Final Exam Flashcards
ecology
study of house where we live (both place and interactions)
species
group of actually/potentially interbreeding natural populations which are reproductively isolated
actually/potentially interbreeding
biological species concept
natural population
geography, attraction, and reproductive cycles keep them separate
reproductively isolated
different times of reproduction
population
organisms of the same species occupying a particular place at a particular time
community definition
all individuals of species in a given area
levels of food pyramid
produces, consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers, quarternary consumer
keystone species/top predator
quarternary consumers
10% rule
as you move up pyramid you only retain 10% of energy from previous level
5 level rule
in typical ecosystem, limited to 5 levels because original energy runs out
humans
omnivores (eat at multiple levels)
herbivores (vegetarians) get more energy
decomposers
throughout pyramid
break things down
ecosystem
community (biotic component) and its non-living surrounding (water and air) (abiotic component)
population growth formula
N = rX + I - E - D r=reproductive capacity (how quickly pop. can grow) X=initial # I=immigration (coming out) E=emmigration (leaving) D=mortality factor (death)
carrying capacity determined by
limiting factors
limiting factors
density dependent
density independent
density dependent
food, disease, space, predators, etc.
density independent
weather, etc.
reproductive strategies
opportunistic species (r) equilibrium species (K)
opportunistic species
many small young rapid maturation little parental care reproduce only once small body size poor adult survival ex: insects, fish (smaller), rats, rabbits
equilibrium species
maintain at carrying capacity few large young slow maturation intense parental care reproduce many times large body size good adult survival ex: humans, oak trees *most endangered species found in this category
community
symbiosis
competition
predation
symbiosis
close/intimate relationship between 2 species living in 1 area
mutualism
commensalism
mutualism
both species benefit
lichens (fungus and algae)
commensalism
one benefits, the other is unaffected
spanish moss and tree
remora and shark
competition
2 species compete with each other (typically have similar needs and compete for resources)
ecological niche
all physical, chemical, and biological needs of species habitat occupied (where it lives) and roles it plays (what it does)
fundamental niche
environment occupied with no competition
realized niche
smaller part of fundamental niche based on competition
Gause’s principle
principle of competitive exclusion
complete competitors cannot coexist (1 species per niche, no more)
MacArthur
one of first to use numbers in ecology
looked at warblers and noticed different species occupied different parts of the tree (removes competition)
niche partitioning
dividing up environment between different species to remove competition
predation
one animal eats another
helps keep population under carrying capacity
predators in nature go for young, old, sick
coevolution of predators and prey
predators get better at hunting and prey get better at escaping
prey defenses
structural defense
chemical defense
coloration defense
mimicry
structural defense
shells, thorns, etc
armadillos, porcupines, sclerenchyma seed coat (plants)
chemical defense
plants use secondary compounds (defense compounds) oak leaves (tannis--bitter), latex production (poisonous)
coloration defense
camouflage
fish-countershading (top dark, bottom light)
warning coloration
mimicry
one organism mimics another
mullerian: set of species that share same defense and coloration (bees, wasps, yellow, jackets, etc.)
batesian mimicry: one creature mimics harmful creature
parasitism
small parasite eats larger creature
doesn’t want to invade something and kill right away
parasitoids: lay eggs in living creature, eggs incubate, eat up insides, adult flies away (bot flies)
ecological succession
changes in communities over time
sere A –> sere B –> sere C –> climax community
climax community of homewood
mixed (hardwood and softwood) mesophytic (in middle, not wet not dry) forest
energy of ecological succession
takes more energy to stop at certain sere than it does to let it go to climax community
island biogeography
MacArthur and EO Wilson
interested in how succession occurs in vacuum (can you predict what will grow)
predict based on how big target (island) is and how close it is to mainland
applies to any isolated area
what is better in island biogeography
want round because less edges (invasive species grow on edges)
want 1 big instead of many small
