Mid Term 2 reveiw Flashcards
1
Q
What is life history
A
the attributes of the life cycle
through which an individual passes, with particular
reference to survival and reproduction
2
Q
What are some important life history traits
A
- Age at maturity
- Size at maturity
- Fecundity (number of
offspring) - Size of offspring
- Frequency of
reproduction
3
Q
How does age of Maturity vary among species
A
Some species it is quick, some is long. Bacteria is minutes, Sharks is decades
4
Q
What is the correlation between body size and maturity
A
Large-bodied
animals have later
age at maturity. small bodied animals have early maturity
5
Q
What is fecundity
A
Annual fecundity is the
number of offspring
produced by an
individual during a
breeding season
6
Q
What influences fecundity
A
Annual fecundity is
influenced both by the
number of reproductive
events and the number
of offspring per event
7
Q
What does Semelparous mean
A
reproduces then dies
8
Q
What does iteroparous mean
A
Continuous reproduction
9
Q
What type of correlation is shown between size and number of offspring’s
A
Negative correlation
Organisms produce
numerous small
offspring, or few large
offspring
10
Q
What is Bet Hedging
A
bet-hedging
occurs when an animal
has lower fitness in
optimal conditions, but
increased fitness in
suboptimal conditions
11
Q
What is an example of bet hedging
A
Large female cod have longer spawning periods,
are more likely to spawn in a favorable period
12
Q
What is r-selection
A
emphasis on
fast reproduction
13
Q
What is K-selection
A
emphasis on
survival, resource use
14
Q
What is fast life history
A
high
fecundity, short life,
young age of maturity
15
Q
What is slow life history
A
low
fecundity, long life, old
age of maturity
16
Q
What is Harvest-induced evolution
A
Intensive harvest can result
in genetic changes, driving
earlier age of maturity and
smaller size at maturity
17
Q
What is a community
A
a group
of organisms that live
together at the same
place and time and
interact directly or
indirectly includes
all of the organisms
present – animals,
plants, fungi, bacteria,
etc.
18
Q
What types of forest community’s types are located in Canada
A
Tundra, boreal, boreal barren, mixed forest, deciduous forest
19
Q
What is the community
unit concept
A
A community is a highly
organized and closely
integrated entity that is
composed of mutually
interdependent species
that are co-adapted
Clements’ community
unit concept predicts
discrete community
types with sharp
ecotones
20
Q
What does continuum concept mean
A
Communities are a
coincidental assemblage
of species that have
similar environmental
requirements
Gleason’s continuum
concept predicts
continuous variation
21
Q
How can communities be studied based on
A
trophic position:
* autotrophs
* herbivores
* carnivores
* detritivores
22
Q
What is a guild
A
group of
organisms that use similar
resources
* Example: hummingbirds,
bats, and insects that feed
on nectar and pollen are a
“floral-visiting guild”
23
Q
What are the types of interactions in communities
A
- Herbivory
- Predation
- Competition
- Disease
- Symbiosis
- Mutualism
- Parasitism
- Commensalism
24
Q
What is commensalsim
A
one of
the partners benefits,
and the other is
unharmed
25
What is paratism
one of the
partner benefits, and the
other suffers
26
What is symbiosis
intimate relationship
between two
organisms
27
What is species richness
the
number of species
present in a community
28
What is species evenness
the relative
abundance of species
29
What is Species diversity
an
integrated measure of
both richness and
evenness
30
What is a dominant species
A dominant species is
the most conspicuous
and abundant one in a
community
In many cases, the
dominant species has
the greatest influence on
community structure and
function
31
What is a keystone species
have disproportionately large
effect on community structure
32
What is a niche
A multidimensional
space of environmental
factors that a species can
tolerate (the
fundamental niche),
within which it lives (the
realized niche), and to
which it is well adapted
33
What is niche overlap
when one aspect of a multidemetional niche overlaps
34
What is The competitive
exclusion principle
states that in a stable
environment, no two
species can occupy the
same niche—one will be
eliminated
35
What is Competitive release
a
species can spread out,
and occupy a broader
niche when a
competitor is eliminated
36
What is an example of Competitive release
If meadow
voles are removed from
an area, mountain voles
experience competitive
release, and expand to
their wetter habitats
37
What is a fundamental niche
Fundamental niche is full
range of environmental
tolerances
38
how do warblers use trees differently
different species of warblers occupy different parts of the trees.
38
What is a realized niche
Realized niche is the
range after restriction by
competitors
39
What is Intermediate disturbance hypothesis
Species richness is the
highest at intermediate
levels of disturbance
* At high levels of
disturbance, many
species fail to establish
* At low levels of
disturbance,
competitively superior
species suppress others
40
What is top down hypothesis
abundance of a
species is limited by
consumers
41
What is the bottom down hypothesis
consumer abundance
determined by food
limitation
42
what is isostasy
Earth being relieved from compression from ice. Isostatic rebound
43
What type of ecostsyem is the pinery
Oak savanna ecosystem
44
What is special about Oak savanna ecosystems
they are fire depemdent
45
What is disturbance
n event that
causes destruction of
some part of a community
or ecosystem
46
What is succession
is the
community-level recovery
that follows a disturbance
47
If succession restores the original community, the
system shows resilience
* If the system can avoid disturbance, it shows
resistance (sometimes called tolerance)
True
48
What is small scale disturbance
Death of a single tree
– Small landsides
– Grazing by cattle
49
What is Large scale disturbance
Wildfire
– Wind storms
– Glaciation
– Biological agents
50
What are seral stages
A stable community
develops, depending on
environmental factors,
species present, and
stochastic factors
51
What is a forest sere
initial seral stages: r-strategist plants and survivors* Pioneer trees are fast-growing, shade-intolerant,
with strong dispersal* Shade-tolerant trees
dominate over time
52
Hydrosere
Initial stage: a young
lake or pond after glacial
melting
* Oligotrophic at first,
sediment accumulates
slowly
* Nutrients increase over
time
* Eventually the entire
lake may turn into a
wetland, even a forest
53
Lithosere
Succession on
bare rock
* Common after
glacial retreat or
volcanic activity
* Begins with algae,
lichens, mosses
* Followed by
grasses and later
by shrubs
54
Psammosere
Succession on sandy
substrates, such as
shores of lakes and
oceans
* Moving substrate is a
special stress for plants:
this instability favours
vegetative reproduction
* Pinery’s dune
ecosystems are an
excellent example
55
What is Alternative stable states
In
some cases, end point of
succession may be dissimilar
to the original community
56
Facilitation model of succession
A predictable sequence of
species occurs because
earlier seral stages facilitate
conditions for later stages
57
Tolerance model of succession
A predictable sequence
of species occurs
because species vary in
their ability to utilize
resources and tolerate
certain conditions
58
Inhibition model
A predictable sequence of
species occurs because
early species prevent or
delay the establishment
of later species
59
Seed bank
an enduring
population of seeds in
the surface litter and soil
* Following disturbance,
increase in light or
nutrients stimulate
germination
60
Means of regeneration
Plants reproduce either
vegetatively or by seed
* Reproduction by seed
has the advantage of
large numbers, good
dispersal, and durability
during cold or dry
periods
* Vegetative reproduction
is more dependable
61
Advanced regeneration
Many trees survive over
years as small plants
under a canopy of
mature trees
* They start to grow when
the canopy opens
* This enables rapid
response to disturbance
62
Serotiny
Serotinous seeds stay for
years on the plant
* Release is triggered by
an environmental factor
63
Primary succession
Primary succession
follows severe
disturbances
* Succession depends on
organisms invading from
elsewhere
64
Secondary succession
Secondary succession
follows moderate
disturbances
65
What is a biome
clusters of
ecosystems that have a
general similarity of
structure and function
66
How are biomes defined
by climates, characterized by late succesion
67
What degree is earths axis tilted
23
68
What is Autumnal equinox
Sun directly overhead
(90°) at equator at
midday
69
Winter solstice
Sun directly overhead
(90°) at Tropic of
Capricorn at midday
70
Summer solstice
Sun directly overhead
(90°) at Tropic of
Cancer at midda
71
Vernal Equinox
Sun directly
overhead (90°) at
equator at midday
72
What line is located above the equator
tropic of cancer
73
what line is located below the equator
Tropic of Capricorn
74
where are deserts most likely found
Global distribution of deserts results from the
return of dry air near 30ºN and 30ºS
75
What is a tundra
High latitude biome
* Growing season too
short to support trees
* Low precipitation, low
evapotranspiration
* Permafrost prevents
drainage
* Small shrubs, grasses,
and sedges
76
Temperate zones
Temperate zones lie
between the Arctic /
Antarctic and the Tropics
of Cancer / Capricorn
* Variable vegetation,
depending on latitude
and the pattern of
precipitation
* Marked seasonal
variation is
commonplace
76
Boreal forest (taiga)
Dominated by coniferous
trees
* Spread across the
northern hemisphere
* Short but warm
summers
* Deciduous trees such as
aspen and birch after
disturbance such as fire
77
Temperate deciduous forest
* Cold short winters
* Summer warm and long
enough to support many
deciduous trees
* In Canada, highest tree
diversity is in southern
Carolinean forests
* High species richness is
common in southern
temperate deciduous
forest
78
Why do leaves change colour
breakdown of chlorphyll
79
Photoprotection
hypothesis
red pigments
protect against the
harmful effects of light at
low temperatures
80
Coevolution hypothesis
red is a warning signal
toward insects migrating
to the trees in autumn
80
Temperate forests
Found only in
western North
America
* Bountiful
precipitation all
year
* Mild winters
* Highest conifer
diversity of all
biomes
* Abundant moss
81
Temperate grassland
Also called prairie and
steppe grasslands
* Low annual precipitation
* Insufficient moisture to
support forests
* Cold winters, hot
summers
* Fire and herbivores
(bison) keep trees out in
the more humid regions
(tallgrass prairie)
82
Chaparral
Mild, moist winters; hot
dry summers; a
“Mediterranean climate”
* Poor soils and fires limit
tree growth
* Dominant plants are
shrubs
* Fires are a key part of
chaparral system, but fire
prevention has meant
accumulation of fuel,
threatening this biome
83
Deserts
Too dry for closed
vegetation
* Deserts occur in tropical,
temperate, and even arctic
climates
* Plants show strategies to
tolerate arid climate:
* Storing water
(succulents)
* Avoiding dry periods
(annuals)
* Having deep roots
83
Tropical savanna and dry forest
tropical climate with a
dry season
* Long drought: savanna
(grassland) with
scattered trees
* Fire and large herbivores
limit tree growth in
savannas
* Short drought: dry
forests with deciduous
trees
84
Evergreen tropical rainforest
No dry season
* No frost
* Diurnal temperature
fluctuations are larger
than seasonal
fluctuations
* Often daily precipitation
* High productivity and
biomass
* Complex vertical
structure
85
Lentic ecosystems
Lakes and ponds with
standing (non-flowing)
water
* Characteristics are shape
and volume, nutrient
concentration, water
transparency
* Distinct habitats
* Littoral (shore)
* Pelagic (open water)
* Benthic (bottom)
86
What does Eutrophic mean
nutrients rich
87
what does Oligotrophic mean
nutrient
poor
88
What does Mesotrophic mean
intermediate nutrient
levels
89
Lotic ecosystems
Flowing water: rivers,
streams
* Key characteristics:
amount, speed, seasonal
variation, and turbidity
of water
* Primary productivity
often not self-sustaining:
consumers supported by
upstream lakes or
terrestrial ecosystems
89
Freshwater wetlands
Characteristics determined by
water nutrient content and
variation in water level
* Bogs: low productivity with no
inflowing groundwater; acidic
* Fens: mineral rich with inflowing
groundwater; non-acidic
* Swamps: fertile wetlands
dominated by trees or shrubs
* Marshes: fertile wetlands
dominated by grasses
90
Marine biomes: open ocean
Currents and upwellings
determine ecological
variation in open ocean
* Low productivity per unit
area
* Pelagic: currents and
upwellings cause
variation
* Benthic: mostly
heterotrophic
91
Marine biomes: continental shelf
More productive than
open ocean
* Nutrients from rivers or
upwellings
* Seashores: ecology
determined by bottom
characteristics
* Estuaries: productive
regions at
marine/freshwater
interface
* Coral reefs: ecosystems
built by animals
91
Urban ecosystems
Can have relatively high
biodiversity due to
heterogeneity, warm
microclimate, and
species introductions
through humans
* Many species are alien,
do not survive without
human influence
92
Rural ecosystems
Extensive networks of
highways, railroads,
electrical lines,
industrial facilities, and
towns associated with
the harvest and
processing of natural
resources
93
Agroecosystems
* Modern agricultural
practices can lead to
unstable ecosystems
with low diversity
* Centuries-old low-
intensity agricultural
practices may have
resulted in high species
diversity (e.g. European
hay meadows)
93
What is Biodiversity
refers
to the richness of
biological
variation
occurring at all
levels of
ecological
organization
94
What are the 3 levels of organization of biodiversity
l Genetic variation within populations and species
II. Number of species in an ecological community
III. Assortment of communities at a landscape scale
95
Where are the flordia panthers restricted to
West coast of flordia
95
What is an endemic species
species restricted to an area
95
What is species richness
Number of species in a
particular area
96
How did the Florida panthers population grow
relocated 8 panther from Texas to grow genetic diversity
97
how many species names do we have
1.8 million
98
How to we classify species
Latinized names
99
What percentage of species is located in the temperate zones
65%
99
How is species richness affected by latitude
As latitude increases richness decreases
99
What percentage is located in the tropics
90%
100
ow many species of beetles were found in one luechea tree
1100
100
How is genetic Biodiversity Measured
Genetic variability is measured using Molecular markers
101
What is the simplest measure of species level biodiversity
Species richness
102
What level is species richness often measured at
the level of the guild
103
What is species diversity
is a
measure that includes
both number of species
present (i.e. richness)
and their relative
abundances (i.e.
evenness)
104
What is DNA barcoding
Identifying species with a short
sequence of species-specific DNA
105
How does biodiversity provide instrumental value
– Food
– Materials
– Energy
– Medicine
106
What is the Aesthetic Value of Biodiversity
Important to cultures
106
What are the ecological services of biodiversity
– Nutrient cycling
– Cleaning the
environment
– Resilience to
perturbation, such as
floods and landslides
– Reducing dust
107
what is a patch
contiguous area of
similar habitat
108
What is an edge
steep transition
between patches
108
What is an ecotone
gradual transition
between patches
109
What is an Interior
central patch
bounded by edge or
ecotone
110
What is a Corridor
linear feature
that differs from the area
on either side
111
What is a Network
interconnected
linear elements
112
What is a Mosaic
an integrated
complex of patches,
corridors and networks
113
What are some examples of corridors
Wildlife bridge, Wildlife underpass
114
What is the main cause of habitat fragmentation
Human activity
114
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