Lecture 7- Climate change

Question 1

Phenotypic plasticity:

Answer 1

-Change their phenotype to one that better deals with the selection pressure

Question 2

How does temperature and climate change effect breeding

Answer 2

-animals use cues such as daylight or temperature to breed
-they try to maximize number of offspring and minimize cost (more difficult to find food, shelter, mates)

Question 3

How well different breeding phenotypes do depends on:

Answer 3

-How stable and predictable the environment is
-how quickly individuals can recover from failed breeding

Question 4

What is trophic mismatch

Answer 4

-timing of migration and breeding need to coordinate with timing of food available.
timing off =
alters migration/breeding
population decline

Question 5

How could caribous lead to extinction if there is no evolutionary change

Answer 5

-they have no phenotypic plasticity because their gestation time is long, they cant make changes
no change=extinction

Question 6

How does habitat fragmentation affect apex predators

Answer 6

-predators require lots of resources (food, land)

-they are important for balancing ecosystems
=trophic cascades can be messed up