Removal Compare and Contrast Flashcards
Inter and Intra-sexual Selection
[Inter-sexual] selection involves individuals of one sex (usually females) choosing mates based on certain desirable traits, often leading to the evolution of those traits. [Intra-sexual] selection involves competition among individuals of the same sex (usually males) for access to mates, often resulting in the evolution of traits that enhance competitive ability.
Life-dinner and Red Queen Hypothesis
The [Life-dinner] hypothesis suggests that in predator-prey interactions, the stakes are higher for the prey (life) compared to the predator (dinner), leading to stronger selection pressures on prey. [The Red Queen hypothesis] posits that species must continuously adapt and evolve not just for reproductive advantage but also to maintain their current fitness relative to other co-evolving species, like predators and prey.
Haploidiploidy and Diploidiploidy
[Haplodiploidy] is a genetic system in which males develop from unfertilized eggs and are haploid, while females develop from fertilized eggs and are diploid. This system, found in many insects like bees and ants, promotes eusocial behavior due to high relatedness among sisters. [Diplodiploidy] refers to the more common genetic system where both males and females are diploid, and offspring inherit a mix of genes from both parents, common in most animals and plants.
R-selected and K-selected life histories
[R-selected species] typically reproduce quickly, producing many offspring with little parental care, adapted to unstable environments (e.g., insects, many annual plants). [K-selected species] produce fewer offspring with higher parental investment, adapted to stable environments, and tend to maintain populations near carrying capacity (e.g., elephants, humans).
Semelparous and Iteroparous life histories
[Semelparous organisms] reproduce only once in their lifetime, often producing many offspring in a single event, then die (e.g., salmon, annual plants). [Iteroparous organisms] reproduce multiple times over their lifetime, investing in fewer offspring each time but ensuring survival and care (e.g., perennial plants, most mammals).
Shannon-Winer and Simpson’s Diversity Indices
The [Shannon-Wiener index] measures species diversity by accounting for both abundance and evenness of species present in a community, emphasizing rare species. [Simpson’s index] focuses on the probability that two individuals randomly selected from a sample will belong to the same species, giving more weight to common species.
Primary and Secondary Succession
[Primary succession] occurs in lifeless areas where soil has not yet formed, such as after a lava flow or glacier retreat, starting with pioneer species that build soil. [Secondary succession] occurs in areas where a disturbance has destroyed a community but left the soil intact, such as after a fire or hurricane, allowing for faster recovery of the ecosystem.
Ratio-dependent and Density dependent predation
[Ratio-dependent predation] suggests that the predator’s impact on prey population depends on the ratio of prey to predators, emphasizing the relative abundance. [Density-dependent predation] implies that the effect of predation increases with the prey population density, regulating the prey population by reducing numbers as they become more crowded.
Keystone and Foundation Species
[Keystone species] have a disproportionately large impact on their environment relative to their abundance, often playing a crucial role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community (e.g., sea otters). [Foundation species] are typically abundant and have a strong role in structuring a community by creating and maintaining habitats (e.g., corals, kelp).
Guilds and Functional Groups
[Guilds] consist of species that exploit the same resources or occupy similar ecological niches, often competing directly (e.g., insect-eating birds). [Functional groups] are sets of species that perform similar ecological functions within a community, regardless of their taxonomic affiliations (e.g., nitrogen-fixing plants, decomposers).
Allochthonous and Autochthonous sources of carbon.
[Allochthonous] carbon comes from outside the ecosystem, such as leaves and organic material washed into a stream from the surrounding land. [Autochthonous] carbon is produced within the ecosystem, such as algae and aquatic plants growing in a stream.
Lotic and Lentic environments.
[Lotic] environments are characterized by flowing water, such as rivers and streams. [Lentic] environments are characterized by still water, such as lakes and ponds.
Primary Productivity in the Tropical Rainforest vs. Savanna (Tropical Grassland).
Tropical Rainforest has high primary productivity due to high rainfall, warm temperatures, and dense vegetation. Savanna has moderate primary productivity, with distinct wet and dry seasons affecting vegetation growth and primary production.
Primary productivity in neritic (coral reefs) and oceanic (open ocean) environments.
Neritic zones, like coral reefs, have high primary productivity due to nutrient availability, sunlight penetration, and symbiotic relationships with algae. Oceanic zones, or open ocean, have lower primary productivity due to limited nutrient availability despite ample sunlight.
