Societies and shelter - part 1

Question 1

categories of the ecological interactions that species and individuals engage in

Answer 1

• biotic
• abiotic

Question 2

define biotic interactions

Answer 2

• interactions involving an organism and other organisms
• can be further categorized by their outcome

Question 3

define abiotic interactions

Answer 3

interactions involving an organism and its environment

Question 4

what are consumer-resource interactions and their outcome

Answer 4

• predation/parasitoidism
• parasitism
• herbivory
• all of these have a + / - outcome

Question 5

outcome of competition

Answer 5

-/-

Question 6

outcome of mutualism

Answer 6

+ / +

Question 7

outcome of commensalism

Answer 7

+ / 0

Question 8

ecological scale of space use (from large scale to small scale)

Answer 8

• biogeographical distribution
• fundamental niche
• realized niche
• individual space use

Question 9

explain biogeographical distribution

Answer 9

• All species have an established distribution across the face of the earth
• dictated by 3 things

Question 10

what is biogeographical distribution dictated by

Answer 10

1. where they first evolved
2. the conditions they can tolerate
3. how far they have been able to spread

Question 11

explain fundamental niche

Answer 11

• within a biogeographical distribution
• The specific range of conditions a species can tolerate

Question 12

fundamental niche - examples of conditions

Answer 12

• Latitude
• Temperature
• Precipitation
• Habitat
• Arboreal vs. terrestrial realm

Question 13

explain realized niche

Answer 13

• within a fundamental niche
• the resources a species actually uses are reduced by the interactions it has with other species

Question 14

realized niche - how can natural enemies create a realized niche

Answer 14

Natural enemies force a species to use only a subset of the all the resources they could use in the absence of enemies

Question 15

realized niche: natural enemies - turtle ants example

Answer 15

C. atratus are forced to use only a subset of nesting resources they would otherwise use

Question 16

explain individual space use

Answer 16

• within a realized niche / species
• the space an individual (society) uses to secure resources
• it is dictated by its interactions with members of its species and other species

Question 17

how do individuals use space, with increasing levels of exclusivity

Answer 17

1. total range
2. home range
3. core area
4. territory

Question 18

define total range

Answer 18

The entire area covered by a society in its lifetime

Question 19

define home range

Answer 19

The area that a society learns to use, and patrols throughout its lifetime.

Question 20

define core area

Answer 20

The area of heaviest regular use within the home range.

Question 21

define territory

Answer 21

An area occupied more or less exclusively by a society, by means of overt aggression and/or advertisement.

Question 22

what is most important in determining the home range?

Answer 22

where the most limited resource is located

Question 23

define Dispersion

Answer 23

the pattern of spacing among individual

Question 24

patterns of dispersion

Answer 24

• random
• evenly spaced
• clustered

Question 25

explain random dispersion

Answer 25

- Rarely seen - null expectation with no interactions

Question 26

explain evenly spaced dispersion

Answer 26

Competition over evenly/randomly distributed resources

Question 27

explain clustered dispersion

Answer 27

Aggregation around clustered resources, or resulting from social interactions

Question 28

what allows a smaller, more stable home range

Answer 28

spatial and temporal clustering of resources

Question 29

what does territoriality allow

Answer 29

individual societies exclusive access to valuable spatially and temporally clustered resources

Question 30

when does an area containing resources becomes defensible?

Answer 30

- when it pasts a certain threshold of resource clustering or density - then it becomes defensible and favors territories

Question 31

properties of territories

Answer 31

1. “elastic disk” 2. "invincible center" 3. "polygonal boundaries"

Question 32

properties of territories - "elastic disk"

Answer 32

- Size and shape can be conceptualized as an “elastic disk” - with the society at its center

Question 33

what is the shape of the perimeter and distance from the center dictated by

Answer 33

pressure by neighboring societies

Question 34

prosperities of territories - "invincible center"

Answer 34

defines the central area of a territory that has the lowest probability of being lost

Question 35

properties of territories - loss of "invincible center" results in what

Answer 35

typically means that the organism suffers complete loss of a territory or death.

Question 36

properties of territories - "polygonal boundaries"

Answer 36

- Constant pressure at territory boundaries forms “polygonal boundaries” - especially well-defined in social animals

Question 37

Categories of territoriality with increasing levels of defense and exclusivity

Answer 37

1. Defended resources 2. Spatiotemporal territory 3. Absolute intraspecific territory 4. Absolute intraspecific and interspecific territory

Question 38

categories of territoriality - defended resource

Answer 38

Area within which rich resources are actively defended for extended periods.

Question 39

categories of territoriality - spatiotemporal territory

Answer 39

Territory defended for active periods of the day or seasonally

Question 40

categories of territoriality - absolute intraspecific territory

Answer 40

territory defended at all times against intrusion from intraspecific competitors.

Question 41

categories of territoriality - absolute intraspecific and interspecific territory

Answer 41

territory defended against all intruders at all times

Question 42

societies and territories - what does social living allow for

Answer 42

elevated, potentially constant defense of territory boundary.

Question 43

societies and territories - what kinds of boundaries are seen and why

Answer 43

- Highly dynamic boundaries - it is due to constant group pressure and defense.

Question 44

societies and territories - what plays a critical role in territory defense

Answer 44

- division of labor - communication

Question 45

societies and territories - what does group size plays a role in

Answer 45

plays a critical role in the pressure a society can exert and the expansion of territory size.