological Questions: Biosphere

A

1.Increasing remote data coverage is opening new frontiers in biosphere ecology

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13
Q

Ecological Questions: Ecosystem

A
  1. related to nutrient supplies and cycles, production, and energy flow
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14
Q

Ecological Questions: Community

A
  1. Related to species richness and diversity, as well interactions among species and the environment
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15
Q

Ecological Questions: Population

A
  1. Related to species spatial distribution, abundance, and demography (# of individuals, growth/decline) over time
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16
Q

Ecological Questions: Individual

A
  1. How might individual’s behavior affect survival or reproduction?
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17
Q

Important features in Research

A
  1. Replication: each treatment is performed several times
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18
Q

Averages vs Variability

A

Climate variability tends to be more important determinants of species distribution

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19
Q

Ecology

A

The scientific study of interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of organisms, and the factors that influence them

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20
Q

Factors that influence global temperature patterns

A
  1. Solar radiation
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21
Q

Ocean Currents

A

: deep ocean currents transfer energy between tropical and polar regions (mixing effect)

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22
Q

Distribution of land and water

A

: land gains and loses heat faster than water

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23
Q

Elevation

A

higher elevation-> lower air density+ less surface heat= lower temperature

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24
Q

Factors that influence global precipitation patterns

A
  1. location of atmospheric circulation cells
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25
Q

Atmospheric Circulation Cells

A

Winds and ocean currents transfer energy from the tropics to higher latitudes

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26
Q

Proximity to oceans

A

Little variation in daily & seasonal temperature, higher humidity, higher precipitation due to evaporation from ocean

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27
Q

Elevation & Mountains

A

temperature decreases, precipitation increases, and wind speed increases with elevation

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28
Q

Vegetation

A

influence how the ground surface interacts with solar radiation and how much water it loses to the atmosphere

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29
Q

Factors that influence seasonality

A
  1. Tilt of the Earth’s axis changes intensity of rays as it orbits the sun
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30
Q

cacti and shrubs; succulent stems or leaves

A

Dry, seasonally hot/cool

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31
Q

grasses, sedges

A

moist, seasonally warm/cool, with fire

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32
Q

forbs

A

seasonally cool/cold

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33
Q

evergreen broad-leaved trees

A

wet, warm year round

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34
Q

deciduous trees

A

moist, seasonally warm/cool or cool/cold on fertile soils or warm seasonally wet/dry

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35
Q

needle-leaved evergreen trees

A

Moist, seasonally warm/cool or cool/cold on infertile soils

36
Q

tropical rainforests

A

Location: 10 N & S

37
Q

tropical seasonal rainforests and savannas

A

Location: 23.5 N & S

38
Q

Desert

A

Location: 30 N & S

39
Q

Temperate Grasslands

A

Location: 30 -50N & S

40
Q

Temperate Shrublands and Woodlands

A

Location: 30 -40N & S

41
Q

Temperate deciduous forests

A

Location: 30-50 N & S

42
Q

Boreal Forests

A

Location: >50 N

43
Q

Tundra

A

Location: >65N

44
Q

Latitudinal effect on Biomes’ distribution

A

3.6 F decrease across 870 miles of latitudinal variation

45
Q

Altitudinal effect on Biomes’ distribution

A

3.6 F decrease across 1000 ft (0.2 miles) of altitudinal variation

46
Q

Climate Envelope

A

the range of climate conditions under which a species can succeed

47
Q

Potential vs Actual Distribution

A

Potential is different than actual distribution due to dispersal ability(geographic boundaries) , interactions (competition & predation), and disturbance

48
Q

Acclimatation

A

short-term solution to adjust to lessen the effect of stressing conditions. reversible when stress is absent, organismal level

49
Q

Adaptation

A

long term genetic response of a population to a persistent stressing condition, reversible in evolutionary time, population level

50
Q

Important life history traits

A
  1. survival/mortality rates at different ages
51
Q

Life History Strategy Example

A

Sequoia vs dandelion

52
Q

Trade-offs: Reproduction vs Survival of Parents

A

The higher the survival rate of the parents the lower the amount of offspring, because more effort is put into survival and living longer than reproducing

53
Q

Growth of Parents

A

The bigger/stronger the parents the less offspring, because more energy in put into growing than reproducing

54
Q

Trade-offs: Number vs Size of Offspring

A

higher number of offspring they produce or higher quality of the offspring (usually associated to species without parental care)

55
Q

Trade-offs: Optimal Clutch size

A

higher number of offspring they produce or higher survival of offspring (usually associated to species with parental care)

56
Q

R-Selection

A

high population growth rate, small body size, short life span, rapid development & early maturation, low parental investment, high reproduction rate, variable habitats (mice)

57
Q

K-selection

A

slow population growth rate, bigger size, longer life, slower development, delay maturation, high investment in offspring, low reproduction rates, stable habitat (polar bears)

58
Q

Distribution

A

The geographic area where individuals of a species are present.

59
Q

Abundance

A

Number of individuals of a species or population

60
Q

Issues with working with species abundance

A

Very hard to count or estimate number of individuals per area

61
Q

Absolute population size

A

Total number of individuals (population census)

62
Q

Relative population size

A

measure of how common or rare a species is in one area relative to other areas (easier and cheaper)

63
Q

Area-based counts method

A

organisms are counted in a series of plots or quadrats, counts from several quadrats are summed or averaged to estimate abundance (often used for more static species)

64
Q

Distance method

A

observer measures the distance of individuals from a line or point, a detection function is used to convert these distances in estimates of abundance

65
Q

mark-recapture method

A

relies on releasing marked individuals and recapturing later. The fraction of marked individuals in the populations in the second survey is used to estimate abundance (also used to obtain data on survival)

66
Q

Spatial variability on species distribution and abundances

A

There is considerable variation in the sizes of different species in a geographic range, species are not spread evenly across geographic range, most of range is not ideal habitat, patchy distribution

67
Q

Metapopulations

A

A group of geographically isolated populations of the same species linked together by dispersal

68
Q

Factors of Metapopulation dynamics (extinction vs colonization)

A
  1. Patch size
69
Q

Source population

A

emigration > immigration where a population has a net export of individuals

70
Q

Sink populations

A

emigration < immigration where a population has a net import of individuals

71
Q

Rescue Effect

A

Immigration supplement negative growth population preventing extinction

72
Q

Metapopulation dynamics

A

balance between extinctions and colonization. extinction < colonization= metapopulation persists

73
Q

Exponential Growth Curve

A

j-shaped curve showing the rapid increase in an exponentially growing population, cant continue indefinitely, occurs when conditions are favorable

74
Q

Logistic Growth

A

Occurs when population approaches an equilibrium, relatively stable pop size and changes little over time, fluctuates around the carry capacity

75
Q

Population fluctuations

A

can be small or erratic increases or decreases caused by increased abundance of prey or predator or changes in a wide range of environmental factors

76
Q

Regular population cycles

A

a special type of fluctuation, in which alternating periods of high and low abundance occur after nearly constant intervals of time

77
Q

Delay density dependence

A

caused by a built-in-delay in the effect of food supply on birth rates, number of births is determined by conditions that were present several time periods ago, mismatch between prey and predator abundance

78
Q

Intense fluctuations vs mild fluctuations

A

population fluctuations increase risk of extinction. if variation in population growth rate is high, extinction risk will rise

79
Q

Large vs small populations

A

Small populations have higher extinction risks

80
Q

Effective population size

A

number of individuals that can contribute offspring to the next generation

81
Q

Factors that place small populations at risk for extinction

A
  1. Genetic factors. 2. demographic factors.
82
Q

Genetic Factors

A

Genetic drift: the change in frequency of an existing gene variant in the pop due to random chance, may cause gene variants to disappear

83
Q

Demographic stochasticity

A

the random variation in the dynamics of small populations due to the probabilistic nature of individual processes such as birth, death, and pathogen transmission

84
Q

Environmental Stochasticity

A

erratic or unpredictable changes in the environment, ie fire, flood, disease outbreaks, invasive predators

85
Q

Extinction vortex

A

A downward population spiral in which human or natural events lessen the population, which leads to inbreeding and genetic drift combine to cause a loss of genetic diversity, lower reproduction and eventually a small population to shrink and, unless the spiral is reversed, become extinct.

Ecology Unit 1 Exam (1 decks)

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