Lecture 24

Question 1

What is Ecology?

Answer 1

Ecology is the study of relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment.

Question 2

What are the ecological scales:

Answer 2

Organismal ecology
Population ecology
Community ecology
Ecosystem ecology
Landscape ecology
Global Ecology

Question 3

Organismal Ecology:

Answer 3

Studies how an organism’s structure, physiology, and behavior meet environmental challenges.

Question 4

Population Ecology: What is a Population?

Answer 4

Population: A group of individuals of the same species living in an area.
Population ecology: Studies factors that affect how many individuals of the same species live in an area.

Population ecology analyzes factors that affect population size and how why it changes through time.

Question 5

What is Community Ecology: What is a Community?

Answer 5

Community: A group of populations of different species living in an area.
Community ecology: studies the whole array of interacting species in an area.

Question 6

What is Ecosystem Ecology: What is an Ecosystem?

Answer 6

Ecosystem: Community of organisms in an area and the physical factors with which they interact.
Ecosystem Ecology: Emphasizes energy flow and chemical cycling among then various abiotic and biotic components.

Question 7

What is Landscape Ecology: What is a Landscape?

Answer 7

Landscape: A mosaic of interconnected ecosystems.
Landscape ecology: Focuses on the exchange of energy and organisms across ecosystems.

Question 8

What is Global Ecology: What is a Biosphere?

Answer 8

Biosphere: The global ecosystem, the sum of all the planet’s ecosystems.
Global Ecology: Studies the influence of energy and material son organisms across the biosphere.

Question 9

As You Get Higher in Elevation What Happens to the Diversity: Elevational Diversity Gradient

Answer 9

The Vegetation will become less diverse higher up till its eventual rocks.

Question 10

Latitudinal Diversity Gradient: Where is there more diversity?

Answer 10

As you approach the equator there’s an increase in biodiversity.

Question 11

Does the Elevation Gradient Work in Reverse?

Answer 11

Yes, in the ocean bio-diversity becomes more sparse.

Question 12

What Determines Where Organisms Live in the Biosphere:

Answer 12

1. Abiotic Factors
2. Biotic Factors
3. Dispersal

Question 13

What are Abiotic Factors:

Answer 13

Physical Conditions

Question 14

What are Biotic Factors:

Answer 14

“Living” Factors

Question 15

What can block Dispersal:

Answer 15

The Wallace Line, the Wallace Line is a tectonic plate line.

Question 16

What is a Biome:

Answer 16

A large collection of flora and fauna occupies a major habitat.

Question 17

What is the Conservation Equation:

Answer 17

Nt+1 = Nt + (Births - Deaths) + (Immigration - Emigration)

Question 18

Two Very Common Growth Models:

Answer 18

Exponential Growth
Logistic Growth

Question 19

Exponential Growth in Nature:

Answer 19

Often after the population starts really small, we see exponential decay for declining populations.

Question 20

What Limits Population Growths?

Answer 20

Population Regulation: As we discussed earlier, there are a number of factors that can limit a population.
This leads to density dependence and logistic growth.

Question 21

Population Regulation:

Answer 21

Density dependence: The growth rate of the population depends on the density of the population.
Density independence: The growth rate of the population does not depend on the density of the population.