Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Biology 1 > Population Ecology > Flashcards

Population Ecology Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
AP® Biology flashcards Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

what is ecology

A

the study of the interactions between organisms and the environment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

give 6 branches of ecology

A 
ecology of individuals
population ecology
community ecology
ecosystem ecology
behavioural ecology
evolutionary ecology
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

what are the two components of an organism’s environment

A

the biotic and the abiotic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

what is the abiotic component (general)

A

alll the non-living components of an organism’s environment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

what is the biotic component (general)

A

all the other organisms found in an environment with which an organism makes contact (directly or indirectly)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

what are the key abiotic elements of the environment

A

temperature (high makes membranes leak and low freezing except for those with antifreeze)
water (too much causes not enough oxygen and too little causes death)
sunlight (in water: reach and on land: competition)
soil: consistency, pH, mineral composition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

what are the two strategies of response to environmental variation

A

regulators

conformers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

what are regulators

A

organisms that use control mechanisms to regulate change in face of environmental fluctuations (river otter temperature is INDEPENDENT of the water)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

what are conformers

A

organisms that allow their internal condition to conform to external change in the given variable. e.g. largemouth bass temperature conforms to the temperature of water

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what is homeostasis

A

maintain of steady state internal environment when encountering environmental variation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

what are the short term responses to environmental variation

A

physiological responses, morphological responses and behavioural responses.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

what are the long term changes to environmental variation

A

natural selection

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

give examples of physiological responses

A

sweat for heat, glycerol for freezing temperatures and high altitudes changes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

what are morphological responses and give examples

A

adaptations that minimize energy expanditure. e.g. endotherms that maintain constant internal temperature, thick coats for wolfs during the winter.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

give examples of behavioural responses

A

moving from one habitat to another. Fog-basking beetles that collect moisture from fog by holding their abdomen up at the crest of a dune.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

what does natural selection lead to and give examples

A

leads to evolutionary adaptation over multiple generations. e.g. mammals have short ears and limbs in the cold and long in the hot.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

what is a population

A

Individuals of a given species occuring at one place at one time.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

what are the four important characteristics of populations

A

population range, dispersion, population density, and population dynamics

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

what is the population range and on what type of factors does it depend on

A

distribution of an organisms. it changes through time (expansion and contraction). depends on biotic and abiotic factors.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

give examples of dispersal mechanisms

A

lizards eggs that float, by flight, or plant seeds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

what is population dispersion

A

the pattern of spacing among the individuals within the boundaries of a population

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

what are the three patterns of population dispersion

A

uniform distribution, random distribution and clumped distribution

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

what is a random distribution

A

no definite order. No interaction. Very uncommon in nature.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

what is uniform distribution

A

even spacing, which may result from competition for resources like light (plants), and territoriality (animals).

25
Q

what is the clumped distribution

A

uneven distribution of clumps. Most common. May be due to uneven resources availability and behavior.

26
Q

what is the population density

A

number of organisms per unit area or volume. Influences survival.

27
Q

give methods used for estimating population size

A

the mark-recapture method, extrapolation from small samples or index of population size

28
Q

what is demography

A

the study of factors that determine the size and structure of populations through time

29
Q

what is population growth influenced by

A

the population sex ratio and the generation time

30
Q

what is the link between body size and generatio timee

A

when one increases, the other increases

31
Q

what is a cohort

A

a group of individuals of the same age

32
Q

what is the birth rate or fecundity

A

the number of offspring produced in a standard time

33
Q

what is the death rate or mortality

A

number of individuals that die during a standard time

34
Q

what is the age structure

A

the relative number of individuals in each cohort

35
Q

what are populations with a lot of young individuals associated with

A

growing populations… populations with developing countries

36
Q

what are populations with a lot of old individuals associated with

A

declining or stable populations. Some European countries.

37
Q

What is a life table

A

table that summarizes the probability of survival and reproduction through a cohort’s life

38
Q

what is the concept of survivorship

A

percentage of original population that survives to a given age

39
Q

what are the three types of survivorship curves

A

type I, II, and III

40
Q

what is type I of survivorship curves

A

curve for humans. Becomes negatively more steep as the % of max life span increases. High death rate for the old.

41
Q

what is type II of survivorship curves

A

curve for hydra. Death rate stays constant.

42
Q

what is type III of survivorship curves

A

Curve for Oysten. Curve starts negatively very steep but becomes less steep as the % of max life span increases. High death rate for the young

43
Q

what traits do natural selection favor

A

the ones that maximize the number of surviving offspring left in the next generation

44
Q

what factors affect the number of surviving offspring left in the next generation

A

how long an organism lives and how many young it produces per year (compromise between the two)

45
Q

what traits affect the life history of an organism

A

age at which reproduction begins, how often the organism reproduces, and how many offspring are produced by cycle

46
Q

what may arise from an increase of reproduction

A

a decline of survival and future reproduction

47
Q

what happens for the individuals that delay reproduction

A

they may grow larger, which enhances future reproduction

48
Q

what is the mathematical expression for a population’s growth rate

A

r = (birth r – death r) + (immigration – emigration)… i and e assumed to be the same

49
Q

what is the carrying capacity

A

the maximum number of individuals that a given environment can support

50
Q

what is the expression of the logistic population growth model

A

dN/dt = r_maxN(K - N)/K

51
Q

what are the two types of effects that regulate population size

A

density-independent effects and density-dependent effects

52
Q

what is density dependent population regulation and give 5 examples

A

Negative feedback that regulates population growth. e.g., competition for resources, territoriality, disease, predation, and toxic wastes

53
Q

what is density independent population regulation and give 4 examples

A

It means that the growth of the population is not related to its size. For instance cold winters, droughts, storms, and volcanic eruptions.

54
Q

what is a K-selected population and with what cost of reproduction are they associated to

A

Population that thrives when near the carrying capacity, and that resources are limited and must be utilized efficiently. These populations are associated with high cost of reproduction.

55
Q

what is a r-selected population and with what cost of reproduction are they associated to

A

Populations in which selection favors the ones with the highest reproductive rates. Resources are not limited and cost of reproduction is low.

56
Q

how are the mortality rate, the number of reproductions per lifetime and the parental care for r-selected populations

A

high mortality rate, few reproductions per lifetime (short) and almost no parental care

57
Q

what characterizes a triangular population pyramid?

A

rapid future growth, most of population is still pre-reproductive

58
Q

what characterizes a rectangular population pyramid

A

stable or slow growth

59
Q

what characterizes a inverted triangular population pyramid

A

negative growth

Biology 1 (13 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions