Midterm 2 Flashcards
Population
A group of organisms of a single species that interact and interbreed in a common place (particular area)
Abundance
Number of individuals
Density
number individuals per unit area
Distribution
spread or scatter
sex ratio
ratio of males to females
age structure
relative proportions of various age groups in a population
Natality
proportion of population newly born in a unit of time
mortality
proportion of a population dying in a unit of time
fecundity
number of organisms produced
recruitement
increment of new individuals added to a wildlife population by natural reproduction, immigration, or stocking
fertility
the potential capability of an organism to produce young
finite rate
discrete intervals
Instantaneous rate
time interval very short (continuous) (birth flow)
r
instantaneous rate of increase = biotic potential = innate capacity for increase = malthusian parameter = maximal rate of increase (rm)
Density independent
population process not affected by population size
density-dependent
population processes affected by population size
Environmental carrying capacity (k)
capacity of environment to “carry” a population
Environmental resistance
difference between environmental and logistic growth lines
Seasonality
mortality rate is much higher during harsh times of the year
sex difference
males often more vulnerable to predation, females to starvation or predation while birthing or caring for young
Experience
Some individuals will be better at avoiding risks
Age
Very young and old animals are often most vulnerable
Life table
a table of population data based on a sample of the population showing the age at which each new member died
Type I survivorship
most individuals die late in life (Elephants)
Type II survivorship
Uniform rate of decline (mice, birds)
Type III survivorship
huge decline in young (fish)
R-selected
boom and bust
High r
Type III survivorship
Low parental care
K-selected
conservative
low r
type I survivorship
High parental care
net reproductive rate (R0)
mean number of offspring produced per female over her lifetime
Generation time (G)
average length of time between when an individual is born and the birth of its offspring
Value of life table
shows relationship between birth and death
Estimate intrinsic rate of increase
Model population dynamics
Identify “weakest” link in population
Central question in wildlife management
at what population level should species be maintained?
Welfare factors
necessary aspects for survival
Examples of welfare factors
food, water, cover, space, oxygen
Decimating factors
those that kill directly (predation, hunting, disease, accidents, starvation)
nutrition
process animals use to procure and process portions of their external environment for the continued functioning of internal metabolism
Forage
browse and herbage, which is available and may provide food for grazing animals or be harvested for feeding
food habits
diets of wildlife
matter
materials that occur in the physical environment of the Earth and its atmosphere
Energy
required for growth and all metabolic processes (not recycled)
Maintenance requirements
intake at which animal’s weight remains constant and the animal remains healthy
3 major food groups
carbohydrates, fats, proteins
carbohydrates
cellulose, starches, sugars. Short-term energy needs, small molecules
Proteins
energy similar to carbs
Nucleic acids for cellular reproduction
Can be very large
Fats
long-term storage of energy
Intermediate size
Highest energy content
Vitamins
organic compounds, which occur in food in minute amounts and cannot by synthesized by animals, and are essential for normal life and functioning
Minerals
essential inorganic elements
Macroelements and trace elements
Geophagy
Salt licks
Function of digestion
break up large and complex molecules to sizes that may be absorbed and used for metabolism
Monogastic stomachs
Humans
Digastric stomachs
Ruminants
Foregut
Ruminants
Hindgut
Nonruminants
Cover
vegetative and topographic features that provide shelter from weather or concealment from predators
Succession
The orderly progression through time of changes in the community composition
pioneer
the first species of community in succession
climax
the ultimate expression of vegetational development under prevailing local or regional conditions
Fundamental niche
entire spectrum of conditions in which a species can survive and reproduce
Realized niche
set of conditions actually used by a species due to competition with other species
Competition
the use or defense of a resource by one individual that reduces availability of that resource to others
Interspecific competition
Competition between species
Habitat
the resource and conditions present in an area that produce occupancy, including survival and reproduction of a given organism
Liebig’s Law of the Minimum
rate of growth of a population is dependent on the nutrient or other condition present in the minimum quantity in terms of need and availability
Limiting factor
the factor or condition outweighing other factors in limiting population growth
Carrying capacity
The maximum population an environment can sustain without causing damage such as overbrowsing
habitat use
the way an animal uses a collection of physical and biological entities in a habitat
habitat selection
a hierarchical process involving a series of innate and learned behavioral decisions made by an animal about what habitat it would use at different scales in the environment
Habitat preference
Used to describe the relative use of different locations (habitats) by an individual or species
habitat availability
the accessibility and procurability of physical and biological components of a habitat
Habitat quality
the ability of the area to provide conditions appropriate for individual and population persistence
Critical habitat
a legal term describing the physical or biological features essential to the conservation of a species
Predation
the act of predators capturing prey
carnivore
organism that depends in total or in part on killing another animal for food
carnivory
predator kills and eats animal prey
cannibalism
special case or carnivory where predator and prey same species
Herbivory
animal consume living green plants or their seeds and fruits
Parasitism
Parasite feeding on another animal (host)
Compensatory
The concept that one kind of mortality largely replaces another kind of mortality in animal populations
Additive
the concept that the effect of one kind of mortality is added to those of other sources of mortality
Trophic cascades
predators suppression of prey is decreased, thereby enhancing prey’s impacts on the next lower trophic level herbivore impacts on plants
Mesopredator release
A collapsing population of the apex preators result in dramatically increased populations of mesopredators
Functional response
the behavioral response of individual predators in terms of consumption rate
Type I, II, III
Numerical response
the response of predator populations through reproduction, immigration, and emigration
Causes of Type III functional response
Learning (search image, specialized capture techniques)
Predator switching
Prey refuge
