Unit 2

Question 1

Niche

Answer 1

set of environmental conditions in which a species can exist

Question 2

fundamental niche

Answer 2

abiotic conditions under which a species can persist

Question 3

realized niche

Answer 3

conditions a species actually uses, includes abiotic and biotic conditions

Question 4

adaptations

Answer 4

a product of natural selection that have a genetic basis and are heritable- they maintain or increase fitness

Question 5

plasticity

Answer 5

occurs when a single genotype can yield multiple phenotypes- can be developmental and permanent or flexible and ongoing

Question 6

True or False: Traits are independent of each other

Answer 6

false

Question 7

life history

Answer 7

the schedule of major life events

Question 8

maturity

Answer 8

age at 1st reproduction

Question 9

parity

Answer 9

number of reproductive episodes

Question 10

fecundity

Answer 10

number of offspring per episode

Question 11

parental investment

Answer 11

resources parents provide to offspring

Question 12

longevity

Answer 12

life span

Question 13

True or False: all life history traits involve tradeoffs?

Answer 13

true

Question 14

survivorship curve

Answer 14

depicts the proportion of individuals surviving over time for a species

Question 15

mutation accumulation

Answer 15

accumulation of random detrimental mutations causing aging

Question 16

antagonistic pleiotropy

Answer 16

genes with beneficial effects in reproductive years are deleterious in later years

Question 17

4 spatial characteristics of population distributions:

Answer 17

geographic range, abundance, density, dispersion

Question 18

subpopulation

Answer 18

small groups that live in isolated patches/habitats

Question 19

Density independent factors

Answer 19

weather; natural disasters

Question 20

Density dependent factors

Answer 20

resources; biotic interactions

Question 21

K=

Answer 21

carrying capacity

Question 22

N=

Answer 22

population size

Question 23

B=

Answer 23

number of births

Question 24

D=

Answer 24

number of deaths

Question 25

r=

Answer 25

growth rate

Question 26

dN/dT=

Answer 26

rate or change of the population over time

Question 27

Nt=

Answer 27

population size at time (t) in the future

Question 28

N0=

Answer 28

initial population size @ time 0

Question 29

e=

Answer 29

2.718

Question 30

Infection

Answer 30

an invasion of the organisms body tissues by disease

Question 31

Colonization

Answer 31

infection begins when an organism successfully enters the body, grows and multiplies

Question 32

Intraspecific competition

Answer 32

competition AMONG members of the same species

Question 33

Interspecific competition

Answer 33

competition BETWEEN individuals of a different species

Question 34

Competitive Exclusion Principle

Answer 34

no two species with the same ecological niche can coexist

Question 35

Sexual reproduction

Answer 35

mixing your DNA via meiosis

Question 36

Muller’s ratchet

Answer 36

the process by which genomes of asexual populations irreversibly accumulate deleterious mutations

Question 37

Why is sex good?

Answer 37

it can repair DNA across generations

Question 38

4 types of learning:

Answer 38

spatial, associative, social and insight

Question 39

reproductive conflict

Answer 39

occurs when individuals attempt to maximize their fitness at the expense of their prospective partner’s or relatives’ fitness

Question 40

r/k selection theory

Answer 40

r have a higher growth rate, usually produce a higher # of offspring and their lifespans are shorter/ k produce a relatively low # of offspring over a longer span of time