Final terms Flashcards

1
Q

Ecology

A

the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environment

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2
Q

Abiotic

A

physical characteristics of environment

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3
Q

Biotic

A

living organisms of environment

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4
Q

Population

A

individuals in the same species, those that can interbreed, living in the same place at the same time

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5
Q

Habitat

A

resources and conditions that allow the population to grow or persist in the environment

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6
Q

Population Growth

A

size of population and how that size changes over time

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7
Q

Life Tables

A

catalog rates of survivorship and fecundity in cohorts of populations and enable estimation of population growth rate

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8
Q

Survivorship

A

proportion of individuals starting at age 0 that survive to any other age

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9
Q

Fecudity

A

average number of offspring per surviving adults per age class

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10
Q

Demographic population models

A

are used in the management of populations of interest (with mixed success in fisheries management)

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11
Q

Life history:

A

lifetime pattern of growth, reproduction, and survival

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12
Q

Type I survivorship curve

A

□ Most individuals survive to old age

Example: Dall mountain sheep

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13
Q

Type II survivorship curve

A

□ Individuals face a constant risk of mortality at all ages

Example: Song thrushes

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14
Q

Type III survivorship curve

A

□ Most individuals die young

Example: barnacles

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15
Q

Life history strategy

A

how evolution of traits informs population ecology

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16
Q

r-strategists

A

Species whose life history strategies allow for high population growth sizes

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17
Q

K-strategists

A

Species whose life history strategies allow them to persist or near the carrying capacity (K) of their environment

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18
Q

Antagonistic (+/-) interaction

A

in which each successful meal for a predator (increasing growth, survival, and reproduction) necessitates mortality (death) for one or more individuals in the prey population

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19
Q

Optimal foraging theory

A

Predators will forage in a manner that maximizes their energetic or nutritional gains per unit time.

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20
Q

Life-Dinner Principle

A

natural selection is stronger on anti-predator traits of prey than on prey-capture traits of predators because each predation event has greater fitness consequences for prey (death) than for predator (energy/nutrient gain)

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21
Q

Batesian mimicry:

A

® Mimic evolved traits that resemble the model, but not dangerous to predators
Looks like the warning signals of an aposematic species but is not actually dangerous

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22
Q

Mullerian mimicry:

A

® Multiple aposematic species with similar warning signals (convergent or parallel evolution)
® All have warning signals and toxicity to back it up
Predators only have to learn one basic warning signal to learn avoidance

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23
Q

keystone species:

A

relatively small population size in relation to its large effect on populations of other species

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24
Q

Amensalism

A

one species is negatively affected and the other species is not affected at all

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25
Strength
is per capita effect of one species on population growth of another species
26
Symmetry
is how equal the strength of competition is in both directions.
27
Ecological Niche
set of abiotic and biotic conditions and resources that allow a population to persist indefinitely
28
Fundamental niche
defined by the organism’s physiological capabilities | All factors considered; broad; theoretical
29
Realized niche
defined by interactions with other species, such as competition, but may also be determined by predation, parasitism, and mutualism What actually happens in niche
30
Competitive Exclusion
species or population cannot exist in the local environment because of competition with other species
31
Symbiosis
the living together of two or more species in a prolonged and intimate relationship
32
Facultative mutualism
interacting species benefit but do not depend specifically on the other
33
Obligate mutualism
each species depends specifically on the other
34
Ecological community
group of species living together at same place and time
35
Ecological network
web of species and their interactions in a community
36
Taxonomic affinity
all species in community of a given taxon (e.g., frogs and toads)
37
Guild
group of species, often taxonomically distinct, that use similar resources
38
Functional group
group of species, usually in same taxon, that function in similar ways but may or may not use similar resources
39
Food web
how organisms are linked through trophic connections
40
trophic interactions
Food webs and food chains
41
Food chain
a linear subset of a food web showing the links between species of different trophic levels
42
Indirect interactions
are rampant and reveal how real communities function, whereas direct interactions are important building blocks of networks but do not adequately capture community/network properties
43
Species richness
the number of species living in a local community or subset of the community (e.g., frogs and toads)
44
Species evenness
the abundance (number of individuals) of each species relative to others
45
Community function
the efficiency of ecological processes performed by the community, such as plant biomass production, soil fertilization, water use, as well as interactions, such as predation.
46
Community stability
the constancy of ecological processes over time and space in the face of environmental variation.
47
Ecological complementarity
As species richness increases, there will be a linear increase in ecosystem/community function.
48
Ecological redundancy
As species are added, the functional contribution of additional species reaches a threshold
49
Idiosyncratic hypothesis
In this case, we see complementarity but unequal effects on community functioning (no overlap in functioning)
50
Foundation species
such as trees, have large effects on their communities by virtue of their large size and abundance
51
Ecosystem engineer
a species that creates, modifies, or maintains physical habitat for themselves and other species
52
Ecological succession
change in community composition, structure, and dynamics over time
53
Disturbance
abiotic event that is relatively sudden and physically or chemically injures or kills some individuals, creating opportunities for other individuals to grow and/or reproduce, Example: volcanic eruption, hurricane, even trampling by elephants
54
Stress
abiotic factor that reduces growth, reproduction, and/or survival of some individuals through a sustained effect
55
Anthropogenic climate change
causes both disturbance and stress because it increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes (disturbance) and droughts (stress).
56
Facilitation
species already present increase population growth of species that arrive later.  
57
Inhibition
species already present prevent colonization by species that arrive later, or, in some cases, reduce population size of species already present.
58
Ecosystem
organisms living in a particular area together with the physical and chemical environment with which they interact.
59
Gross primary productivity (GPP):
rate at which all primary producers in the ecosystem turn solar energy into stored chemical energy via photosynthesis
60
Net primary productivity (NPP)
rate at which energy is incorporated into the primary producers’ bodies (measured as biomass), but some energy is lost through metabolism and respiration (as metabolic heat)
61
Causes of lost energy
heat loss biomass availability indigestibility
62
Mineralization
the process by which animals, bacteria, and fungi convert organic compounds into inorganic soluble nutrients
63
Decomposition
the physical and chemical breakdown of detritus, dead organisms, by bacteria and detritivores leading to the release of nutrients and energy
64
Heterotroph
organism that requires preformed organic molecules as food
65
Autotroph
an organism that is capable of living exclusively in inorganic materials, water, and some energy source such as sunlight (photoautotrophs) or chemically reduced matter (chemoautotrophs)
66
Provisioning services
provide products (goods): food, clean water, timber, fiber
67
Regulating services
maintain ecosystem stability: pest and disease control, reducing impact of hurricanes, floods, regulating water and air quality
68
Supporting services
form essential components of ecosystems: soil formation, carbon sequestration via NPP, nutrient cycling
69
Cultural services
provide nonmaterial benefits: recreational activities, and aesthetic and spiritual enrichment