Exam 3 Flashcards
community structure
includes attributes like
1) # of species
2) species diversity
3) relative species abundance
guild
group of organisms that all make their living in the same way
ex: all seed-eating animals in an area
what is species richness and the problem with it?
.# of species in a community
problem: # of species depends on sample size
rarefraction???
can correct the over/undersampling of species richness
diversity
-measured with richness (# of species)
-evenness- how equal are the species in terms of abundance?
-Simpson’s index
Simpson’s Index
probability that any 2 individuals randomly chosen from community come from same species
Simpson’s Index of Diversity
probability that any 2 individuals chosen randomly from community come from different species
Simpson’s Reciprocal Index
number of equally common spcies you would need to measure the mix
food chains
simple interactions
food webs and the 2 types of interactions
summarize feeding relations in a community
-all food chains in an ecosystem
-help identify strong interactions
directly: predation, herbivory, parasitism
after food item is dead: detritivore
non-food web interactions
habitat formation, competition, amensalism, commensalism
indirect interactions
one species affects another through a third intermediate species
1) indirect commensalism
2) apparent competition
keytone species
-have disproportionate effect on their environment relative to abundance
-ecosystem may experience a dramatic shift if a keytone species is removed (even if small biomass or productivity)
green world hypothesis
predators play a role in maintaining plants in an ecosystem by limiting number of herbivores in that system
5 keystone interactions
1) competition
2)predation or herbivory
3) may be prey or predators
4) structure
5) may be dominant species but not always
where does species diversity tend to be higher?
-in complex environments
-intermediate levels of disturbance (high diversity) —–> allows some species to colonize but not enough time for competitive exclusion
equilibrium model of island biography
the theory of island biography by MacArthur and Wilson
-# of species on islands is determined by balance b/w species immigraiton and extinction
-rate of immigration of new species decreases as # of species increases
-rate of species extinction increases as # of species increases
when is immigration highest according to Equilirbium Model of Island Biogeography
new island with no organisms
why does extinction rate increase due to competition?
-population of each species decreases, creating larger pool of species for potential extinction
what is extinction on islands determined by?
size (allocation of space)
what is immigration on islands determined by?
isolation from source of immigrants
what are the 2 predictions of Model of Island Geography?
1) more species on large islands and near islands
2) species on islands is dynamic (always changing) but # remains the same
species turnover
the change as a result of immigration and extinction
4 updates from recent studies in regards to the Model of Island Geography?
1) species richness is not always at equilibrium
2) island size may affect immigration
3) island distance from source colonizers may affect extinction
4) area and isolation only 2 environmental factors. Other factors may affect richness
5 possible reasons why species richness increases in the tropics
1) time since perturbation (evolutionary hypothesis)
2) productivity
3) environmental heterogeneity (intermediate disturbance)
4) favorable (ambient) energy
5) interspecific interactions
geographical area hypothesis
strong positive relationship between area and species diversity
why is extinction rate lower in N.A and Asia during glaciation?
because had more diversity —-> more species available
natural selection
-differential reproductive success
-a trait that increases ability of individual to survive and reproduce compared to others that differ in that trait
-a trait that has risen via selection
evolution
-change in allele frequency in a population over time
-descent with modification
aristotle
-“ladder of nature”
-Scala naturae
-suggested that each entity had its perfect representation and had a perfect purpose in the order of life
Linnaeus
-father of taxonomy –> hierarchy of life
-binomial naming –> Genus species
-created ordered nested class classification system (based on common traits of reproduction)
James Hutton
-geologist, proposed idea of gradualism
-world runs through cycles of decay and repair
-major geological changes could be explained by accumulation of small processes caused by continuous processes (think rock cycle)
Charles Lyell
-father of modern geology
-used uniformitarianism to expand Hutton’s ideas
-same geological processes in past as today
-same rate as today (renewals, cycles)
Jean Baptiste de Lamarck
-linked evolution to adaptation
-extinct species have been replaced by descendants with new features
-said features (adaptations) helped them survive in their environment
-“inheritance of acquired characteristics”
-similar to “use/disuse” or “use or lose”
-Darwin rejected these ideas (good_