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Biology 1510
Ecology
65
Biology
Undergraduate 1
02/19/2008

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Term
Ecology
Definition
The study of the interactions of organisms with their physical and biological environment.

the distribution and abundance of organisms
Term
John Graunt
Definition
1662- formalized the study of demography and recognized that human populations were limited
Term
Thomas Malthus
Definition
1798- proposed that human population grows exponentially while food and other sources grow at a slower pace
Term
Ocean Circulation
Definition
defines the physical environment for marine biology

Current systems affect the distribution of species
Term
Population Ecology
Definition
focuses on what governs the dynamics of a population of a single species
Term
Community Ecology
Definition
studies the interactions between populations; predation and competition etc.
Term
Behavioral Ecology
Definition
attempt to understand the adaptive significance of behavioral characteristics
Term
Early "Ethological" Studies
Definition
Ethologists mainly focused on "what" questions based toward behavioral characteristics

Know: Niko Tinbergen, Karl von Frisch, and Konrad Lorenz
Term
Imprinting
Definition
animal recognizing the first moving creature it sees as its parent.

Discover by Konrad Lorenz
Term
Proximate (How) Questions
Definition
-What is the mechanistic basis for behavior?
-How does development affect behavior?

(Tinbergen)
Term
Ultimate (Why) Questions
Definition
-What is the evolutionary history of the behavior?
-How does the behavior contribute to survival and reproduction?

(Tinbergen)
Term
Hamilton's Rule
Definition
(b)(r)> c
Term
fundamental niche
Definition
niche potentially occupied by a species
Term
realized niche
Definition
the nice a species actually occupies in a particular environment
Term
Competitive Exclusion Principle
Definition
strong competition that can lead to the elimination of one of the two competing species. two species competing for the same limited resources cannot coexist in the same place
Term
Reproductive Value
Definition
the average number of offspring that will be produced by an individual of a given age
Term
Density Independent Population
Definition
birth rate or death rate that does not change with population density
Term
Density Dependent Population
Definition
a death rate that rises as density increases or the decrease in birth rate with the increase in density
Term
Population Dynamics
Definition
the complex interactions between biotic and abiotic factors that cause variation in population size
Term
Density-Dependent Population Factors
Definition
Competition for resources/ territoriality/ health/ predation/ toxic wastes/ intrinsic factors
Term
Fill in a Symbiotic Relations Chart
Definition
Fill in symbiotic relations chart
Term
Cryptic Coloration
Definition
camouflage that makes prey difficult to spot
Term
Aposematic Coloration
Definition
animals with effective chemical defenses that often exhibit a bright warning coloration know as...
Term
Batesian Mimicry
Definition
harmless species mimics a harmful species in appearance
Term
Mullerian Mimicry
Definition
two or more unpalatable species, such as the cuckoo bee and yellow jacket
Term
Species Diversity
Definition
the variety of different kinds of organisms that make up the community
Term
Species Richness
Definition
the total number f different species in the community
Term
relative abundance
Definition
the proportion each species represents of the total individuals in the community
Term
trophic structure
Definition
the feeding relationships between organisms within a community
Term
Invasive Species
Definition
species generally introduced by humans that can become dominant in new environments due to a lack of predators and pathogens
Term
Keystone Species
Definition
species that exert a strong control on community structure by their pivotal ecological roles, or niches
Term
Foundation Species
Definition
exert influence by causing physical change in their environment
Term
Facilitators
Definition
foundation species that have positive effects on the survival and reproduction of other species due to the changes they have made on the physical environment
Term
Bottom-Up Model
Definition
V->H linkage. Postulates a unidirectional influence from lower to higher trophic levels
Term
Top-Down Model
Definition
Proposes that mainly predation that controls community organization because predators limit herbivores. V<-H. These effects occur in a +/- relationship.
Term
Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis
Definition
can foster greater species diversity by opening up habitats for occupation by less competitive species, yet not creating conditions so severe that they exceed the environmental tolerances or rate of revocery by potential community members
Term
Know each of the Island Equilibrium Models
Definition
Pg. 1177
Term
Keystone Species
Definition
organism with a disproportional effect on environment
Term
Primary Production
Definition
the formation of organic matter from inorganic matter (self-feeding)
Term
Secondary Production
Definition
the formation of biomass from preformed organic matter (herbivores)
Term
Gross Primary Production
Definition
the total quantity of energy trapped by primary producers and converted to biomass
Term
Net Primary Production
Definition
GPP-Respiration= NPP
Term
Gross Primary Production
Definition
the amount of light energy converted to chemical energy by photosynthesis per unit time
Term
Patchiness
Definition
localized variation in environmental conditions within an ecosystem, arranged spatially into a complex of discrete areas that may be characterized by distinctive groups of species or ecosystem processes
Term
Abiotic Factors
Definition
Temperature/ Water/ Sunlight/ Wind/ Rocks and Soil/ Climate/ global climate patterns/ regional, local, and seasonal effects on climate/ bodies of water/Mountains/ seasonality
Term
Proximate Questions
Definition
questions about behavior that focus on the envirnmental stimuli, if any,m
Term
Biological Magnification
Definition
magnification occurs because the biomass at any given trophic level is produced from a much larger biomass ingest from the level below
Term
Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest
Definition
Term
Green World Hypothesis
Definition
terrestrial herbivores consume relatively little plant biomass beacause they are held in check by a variety of factors, including predators, parasites, and disease
Term
biomass
Definition
the dry weight of organic matter comprising a group of organisms in a particular habitat
Term
biomass
Definition
the dry weight of organic matter comprising a group of organisms in a particular habitat
Term
Ecological Efficiency
Definition
P/ (P+R+W)
Term
Production Efficiency
Definition
P/ (P+R)
Term
eutrophication
Definition
a process by which nutrients particularly phosphorous and nitrogen, become highl concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of organisms such as algae
Term
kinesis
Definition
a simple change in activity or turning rate in response to a stimulus
Term
taxis
Definition
a more or less automatic oriencted movement toward (a positive taxis) or away from (a negative taxis) some stimulus
Term
Hamilton's Rule
Definition
(relatedness)(benefit)> cost to the altruist
Term
inclusive fitness
Definition
the total effect an individual has on proliferating its genes by producing its own offspring and by providing aid that enables other close relatives to increase the production of their offspring
Term
iteroparity
Definition
repeated production annually
Term
semelparity
Definition
big-bang reproduction
Term
Change in Population Size During Time Interval=
Definition
=B-D
Term
Birth Rate=
Definition
annual per capita birth rate (b) * (N) number of population
Term
Per Capita Rate of Increase (r)
Definition
r=(per capita birth rate)b-(per capita death rate)m
Term
Exponential Population Growth=
Definition
=(r{max})(n)
Term
Logistic Growth Model
Definition
=(r{max})(N) ((K-N)/K)
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