topic 10

Question 1

what are the ideal conditions for energy production?

Answer 1

unlimited resources to support maximal growth, long life, continuous production of offspring (with high survival)

Question 2

why are ideal production energy conditions mostly unattainable?

Answer 2

Energy must be spent to find food, avoid predators, etc.

Question 3

what is the ultimate goal of an energy budget?

Answer 3

to have energy remaining to allocate to production

Question 4

what are life history traits?

Answer 4

strategies resulting from natural selection

Question 5

what do life history traits do?

Answer 5

maximize lifetime reproductive success
(FITNESS)

Question 6

what is the life history theory?

Answer 6

Every species has a pattern of growth and development, reproduction, and death shaped by natural selection

Question 7

how does environment affect life history traits?

Answer 7

by influencing energy budgets such as:
amount of light, food sources, shelter, wind, precipitation, etc.

Question 8

what does maximizing reproductive success involve?

Answer 8

trade offs

Question 9

what are trade-offs due to?

Answer 9

fixed energy budgets and selective pressures (environment)

Question 10

what is a trade off?

Answer 10

If 2 life-history traits compete for a share of limited resources, then it’s impossible
to maximize both traits simultaneously
– any gains by one trait will result in a loss by the other

Question 11

what is indeterminate growth?

Answer 11

Growth of the organism continues throughout the lifespan

Question 12

what type of organism has indeterminate growth?

Answer 12

ectotherms

Question 13

what is determinate growth?

Answer 13

Growth of the organism ceases when “adult” state is reached

Question 14

what type of organism has determinate growth?

Answer 14

endotherms

Question 15

what are the types of reproduction?

Answer 15

asexual
sexual

Question 16

what is asexual reproduction?

Answer 16

an organism produces exact copies of themselves (clones)

Question 17

how do prokaryotes use asexual reproduction?

Answer 17

binary fission

Question 18

how do eukaryotes use asexual reproduction?

Answer 18

mitosis

Question 19

what is sexual reproduction?

Answer 19

two organisms produce combined genomes (recombinants)

Question 20

how are recombinants made?

Answer 20

Replicated genomes are halved into gametes (sperm or eggs) and combined
with other gametes to produce a zygote

Question 21

who uses sexual reproduction?

Answer 21

eukaryotes

Question 22

what are the 7 life history traits

Answer 22

Growth rate
– Parental investment
– Number of offspring (fecundity)
– Frequency of reproduction (parity)
– Size/age at sexual maturity
– Size of offspring
– Longevity/life expectancy (mortality rate)

Question 23

what is passive care?

Answer 23

pre “birth” energy investment (seed development, gestation, etc.)

Question 24

what is active care?

Answer 24

post “birth” energy investment (raising offspring, dispersing seeds)

Question 25

what happens when a species has low fecundity and low survivorship?

Answer 25

it goes extinct

Question 26

what does parity mean?

Answer 26

how often an individual reproduces

Question 27

what is semelparity?

Answer 27

Individuals of the same species can breed only once in its lifetime

Question 28

what is iteroparity?

Answer 28

Individuals of the same species can breed more than once in its lifetime

Question 29

when does fecundity increase?

Answer 29

when body size increases

Question 30

what does fecundity mean?

Answer 30

the ability to make many offspring

Question 31

what are the characteristics of an r-selected species?

Answer 31

Small offspring/adult size Early sexual maturity Semelparous High fecundity (lots of offspring) Low parental investment Low juvenile survivorship Short lifespan Evolved to reproduce quickly

Question 32

what are the characteristics of a k-selected species?

Answer 32

Large offspring/adult size Late sexual maturity Iteroparous Low fecundity (few offspring) High parental investment High juvenile survivorship Long lifespan Evolved to compete

Question 33

what does a life history table do?

Answer 33

Summarize information on age structure, size, life-history (reproductive) stage, and survivorship of a population * Used to predict how a population will change over time -how to tell if r or k

Question 34

how are survivorship curves made?

Answer 34

by life history tables

Question 35

what is a type 1 survivorship curve?

Answer 35

Low mortality until end of life large animals, few young high parental care, high juvenile survivorship K-selected

Question 36

what is a type 2 survivorship curve?

Answer 36

Constant rate of mortality throughout the lifespan mix of r & K traits

Question 37

what is a type 3 survivorship curve?

Answer 37

low juvenile surviorship Mortality rate decreases with age r-selected