FINAL Flashcards
Ecology
the study of the “house”
Species
a group of actually or potentially interbreeding natural populations which are reproductively isolated
Biological Species Concept
members of the same species should have the opportunity to reproduce together
Isolating Properties of species (4)
pheromones
geography
habitats
behavior
Population
organisms of the same species occupying a particular place at a particular time
Community
all individuals of all species in a given area
Ecosystem
the community and its non-living components/surroundings
Biotic
living
-in a continuous cycle with its opposite
Abiotic
nonliving (atmosphere/water)
-in a continuous cycle with its opposite
population growth equation
N=rX+I-E-D
N=
final number
r=
reproductive potential
- how quickly a species reproduces
- give the species everything it needs to grow
X=
initial number
I=
immigration
E=
emmigration
D=
mortality factor
-keeps r from going over K
K=
carrying capacity
-number of individuals in a population that can be sustained indefinitely
Limiting Factors of K
- Density dependent
- Density independent
- Predation
Density Dependent Limiting Factors Examples
food, shelter, disease, and war
Density independent Limiting Factors Examples
temperatures, earthquakes, and natural disasters
Predation Limiting Factor
killing off a species predator to increase population of said species
Survivorship Curve
measures what potential survivorship a person has at a certain point in the r life
Reproductive Strategies
This can be either Opportunistic or Equilibrium; when a population chooses whether or not they will put their energy into mass production or not
Opportunistic Strategy
Rats/Weeds (r)
- many small young
- rapid maturation
- little paternal care
- reproduce only once
- small body sizes
- poor adult survival
Equlibrium
Elephants/people (K)
- few large young
- large body size
- good adult survival
- reproduce many times
- intense paternal care
- slow maturation
Symbiosis
Interaction where 2 organisms are living together in some way
- mutalism
- Commensalism
Mutualism
relationship that is beneficial to both parties
Commensalism
relationship where one benefits and the other is uneffected
Competition
Interaction with two species with very similar requirements
Fundamental Niche
everything that is needed by a certain creature
Realized Niche
everything that a creature gets after competition
Niche
all the physical, chemical, and biological factors needed in a habitat and the roles played by a species
Gause’s Principle/Competitive Exclusion
“complete competitors cannot exist”
-same species will always kill the other
Niche Partitioning
species divide an area out so that they do not have to be competitive
-MacAurthur
Predation
one creature killing another weaker creature
-makes the rest of weak species stronger
Coevolution of Predator and Prey
over time, prey organisms should be getting better at defending themselves and predators should be better at capturing their prey
Parasitism
a creature living inside of your body that does not want you to be killed immdiately
Parasitoid
a creature that lays eggs inside a living body and lets the juices of the creature nourish its young
Community Succession
communities predictably changing over time where one community takes place of the next
Sere
a community within a sequence of community succession
Climax Community
the community that will remain forever and will continue on if undisturbed
Primary Community
the absolute beginning with nothing that takes eons to form (raw rock)
Secondary Community
mature soil; takes about 100 years or so to form
Island Biogeography
an island in the middle of the ocean is a bigger target for creatures depending on the size and roundedness
Examples of Coevolution of pred and prey (4)
- Structural
- chemical
- coloration
- parasitism
Chemical Secondary compounds (coevolution)
extra compounds meant for protection
IE Latex in a plant is poison
Examples of Coloration in coevolution
- camouflage
- Counter Shading
- warning coloraiton
- mimicry
- Mullerian
- Batesian
Mullerian (coevolution)
a group of organisms sharing the same coloration and defense
IE Buzzing= wasp, honey bee
Batesian (coevolution)
harmless mimic resembling a harmful model
What is a human’s survivorship curve?
chance of surviving whole life, then dropping quickly
What is a bird’s survivorship curve?
rapidly decreasing
What is a Oyster’s survivorship curve?
no chance of survival until it gets older then it will live for a long time
