species spacial distribution patterns

Question 1

What are the three methodological categories?

Answer 1

macroecological
diversity ratios
taxonomic patterns

Question 2

describe macroecological methods

Answer 2

studying a well known habitat and recording body size frequency distribution patterns, then estimating how many species in an area.

Question 3

describe diversity ratio as a method

Answer 3

determining the ratios between taxas/ecosystems i.e. 6:1 ratio of fungal to vascular. Can also assume known to unknown ratios.

Question 4

describe taxonomic patterns as a method

Answer 4

studying time-species accumulation curves by looking at discovery records and papers from the past. From this we can get expert estimations.

Question 5

Why do we estimate species amounts?

Answer 5

Because lack of information can lead to type 1 and type 2 errors (1 = false positive - assuming everything is fine) (2 = false negative - assuming current conservation is incompetent).

Question 6

What are the implications of glacial cycles on species?

Answer 6

Migration to suitable habitats (leading to randomised dispersal and long term persistence of species)
Refugia and allopatric relict species due to areas being isolated
extinction (such as pleistocene megafauna - giant mammals)

Question 7

What can continental fusion lead to?

Answer 7

Active competition between species
Passive replacement of previous species that have died out
Insinuation (becoming a threat to native species)
Toleration

Question 8

What is GAFE?

Answer 8

The Great American Faunal Exchange
3M years ago
North and South American continents fused and allowed interchange of terrestrial species and closed the mid Atlantic and Pacific to marine faunal exchanges