Lecture 1 - Life Histories Flashcards
What are populations? [2]
Populations are groups of individuals of the same species which live and interact in the same geographical area.
What are biotic interactions? [1]
Biotic interactions are interactions with ‘life’.
What are abiotic interactions? [1]
Abiotic interactions are interactions with the environment.
What is a community? [1]
A community is all the individuals of a species that inhabit a particular geographic area.
What is an individual? [1]
An individual life form.
What two types of organisms are there? [2]
Unitary and modular organisms exist.
What is a unitary organism? [1]
The form of unitary organisms are preset, with identifying characteristics as a consequence of determinate growth..
What are modular organism? [2]
Modular organisms have indeterminate growth and a varied developmental structure.
What six factors influence population change? [6]
Immigration Emigration Extinction Colonisation Birth Death
What factors within population change can be used directly to measure population growth? [2]
Births and deaths, as they’re numeric values.
What three traits are key in life history events? [3]
Birth
Sexual maturation
Senesence [death]
What is iteroparity? [1]
Iteroparity refers to repeated reproduction through a lifecycle.
What is semelparity? [1]
Semelparity is a ‘big-bang’ reproduction.
What do annual plant life-cycles provide an example of? [1]
Plants like Lambsquarter are semelparous, they set seed after a year and then die!
What is seasonal iteroparity? [1]
Plants like groundsel are seasonally iteroparous, they reproduce multiple times throughout the year then get killed by a seasonal event (such as frost).
How do Great Tits provide an example of seasonal iteroparity? [1]
Great tits reproduce in specific season only.
How do cockroaches provide an example of continuous iteroparity? [1]
Cockroaches bread throughout years, regardless of season.
How do salmon provide an example of semelparity? [1]
They don’t breed for five years, then have a huge 10k egg breeding event and die.
What are ephemeral species? [1]
Ephemeral species refer to plants or animals which lie dormant and only reproduce in years where conditions are okay.
Often have a fast life cycle.
How many species does the Fynbos biome in South Africa have and how many are endemic? [2]
900 species, with 70% endemic to the area.
What % of land area does the Fynbos biome cover in SA and what % of SA species does the biome contain?
The fynbos biome covers 5% of SA’s land.
It contains 44% of plant species in South Africa.
What % of world land area does the Fynbos biome cover and what % of world species does it contain?
The fynbos biome covers <0.05% of Earth’s surface.
It contains 3% of plant species in the world.
