Habitat selection, territoriality and migration Flashcards
what is an advantage of being a mobile animal
they can decide where to live and therefore have control on the selective pressures acting upon them
what is an ecoregion
an area defined in terms of its natural features and environment
give an example of some factors which determine distribution
if one habitat has more food than the other you will find more animals in the one with more food
what is optimal foraging theory
a behavioral ecology model that helps predict how an animal behaves when searching for food
what is the idea of an ideal free distribution
a theoretical way in which a population’s individuals distribute themselves among several patches of resources within their environment, in order to minimize resource competition and maximize fitness.
what is niche partitioning
process by which natural selection drives competing species into different patterns of resource use or different niches
when choosing a habitat what factors are important
where predators are
where the best food/prey items are
where the best shelter and escape is
where the mates are
where the parasites and diseases are
where the best climate is
what is a home range
the are an animal frequents regularly and varies massively between species
- it is not specifically size dependant
compare Gorilla home range to Hamadryas baboon home range
15km vs 40km
what ecological factors influence home range
seasonality
sexual status
prey availability
migrants and residents
weather, season , time of day
life cycle
outline the differences in home range in the snub-nosed monkey
seasonal changes in home range and habitat
14.1km in spring
9.5 km in summer
12.1km in autumn
12.3 in winter
closely correlates with distribution and abundance of food
what is meant by a home range nomad
individuals which are constantly wondering and never return to the same place regularly- these can be solitary or group living
what is territoriality
relates to the ownership of an area or bit of land- individuals actively keep intruders out fo a frequented area = activley defended
defence can be costly in energy and resources
give some examples of the range of mechanisms used to defend a territory
chemical signalling
