UQ Terrestrial Ecology II Flashcards
1
Q
What is life in terms of water
A
A chemical reaction that takes place in water
2
Q
What is metabolism?
A
the total chemical activity of an organism - the rate at which the body burns energy
3
Q
What is homeostasis
A
maintenance of internal environment for metabolism stable relative to the “outside world”aka: keeping the body in check with the environment
4
Q
T/F: most australian animals are nocturnal
A
True
5
Q
What does crepuscular mean
A
active at dawn/dusk
6
Q
Why are most animals in aussie nocturnal?
A
They need to deal with the hot dry weather
7
Q
What is the red kangaroo example in terms of homeostasis?
A
they pant and lick forearms to cool where their major blood vessels are
8
Q
Explain the effect of soil fertility on food productivity
A
Low nutrient soils = sclerophyll plants = low nutrient plants = small herbivores - small carnivores.
9
Q
What is the significance of mistletoes in terms of low nutrients
A
they are the nutrient parts animals go for on trees| they try to mimic the sclerophyll to avoid detection
10
Q
Explain the koalas ability to survive on the nutrient low eucalyptus
A
teeth turn the high fiber leaves to mush while liver deactivates toxic oils- caecum for digesting cellulose- sleep 20 hours a day: long digestion time (with help of microbes)fun fact: young get these microbes by eating special poo pellet from mom
11
Q
Australia’s environment can be seen as similar to what other continent
A
Africa
12
Q
Explain “patchiness” of resources
A
In aussie due to the unpredictable climates and environmental events, resources in ecosystems are “patchy” in time and space.
13
Q
Difference between migration and nomadism
A
migration is predictable seasonal movement| nomadism = unpredictable movements following resources
14
Q
What is more common in aussie? nomadsm or migration
A
nomadism - 26% of australian birds
15
Q
Life = ____ + ______
A
metabolism and reproduction”an organized genetic unit capable of metabolism, evolution, and reproduction”
16
Q
Relation between replication and reproduction
A
replication = variation form genetic recombinations (sex) or errors (mutationreproduction = variation over time = evoltuion
17
Q
Describe the ecology of the platypus in terms of habitation, satiation, perambulation, and sensation, self-preservation, procreation, and generation.
A
- freshwater pools with lots of prey and shelter- eats lots of invertebrates (shrimp/insect) bill has “horny” pad to crush food- webbed claws for swimming and digging - tail as a rudder- dive blind and deaf: use a “6th sense” -> bill sensitive to electrical impulses from movement- hard to-get-to burrows and nocturnal- ritualized swimming and venom for male-male combat- mother incubates eggs in burrows and are nursed until able to leave after 4 months
18
Q
What are the three ways of getting into Aussie for animals?
A
- already being there- crossing physical barriers (ocean)- being transported by humans
19
Q
Describe Island biogeography in terms of species
A
isolation and size in theory have less species than the mainland. Rate of evolution does tend to speed up on islands.
20
Q
What does the species number on an island equal?
A
The balance between extinction and colonization
21
Q
Describe the diversity of Australian mammals
A
very diverse/endemic but less in terms of species richness, abundance, and biomass (island continent)
22
Q
What physical factors make Aussie zoology different?
A
- less ecosystem fertility| - variability of resources over time and space
23
Q
What spatial factors make zoology in Aussie different?
A
-biogeographic isolation : “island continent”
24
Q
Describe earthworms breifly and their role in terms of soil structure and soil chemistry
A
“aquatic” worms in terrestrial soil; transpire directly through skin- aerates soil by tunneling (water and root infiltration) ; reduce surface erosion ; mixes layers of soil- breaks down coarse organic matter into fine nutrients ; disperses those nutrients
25
What is the order of taxonomy?
Kingdom-Phylum-Class-Order-Family-Genus-SpeciesKids Playing Chess On the Freeway Get Smashed
26
What is the "r" strategy? How does it apply to insects?
Life based on reproduction-lots of small babies with minimal care = high productive rate Way of life of insects
27
What is Eusociality?
Colony- classification - queen type dynamic
28
What is a niche
the full degree of spatial and biological requirements a particular species needs to survive and reproducethe "role" of a speciesan n-dimensional hyperspace
29
Difference between habitat and niche
```habitat = where they liveniche = how they live```
30
What is competitive exclusion
principal that tow species cannot share the same niche at the same time and place. One will eventually outperform the other and kick it out
31
What are the two outcomes of competitive exclusion
- Loser goes extinct or put elsewhere| - the two evolve to make slightly different niches (diversification)
32
How do competitive exclusion and invasion of species relate?
invasive species tend to squeeze out existing species by their expansion (dingo and thylacine)
33
What is species packing and how can it be done?
Fitting more species in ecosystems1) adding more resources2) more narrow/ specialized species3) weak competition4) still space for other's to share
34
What significance does latitude have in species richness?
more equatorial places = less seasonal b/c of more solar energy but still has lots of diversity so there could be a latitudinal "gradient" for species packing
35
What are so special about the beetles in an species sense?
Hyper-diversity (200+ years to catch up)| over time, herbivore beetles diversity went up with increased diversity of plants
36
What does radiate mean in terms on taxonomy?
to diversify
37
Name an example where competitive exclusion doesn't apply.
First come first serve basis| EX: the antlions that sit and wait and doesn't matter the species its just who gets there first
38
Explain the view of invasive species as "super competitors"
They are seen that way but maybe they really aren't because they are just taking advantage of the conditions there (rabbits and artificial farm pastures) or just "free" of the predators and diseases from where they originally were
39
What is an alternative to competition? Define it and give an example.
environmental heterogeneity-spatial patchiness and temporal variability of resources + random disturbance events keep abundance low for constant competition OR feeding on same things at different times (birds and figs example)
40
What are two ways of diversification in terms of niches?
1) inter-specific competition: niche differentiation to prevent exclusion2) patchiness, temporal, random disturbance: prevents exclusion, more space in different ways
41
In the real world ecological opportunities are varied so in the end ________
no one can be good at everything| footnote: few facts in ecology
42
What sort of morphological process defines amphibians
metamorphosis from aquatic eggs to gill larvae to terrestrial adults
43
How long ago was it that the amphibians were the only terrestrial vertebrates
350-320 MYA
44
What restricts amphibians to moist habitats?
permeable moist skin, external fertilization and aquatic larvae
45
Why is there not many frogs/amphibians in aussie?
The arid climate restricts them
46
Name the 4 types of Gondwanan frogs
1) Hylidae - tree frogs2) Myobatracidae - southern frogs (aussie & new guinea)3) Microhylidae = pointy headed frogs4) Ranidae - bull frogs
47
What is delayed emergence in terms of amphibians?
when amphibian eggs are laid in an environment away from land (burrow) and once matured stay in "suspended animation" until rain comes and washes tadpoles to water
48
What is direct development in terms of amphibians?
The tadpoles do not leave the egg, the feed on yolk until hatching as small adults. (fewer, larger eggs)
49
What is aestivation? What kind of frogs do this?
dry season dormancy (for amphibians)-burrowing frogs that stay underground with bulbous bodies to store water and come out and rapidly reproduce during floods
50
T/F: Aussie does not have the highest proportion of desert land
FALSE actually 70% arid
51
Explain what it means when talking about "islands" of habitats surrounded by "seas" of deserts
Patchniess of habitats spread out separated by the vast areas of desert leads to specialized and endemic species
52
T/F: All frogs croak
FALSE only males croak
53
Why do frogs croak?
Call to attract female mates and also warn others of their territory (communication in general as well)
54
What are "satellite" or "sneaky" frogs?
Frogs who intercept females heading towards a "good" caller and pretend to be that frog (44% of the time for some frogs)
55
Instinct is a ____ trait that can evolve by natural selection that can have its costs and benefits
genetic/heritable
56
Explain the example of heritable instincts and benefits with normal and sneaky frogs
Normal males have high cost in energy compared to the "sneaky" frogs. If most frogs normal then the "sneaky" gets lots of benefits but if more are sneaky less benefits and the normal ones have an equal chance
57
What can be said about the strategy of the most favorable cost to benefit ratio?
It will gain more mating and then that heritable instinct will become more widespread(strategies can tradeoff in domination creating an oscialltion)
58
Explain the high altitude bias of the decline of frog species in forests on mountain ranges?
- Skin and aquatic larvae sensitive to pollution and pH changes; UV radiation- habitat destruction- disease- introduced predators
59
How long ago did reptiles come in?
320 MYA
60
Reptiles are ______, all coming from one ancestor
monophyletic
61
Describe the general attributes of reptiles
water retaining scaly skininternal fertilizationshelled membrane egg (amniote)
62
How long ago did the amniotes split and name the 3 categories.
285 MYA- mammals- turtles- all other reptiles (wait paraphyletic?)
63
How many orders of living reptiles are there?
4 orders - limited body plan diversity
64
What is the ectothermy? endothermy?
```ecto= body temperatures maintained externallyendo = body temp maintained internally (const body temperature)```
65
What defines reptile lifestyles?
temperature regulation - behavioral adaptations
66
when energy is not available what happens to ectrothermic temperature? What is the consequence of rapid activity?
Temperature drops- cant sustain body well| -rapid movement only available in short burst - rapid exhaustion and long recovery
67
What is the "perk" of drawing temperature form the environment?
Can "choose" from a range of environmental temperatures available
68
What is the example with land mullets and treefall gaps
Mullets prefer to live near treefall gaps because there will be a lot of shelter and also areas to bask in the sun
69
Which is the only aussie turtle that can pull its head in?
Aquatic pig nosed turtles
70
How do Gondwanan turtles protect their neck?
they wrap it around under the shell
71
Name the 5 lizzards of Aussie
- Geckos- Legless lizzards (not like snakes : ears and UN-forked toungue)- Goannas (monitors - dino like)- Skinks- Dragons
72
How do reptiles defend themselves?
Flight FightHideBluff
73
Describe the relation of fighting to benefits and cost (graph)
Aggression - high benefits but high costAvoidance - low benefits and low costIntermediate - maximum for benefits-costsAnimals fight only in interest, fights seldom fatal
74
How are the "decisions" weighing the cost and benefits made in animals?
By natural selection on genes for instinct to find the balance
75
What are the two types of snakes?
Elapids (venomous)| Colubrids
76
How many pythons are there in Aussie and how do they feed? Who broods eggs and how do they keep em warm?
13 (about half the world)- ambush (detection with infrared pits) and constrict and suffocate prey- mother broods, sometimes shivers to keep em warm
77
Aussie has what two types of crocs and whats the difference between them
Freshwater - slender build and snoutSaltwater Estuarine ones - heavy build and broad snout
78
Advantage of ectothermy over mammals?
Reduced food requirement - need leas to sustain them while mammals need to eat heaps to maintain body heat-Able to dominate in food scarce envrionments
79
Describe parental care in crocodiles
- mom builds mound during wet season for nest and guards eggs- when hatched mom fetches out of mound and carries them to water- takes care until 5 weeks then they on their own
80
Don't think in terms of anthropomorphism. What is that?
applying human values to animal behaviour
81
What is "instinct" in terms of ecology
"auto" development of behaviors through age
82
What is "learning" in terms of ecology
behavior modification from individual experience
83
Most animal behavior is ______
instinctive
84
T/F: Reptiles with simple brains don't demonstrate much instinct
FALSE - very sophisticated instinct
85
What is population ecology?
understanding the distribution and abundance of organisms
86
All organisms have a potential for _____ growth
exponential
87
Density independent growth = (ask about this)
the more individuals, the faster the population grows ??????
88
Population changes through what 4 factors
Birth, death, immigration, emigration
89
What happens when populations increase what happens in terms of growth rate
decreases - competition, stress, resources, births and immigration go down; more deaths and emigration
90
What is K
Carrying capacity of an environment for a population for a species
91
Density dependent growth =
population growth slows and stays around K
92
What are "K" and "r" strategists?
```K = long living, slow reproducing stable populationsr= short lived, fast reproducing populations```
93
Ratio of monotremes, marsupials, and eutherians in Aussie
2 monotremesabout equal marsupials and eutherians (150)
94
What are monotremes in terms of animal lineage
an early shoot off from mammals
95
When did eutherians and marsupials split in lineage?
Cretaceous period
96
Which type of eutharians are the only ones with long history in Aussie?
Rats (rodents) and Bats
97
What is the ratio of monotremes, marsups, and euths in New Guinea?
3 monotremesabout half the marsups as euths (70 - 140)
98
The long separation of Aussie and South America results in _____ split
taxonomic
99
T/F: There are not many mammals on New Zealand, mostly dominated by birds
True
100
Are food chains long or short for mammals?
short (3-4 levels, energy lost at each level)
101
What is net primary productivity?
Total plant growth - respiratory losses- left over product supports consumers- determined by physical factors
102
The shortness and loss of energy at each trophic level in mammals create food ____
pyramids
103
Describe the ecology of possums and gliders
Possums have high diversity - leaf, nectar and fruit eaters. Gliders evolved 3 times - effective energy saving movement to search for food
104
Describe order diprotodontia
herbivorus marsupials - teeth made to sheear and grind food| Super diverse radiation - koala, wombats, possums and gliders, macropods
105
How many types of macropods are there? What is so special about them in ecological terms?
50 species| super diverse in size and ecological roles
106
What two things control populations?
Density dependent effects| Density independent effects
107
What are density dep. effects and give some examples
effects that are more increased with more population| -disease, food supply, competition
108
What are density indep. effects and some examples
effects that happen at any time (mostly physical)| -habitat disturbance, climate and weather
109
What are some holes in the argument of r/k strategy?
Kangaroos- long lived but numbers dont increase when kept low, they are opportunistic breeders (embryonic dipause); reproduction seen to correlate with rain.
110
Describe the ecology of marsupial carnivores
most rodent sized all with sharp teeth| -convergence with eutherian wolves, cats shrews and other "hunter" species
111
Describe the ecology of Bandicoots and Bilbies
11 species- omnivores (insects and plants/fruit)- foragers (claws and long snouts) - bounding convergence with macropods
112
Describe the ecology of marsupial moles
2 species- blind and spade-like forepaws for digging- seems to eat invertebrates
113
Describe the ecology of bats
79 species- powered flight, nocturnal due to high water and heat loss b/c lots of surface area. - very diverse- 11 types that feed on fruits and flowers (pollinators; fruit bats/flying foxes)- 68 small ones that eat insects and use echolocation
114
Describe the ecology of mice and rats (rodents)
- 70 types; highly diverse- self-sharpening, chisel like inscisors- eats plants and insects- r strategists- 2 colonizations (first more aussie like ; 2nd more introduced species)
115
What are the introduced species
any LAND mammal NOT a monotreme/marsupial/ bat / native rodent/ (or dingo) -create nothing but trouble
116
Describe the ecology of the dingo
Asian (new guinea/ thiland) wolf brought over in semi-domesticated state- very similar to dogs- implicated thylacine and tasmanian devil extinctions- eat a range of things
117
South American marsupials only survived for as long as they....In reality S. American marsupials ____ with eutharians for years.
avoided eutherian compeitionco-existed
118
Aussies strange mammals are rivaled by the ______ order of anteaters ex: ____ and ____
Xenarthrasloths and armadillos(living descendents of godwanan eutherians)
119
What is the Great American Interchange?
Process of faunal exchange between north and south america over central america (panama land bridge)-over 50% of S.A. mammals = north descendents ; northern invaders come and diversify
120
What was wrong with the movement of S. american animals
-they could not adapt as well as the north (with different biomes) and were restricted to rainforest environment (marsupials in rainforests only)"environmental history" instead of ability competiton
121
Why is aussie the land of parots?
53 species of Aussie parrots| very diverse in aussie
122
Feathers are modified _____
reptile scales
123
Class aves = feathered _____
vertebrates
124
Describe the physical features of feathers
aerodynamic (curvature and lightweight| babes on feather link segments together for a functional feather
125
Tradeoffs in birds to powered flight
- very lightweight bones- higher metabolic demands- only two limbs- no teeth- low fat reserves- high maintenence feathers
126
Bird metabolism requires _______ food
high quality
127
Different bills and feet morphology leads to ______
different niches
128
What is the rate of diversity in Aussie?
720 species - 40% endemic!| Large range of habitats
129
What are passerines? Describe some characteristics (2)
Songbirdscomplex voicbox3 toe forwards - 1 to back locking
130
T/F: all aussie birds are descendents of passerines
FALSE
131
What is evolution? (bird lecture)
descendants with modification| -change in genetic lineage over time from one generation to another
132
What is selection?
mechanisms of evolution; forces driving change| -the favoring of selecting of some linages over others
133
What is radiation?
diversification of a lineage/ branching of a family tree| ex: honeyeaters radiated alongsie vetebrate pollinated eucalupytus
134
Describe the diversity/ecology of pidgeons
22 types (doves as well)- fruit and seed specialists- rainforest origins and dry ones across continent
135
Describe the diversity/ecology of finches
18 grass finches- specialist seed eaters- radiated inot grasslands and open forests
136
Describe the diversity/ecology of radiation in Hawaii
5 Hawaiian "honeyeaters" radiated with bird pollinated plants- thought to be aussie but just convergent evolution- these "honeycreepers" evolved from a finch from hawaiii a while ago
137
What are the "ingredients" of radiation?
- Common ancestor- empty niches to diversify into- geographic isolation
138
Describe the process of evolution by natural selection
- make more babies than actually survive- individuals in these vary genetically (heritable)- limited resources lead to competition between these individuals- indv. with favorable variations survive better and leave more babies (evolutionary fitness)- over time the variations spread in the population (and diverges from different environments)
139
What is evolutionary fitness?
things with better variations survive to leave more offspring
140
Natural selection explains similarities (convergence) & differences between what type of birds?
Birds of prey| (raptors and owls_
141
Which bird sex is usually more brightly colored and lively? What does this mean?
Male| Female choice when it comes to mting
142
T/F: in bird pairs, the bond isnt that strong
FALSE - rituals between birds establish strong bonds
143
What is sexual selection?
selection for adaptations that increase mating success (sexy sons)
144
What is intra-sexual selection?
when makes compete directly with other males| ex: fighting
145
What is inter-sexual selection?
when males directly try to attract a female (nice colors)
146
Describe the sexual process of Fairy Wrens
colorful males with plain femals brood young and are taken care of by other "non-breeding" males- 75% offspring were fathered by males outside the group however- males in "couples" had paternity- helpers had 30% paternity
147
What is evolution by neutral selection?
random change for evoltuion
148
When are effects of neutral selection strong?
small groups with small number of individuals that started that small group-chance for genetic drift
149
What is phyletic gradualism?
slow and steady change due to natural selection towards better adaptations
150
What is directional selection. Describe how it would look on a graph
selection favoring evolution in a particular direction(better mouths to feed)-on a curve graph ; small portion is favored while the majority disadvantaged
151
What is stabilizing selection? Describe how it would look on a graph
conservative evolution; when evolving away from the normal is not good. (being too wierd)-on a curved graph : middle large section is favored, the two tail ends are not favored
152
What does allopatric mean?
"different homelands"
153
What is allopatric speciation?
when a population is divided by physical barriers and develop and diverge into different species in which they cannot interbreed-reproductive isolation: when they come back together they are different species
154
What is punctual equilibrium?
argument against slow and steady evolution| -long period of stability (stable selection) and then a change of event jumpstarts rapid evolution (allopatric possibly)
155
What two concepts describe reinforcement of species boundaries?
1) Biological species concept: groups of interbreeding populations with properties that prevent species interbreeding2) Mate Recognition Species Concept: group of organisms that recognize another as a mate; those unrecognized are not able to mate
156
What do birds look the way they do in terms of- natural selection- mate recognition
- form matches function| - function of mating signals to id themselves as recognizable mates
