Lecture 1 Flashcards
What is the definition of ecology?
What is an ecosystem?
Define a system in ecological terms.
Why is detecting and quantifying interactions important in ecology?
What is meant by “quantifying connections” in ecosystems?
What is a population in ecological terms?
What is a community in an ecological context?
How is an ecosystem different from a population or community?
What is a habitat?
What is primary production?
Warmer water leads to faster growth of phytoplankton, except when temperatures become too high.
Explain the oyster effect on water quality.
How are levels of organization in ecology “nested”?
What is an ecological model?
Why can models never perfectly reflect reality?
What are the main types of ecological models?
What are mathematical models used for in ecology?
Why are ecological models special?
What is an example of feedback in ecological systems?
What are “emerging properties” in ecological systems?
Are models a representation of reality?
Why is simplicity important in ecological models?
How do models deal with causality?
What are the uses of models in ecology?
What are external variables or forcings?
What are state variables?
What are equations in a model?
What are universal constants?
What are parameters in a model?
Explain the Malthus model.
Explain the Logistic model.
What is the difference between the Malthusian and Logistic models?
