population distribution and abundance and life histories

Question 1

what is a population

Answer 1

a group of individuals of the same species that live within a certain area and interact with one another

Question 2

how can abundance be reported

Answer 2

population size
density

Question 3

what study was used to show that despite climatic conditions being similar insect abundance varies

Answer 3

a 6 year study of 23 species that feed on goldenrod

Question 4

define dispersal

Answer 4

a process in which individuals move away from a population in which they were born to another locatin where they settle and reproduce

Question 5

why can it be difficult to count individuals

Answer 5

it is hard to determine what an individual actually is, for example some trees produce clones or runners so count as one individual

Question 6

what is a unitary organism

Answer 6

organisms which are highly determinate with fertilsiation, birth, gorwth etc

Question 7

what is a modular organism

Answer 7

organisms which are unpredicatble forms and growth and development is according to the environment

Question 8

what limits distributions

Answer 8

habitat suitability
historical factors
abiotic factors

Question 9

what restricts the barnacle semibalanus balanoides

Answer 9

temperature and competition from other species

Question 10

give an example of how dispersal abilities and geologic events affects the distributi0on of species

Answer 10

polar bears evolved from brown bears in the artic but are not found in the artic due to the inability to disperse through tropical regins

Question 11

what is geographic range

Answer 11

includes areas occupied by all life stages of a species, some species migrate long distances between summer and winter habitats

Question 12

what is a regular spatial arrangement

Answer 12

individuals are evenly spaces

Question 13

what is a random spatial arrangemnet

Answer 13

individuals are scattered randomly

Question 14

what is a clumped spatial arrangement

Answer 14

indiivudals are clumped together

Question 15

what determines dispersino patterns

Answer 15

the distribution of resources

Question 16

what are area based counts used for

Answer 16

to estimate the abundance of immobile organisms

Question 17

40,10,70,80 and 50 beetles are counted in five 10 by 10 quadrats how many per m sqauered

Answer 17

40+10+70+80+50/5 then divide by 0.02= 5000

Question 18

what method is used to estimate the abundance of mobile species

Answer 18

mark recapture mthods

Question 19

what is the lincon index

Answer 19

M/N=R/C
m= marked individuals
n= total pop size
R= recaptured
c- captured

Question 20

what are life histories

Answer 20

a record of events relating to growth development reproduction and survival of an organism

Question 21

define phenotypic plasticity

Answer 21

where one genotype may produce different phenotypes under different environmental conditions producing different morphs of the same species

Question 22

define polyphenism

Answer 22

a single genotype produces several distinct morphs

Question 23

what does sexual reproduction result in

Answer 23

genetic variation
isogamy = equal gametes
anisogamy = unequal gamets

Question 24

define semelparous

Answer 24

a single distinct reproductive period then death

Question 25

define iteroparous

Answer 25

several reprouductive events before death

Question 26

give some examples of semelparous species

Answer 26

the giant pacific octopus which lays a single clutch of eggs, broods them for 6 motnhs then dies after they hatch

Question 27

what is the difference between r and k select species

Answer 27

r = short life spans with rapid development, early maturation and high rates or reproduction

k= long lived species which develop slowly and have delayed maturation with low rates or reproduction

Question 28

what did a study by David lack in 1947 discover

Answer 28

clutch size is limited by the maximum number of offspring the parents can raise at one time

Question 29

define senescence

Answer 29

a decline in fitness of an organism with age and physiological deterioration