Terms Overveiw Flashcards
Abiotic
Non-living components of the environment
Acclimation
Environmentally induced change through long term exposure in an individual’s physiological rate or other capacity to perform a function
Active Management
Direct manipulation of animal populations (e.g. translocation, hunt)
Adaptation
Genetically controlled structural, physiological, or behavioral characteristics that enhance the chances for members of a population to survive and reproduce in their environment.
Additive Mortality
Concept in which the effect of the one kind of morality is added to those of the other sources of morality
Age Structure
Distribution of the number of individuals of various ages
Aesthetics (Esthetics)
Possessing qualities that are appreciated fro their beauty or emotional value
Aestivation
The shutting down of metabolic processes during the summer in response to hot to dry conditions
Allele
One of two or more alternative forms of a gene that occupies the same relative position or locus on homologous chromosomes. In a diploid organism, each individual inherits one allele from each parent.
Alien (Exotic/Non-Native)
Any species, including its seeds, eggs, spores, or other biological material capable of propagating that species, that is not native to that ecosystem
Altricial
Born or hatched relatively undeveloped and remaining in the nest for substantial period
Amensalism
relationship between two species where one is inhibited or harmed and one is unaffected
Anadromous
fish that begin life in freshwater, travel to and mature in the sea, and return to their native stream to reproduce
Anthropomorphic
described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes; ascribing human characteristics to
nonhuman things
Aphotic Zone
no sunlight -> no photosynthesis
Aquifer
a subterranean layer of porous water-bearing rock, gravel, or sand
Autotrophs
producers; organisms that are capable of converting solar energy to chemical energy (sugar) by photosynthesis
Asexual Reproduction
reproduction (as cell division, spore formation, fission, or budding) without union of individuals or
gametes
Bag Limit
number of animals that can be taken in a unit of time, usually a day; called “creel limit” for anglers (e.g., “6 trout per day”)
Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) Study
collection of data before and after an event to determine ecological impact
Benthic
pertaining to the lowermost region of an aquatic system
Bioaccumulation
increase or build-up of a chemical substance in an organism or part of an organism
Biomagnification (Bioamplification)
increase or build-up of a chemical substance in a food chain
Biodiversity
diversity of life; includes genetic, species, community, and ecosystem diversity as well as ecological processes
Biogeochemical Cycles
movement of elements or compounds through living organisms and nonliving environments in a more
or less circular pathway
Biomass
total quantity of living organisms per unit of space
Biomes
large, relatively distinct ecological systems characterized by particular climate, soil, plants, and animals
Biosphere
zone of air, land, and water where organisms exist
Biota
all the plants and animals within an area or region
Biotic Potential
maximum rate at which population can grow when no resources are limiting (r_m)
Birth/Natalies Rate
number of births per number of individuals over a specified time period
Bottom-up Control
when the abundance of trophic groups in nature are determined by the amount of energy available from the producers in a community
Brood
a family of young birds from a single mother; sometimes applied to fish and reptiles
Bycatch
captured marine organisms, including fish, shellfish, oceanic birds, and marine mammals that are not the target species
Candidate Species
species that warrant listing but are precluded by higher workload priorities
Catadormous
a fish that grows to sexual maturity in fresh water but migrates to the ocean for spawning
Chromosomes
- compact structures consisting of long strands of DNA that are wound around proteins
Climate Forcings
an event that can change the balance between incoming and outgoing energy in the climate system, both natural and anthropogenic
Climax
“final” stage of ecological succession that remains in dynamic equilibrium for a relatively long time
Codon
series of three base pairs, code for a gene
Coevolution
two or more species interacting over a long period of time that have a close ecological relationship, through reciprocal selective pressures, changes in one species can lead to changes in another
Cohort
group of individuals in a population born during a particular time period, such as a year
Compensatory Mortality
e concept that one kind of mortality largely replaces another kind of mortality in animal
populations, an animal dying from one cause (e.g., hunting or disease) cannot die from another cause (e.g., predation or starvation), so one source of mortality compensates for the other
Conservation Easement
land essentially “donated to conservation-binding legal agreement not to develop the land (owner
can still ranch, farm, recreate, etc.)
Conservation Social Science
using social science to understand and improve conservation
Coprophagy
feeding on feces, this in some species allows them to recover nutrients from their droppings that escaped initial digestion
Cover
any structural resource of the environment that enhances survival of an organism ( e.g., hiding or nesting cover)
Critical Habitat
specific geographic areas with physical and biological features essential to the conservation of a listed species
Decimating Factors
immediate causes of death; often a result of limiting conditions or welfare factors (e.g., starvation,
accidents, parasites, disease, predation, hunting)
Detritivores
organisms that feed on dead organic matter and waste products that are collectively known as detritus
Diploid
having two haploid sets of homologous chromosomes
Disease
any deviation from normal state of health (e.g., malnutrition, infection, parasites, and deformities)
Dispersal
movement of individuals from regions of birth or activity for another location (synonymous with emigration, i.e., a one-way movement)
Dispersion
distribution of organisms within a population over an area (e.g., random, clumped or uniformly spaced)
Disturbance
periodic change, destruction, or removal of ecosystem components
- SEVERE/REGIONAL- includes fires, floods, hurricanes, clear-cuts, and development
- MINOR/LOCAL- includes tree falls and animal burrows or wallows
- DISCRETE- clear beginning and end such as a windstorm or avalanche
- CONSTANT- continuous, wit no clear end such as pollution and timber/wood harvesting
Disphotic Zone
decreasing sunlight - > little to no photosynthesis
Ecosystem Engineers
organisms that directly or indirectly modulate the availability of resources to other species, by causing
physical state changes in biotic or abiotic materials
Ecosystem Management
guardianship that emphasizes ecological systems as functional units for land and resource
management and emphasizes the long-term sustainability of those systems
Ecosystem Services
processes through which ecosystems and their biota benefit humans (e.g., welfare factors, but also flood control, food production, water filtration, commerce, etc)
Ecotone
transition zone between two structurally different communities EDGE – place where two or more vegetation types meet (abundance & variety of wildlife is often great in edge)
Edge Effect
response of organisms, animals in particular, to environmental conditions created by the edge
Emigration
movement of part of a population permanently out of an area
Entropy
disorder or randomness in any system
Environmental Data (eDNA)
organismal DNA that can be found in the environment
Environmental Ethics
philosophical discipline that considers the moral and ethical relationship of human beings to the
environment
Environmental Justice
the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies
Environmental Literacy
an individual’s understanding, skills and motivation to make responsible decisions that considers his
or her relationships to natural systems, communities and future generations
Estuary
highly productive zone that is partially enclosed, where freshwater and seawater meet and mix
Euphotic Zone
- sunlight penetrates (down 200 m) -> photosynthesis possible
Eutrophication
process of nutrient enrichment in aquatic ecosystems
Evolution
change in allele frequency over time resulting from natural selection and producing cumulative changes in characteristics of a population
Exotic
species of wildlife or fish that are not native to an area but introduced
Exponential Growth
a constant rate of growth applied to a continuously growing base over a period of time; population
growth that exceeds the carrying capacity until population numbers saturate the habitat
Featured Species
– species selected for management emphasis because of their high value to humans
Fecundity
potential ability of an organism to produce eggs or young; rate of production of young by a female
Feral
a previously domestic animal that has become established in the wild (e.g., feral cats, feral horses)
Fragmentation
reduction of a large habitat area into small, scattered remnants
Fry
larval fish; fry of most species become “fingerling” (2-6 in = 5-15 cm) during the first year of life
Generalist
species that can live anywhere and eat many different types of food
Genes
part of DNA that is usually located on a chromosome and that contains chemical information needed to make a particular protein controlling or influencing an inherited bodily trait
Genetic Drift
random change in allele frequency in small/reduced populations
Genetic Variability
amount by which individuals in a population differ from one another due to their genetic makeup
Genomics
study of an organism’s complete set of DNA (genome) as well as the interaction of those genes and their interaction with the environment
Guild
any group of species that exploit the same resources, or who exploit different resources in related ways
Habitat Fragmentation
the breaking up of contiguous areas of wildlife habitat, often by home building, road construction, or
agriculture
Haploid
having the gametic number of chromosomes or half the number characteristic of somatic cells
Home Range
stable state of an organism or the tendency of a system to maintain a stable or balanced state
Human Values
things that are important to individuals that they then use to evaluate actions or events
Hypoxia
areas in the ocean where there is little oxygen
Immigration
arrival of new individuals into a given area or population
Inbreeding
mating between relatives increases the frequency of homozygous individuals
Incubation
period (or process) of development of embryo within eggs; requires heat from “sitting” parent in birds
Indicator Species
species that indicate certain environmental conditions, seral stages, or treatments; can serve as an early warning that a community or an ecosystem is changing or being damaged
Indigenous
found where it/they evolved and generally limited to that area; pronghorn are indigenous to North America
Intrinsic Value
nature has value independent of people
Instrumental Value
being in/seeing nature brings people pleasure or satisfaction
Island Biogeography Theory
the idea that the diversity of a given island is a function of its size and distance from source
population
Keystone Species
a species whose activities have a significant role in determining community structure
Lacey Act
unlawful to import, export, sell, acquire, or purchase fish, wildlife, or plants that are illegally taken, possessed, transported or sold
Land Ethic
a view put forth by Aldo Leopold calling on humans to respect the land and all living things
1st ETHIC – relation between individuals (The Golden Rule)
2nd ETHIC – relation between the individual and society
3rd ETHIC – relation between humans and the land
Law of the Minimum
refers to limiting effects of availability of resources required by organisms
Laws of Thermodynamics
1st Law of Thermodynamics (law of conservation of energy) – energy can only be transformed, not created or destroyed
2nd Law of Thermodynamics – as food is passed from one organism to another, the potential energy contained in the food supply is reduced step by step until all the energy in the system becomes dissipated as heat
Laws of Tolerance (Shelford)
the presence and success of an organism depends on the extent to which a qualitative or
quantitative deficiency or access of any one of several factors may approach the limits of tolerance for that organism
Lek
site where birds (primarily grouse) traditionally gather for sexual display and courtship
Lenthic
standing waters (e.g., ponds, lakes, and reservoirs)
Life History Stategy
r & K specialists use suites of reproductive adaptations to fit their environment. For example, r-selected species have many, smaller young with little or no parental care while K-selected species produce fewer, larger young that receive
extended parental care
Limnetic
shallow water zone of lake or sea in which light penetrates to the bottom but is beyond where rooted vegetation can grow usually >2 meters deep
Littoral
shallow water of lake in which light penetrates to the bottom, permitting submerged, floating, and emergent vegetative growth; also shore zone of tidal water between high and low water marks; usually <2 meters deep
Locus
position of the gene sequence on the chromosome
Logistic Growth
growth of a population that approaches and remains near carrying capacity, rate of growth becomes zero or near zero (density dependence)
Lotic
flowing waters (e.g., streams and rivers)
Maximum Sustained Yeild
the largest number of fish or wildlife that can be removed without destroying a population’s
reproductive capability; ideal MSY is ½ K, but not always practical due to dynamic nature
Meiosis
the cellular process that results in the number of chromosomes in gamete-producing cells being reduced to one half and that involves a reduction division in which one of each pair of homologous chromosomes passes to each daughter cell and a mitotic
division
Mitosis
process that takes place in the nucleus of a dividing cell, involves typically a series of steps consisting of prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase, and results in the formation of two new nuclei each having the same number of chromosomes
as the parent nucleus
Multiple-use Management
a philosophy of conservation that advocates simultaneous management for more than one
resource on an area and/or use of a resource for more than one purpose
Natality
births; production of new individuals in a population
Net Primary Productivity
difference between photosynthesis (production) and respiration (use) of biomass
Passive Management
no direct action is allocated toward the manipulation of wildlife populations, also called inactive
management
Fundamental Niche
total range of environmental conditions under which a species can survive
Realized Niche
portion of fundamental niche actually occupied by a species because of competition from populations of other species; environmental conditions under which a population survives and reproduces in
nature
Pelagic
characteristic of deep, open water in the ocean or in large lakes (e.g. pelagic zone or pelagic fishes)
Permafrost
permanently frozen ground, only the upper 30 to 100 cm of soil (called the active layer) thaws every summer and then completely refreeze during winter
Polyandry
mating of one female with more than one male within a single reproductive cycle
Polygyny
mating of one male with more than one female within a single reproductive cycle
Precocial
born or hatched relatively well-developed and soon able to move about (e.g., ducklings and fawns)
Preservation
“Hands off” no manipulation of a species or its habitat
Primary Succsession
an ecological succession that develops in an area not previously occupied by a community
Principle of Competitive Exclusion
when two or more species coexist using the same resource, one must displace or exclude
the other
Range of Tolerance
the range of physical and/or chemical conditions in which a species can survive. These include moisture, temperature, radiation, micronutrients, and oxygen
Recruitment
number of new individuals added to a wildlife population by natural reproduction, immigration, or stocking that reach breeding age in the population
Red Queen Hypothesis
concept that states organisms must evolve to maintain their place or become outcompeted; continue to evolve (running as fast as you can just to keep up)
Reservoir
large, usually deep, human-made bodies of water, often associated with dams
Secondary Seccesion
an ecological succession that occurs in an area that at one time already supported living organisms
Seral Stages
overlapping phases without succession
Succession
process of community development and replacement over time; often progresses to a relatively stable stage in community development called a climax community
Systems Thinking
process of modeling interactions and feedback
Tragedy of the commons
term used to describe what happens to common resources as a result of human use (overuse)
which ultimately depletes/destroys a shared limited resource even though this is not in the long-term best interest of humans and
the earth
Ungulate
a hoofed mammal (e.g., deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, horses, cattle)
Urban Adapters
species that may utilize human resources and survive in urban areas, but do not necessarily receive an added benefit from living with humans
Urban Avoiders
species that are highly sensitive and often unable to persist in urban environments
Urban Exploiters
species whose urban populations reach higher abundances than in the wild
Urban-Rural Gradient Study
ecological data collection along transects that run from areas of high human development to
areas of low human development
Utilitarian Ethic
“greatest good for the greatest number for the longest time”
Vertical Zonation
refers to the distinct biomes or vegetative zones found on mountains
Watershed
drainage basin; entire region drained by a waterway that drains into a lake or reservoir ocean
Wildlife Corridor
a protected area that connects two or more wildlife preserves, allowing species to migrate to new habitat to find food, mates, or nesting
Lec
Specialized mating area
