Topic 1 Ecology

Question 1

autoecology

Answer 1

is the study of an individual organism and how the species interact with its environment

Question 2

adaptation

Answer 2

an evolutionary process that changes anatomy, physiology, or behaviour, resulting in a population’s increased ability to live in a particular environment; the term is also applied to the anatomical, physiological or behavioural characteristics produced in this process

Question 3

Common garden experiment

Answer 3

indoor or outdoor plantings of species or populations collected from multiple distinct geographic locations and grown together under shared conditions

Question 4

community ecology

Answer 4

the scientific study of interactions among species within a community

Question 5

ecological modeling

Answer 5

is the construction and analysis of mathematical models of ecological processes, including both purely biological and combined biophysical models

Question 6

ecologist

Answer 6

someone who applies a scientific approach to understanding the relationship among organisms and their environment

Question 7

ecology

Answer 7

science discipline that focuses on the inter relationships between living organisms and their environment including - biotic and abiotic

Question 8

eco-evolutionary dynamics

Answer 8

Refers to the reciprocal effects that ecology and evolution have on each other.
The effects of ecology on evolutionary processes are commonly observed in studies, but the realization that evolutionary changes can be rapid led to the emergence of eco-evolutionary dynamics

Question 9

ecosystem ecology

Answer 9

the subdiscipline of ecology that focuses on the flow of energy and nutrients among the biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem

Question 10

evolution

Answer 10

a change in gene frequencies within a population over time

Question 11

environmentalism

Answer 11

philosophy and social movement concerned with protecting/preserving quality of environment
- often through political lobbying, activism, education

Question 12

field experiment

Answer 12

are studies using experimental design that occur in a natural setting

Question 13

fitness

Answer 13

the number of offspring and individual produces relative to other members of population

Question 14

hypothesis

Answer 14

a proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation

Question 15

lab experiment

Answer 15

is a research method by which researchers create controllable environments to test hypotheses

Question 16

landscape ecology

Answer 16

the study of landscape structure and processes

Question 17

natural field based research

Answer 17

qualitative method of data collection that aims to observe, interact, and understand people/animals/organisms while they are in a natural environment

Question 18

natural selection

Answer 18

differential reproduction and survival of individuals in a population due to environmental influences on the populations; proposed by Darwin as the primary mechanism driving evolution

Question 19

observational studies

Answer 19

a type of study where results are observed or certain outcomes are measures

Question 20

phenotypic plasticity

Answer 20

the ability to produce different phenotypes from a single genotype as a function of local conditions

Question 21

phenotypic variation

Answer 21

the variability in phenotypes that exists in a population

Question 22

population ecology

Answer 22

the scientific study of structure and dynamics of populations

Question 23

scientific method

Answer 23

a method or procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th century, consisting of systemic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses