Intro to Macroecology

Question 1

What are the three key aspects of macroecology?

Answer 1

Large scales

Strongly empirical observational approach

Emergent non-reductionist approach

Question 2

How is range size measured?

Answer 2

Extent of occurrence (EoO)

OR

Area of occupancy (AoO)

Question 3

What can area of occupancy vary with?

Answer 3

Spatial scale

Question 4

How is range size and extinction risk linked?

Answer 4

As range size increases, the percentage threatened decreases

Question 5

What is the correlation between range size and abundance?

Answer 5

Species with small ranges have small populations

Question 6

What is species range size equal to?

Answer 6

The species’ area of geographic distribution

Question 7

Do most species have small or large ranges?

Answer 7

Small

Question 8

What is Rapoport’s Rule?

Answer 8

‘When the latitudinal extent of the geographical range of organisms occuring at a given latitude is plotted against latitude, a simple positive correlation is found’

AKA

Species have smaller latitudinal ranges at low latitudes

Question 9

What are some possible mechanisms for Rapoport’s Rule?

Answer 9

Climatic tolerance

Historical factors

Evolutionary age/taxon cycles

Question 10

What is the climatic variability hypothesis?

Answer 10

Taxa from environmentally varibale habitats evolve wider environmental tolerances and consequently establish wider distributions along climate gradients than taxa originating from relatively stable habitats

Applies latitude and altitude