Chapters 1, 7, 8, 9, 10 Flashcards
Ecology
The Scientific study of how organisms affect and are affected by other organisms and their environment.
What species is considered to be “biological indicators” of environmental problems?
Amphibians
Why are amphibians good indicators of environmental problems?
Their skin is easily permeable- pollutants can pass through
Their eggs have no protective shell
They are exposed to pollutants and UV in both wet and dry environments
Controlled experiment
Experimental groups are compared with a control group that LACKS the FACTOR BEING TESTED
Replication
Performing each treatment more than once
What does replication in an experiment do?
Reduces the possibility that results are due to a variable that was not measured or controlled in the study
What happens when people alter one aspect of the environment
It causes other changes that we do not intend or anticipate
Ecology (def. #2)
Ecology is the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environment.
Ecology (def. #3)
Scientific endeavor, not environmental activism
Ecology (def. #4)
The study of interactions that drive the distribution and abundance of organisms
Environmental Science
the natural sciences with the social sciences and focuses on how people affect the environment and how to address environmental problems
What do ecological studies usually emphasize?
individuals
populations
communities
ecosystems
What do ecologists study?
Interactions across many levels of organization
Population
A group of individuals of a single species that live in a particular area and interact with one another
Community
an association of populations of different species in the same area
biotic
living
abiotic
physical components
Ecosystem
A community of organisms plus their physical environment
Landscapes
areas with substantial differences, typically including multiple ecosystems.
what is the world’s biosphere composed of?
All the world’s ecosystems
What is a biosphere?
all living organisms on earth, plus, the environments in which they live.
What do ecologists evaluate competeing hypotheses with?
observations, experiments, and models
What are the different methods ecologists use?
Observational studies in the field
Controlled experiments in the lab
Experiments in the field
Quantitative models
What are the two scales of studies?
spacial scales and temporal scalees
Organisms life history
Record of events relating to its growth, development, reproduction, and survival
Life history characteristics include
Age and size at sexual maturity
Amount and timing of reproduction
Survival and mortality rates
Life history strategy of a species
overall pattern in average timing and nature of life history events
Life history events is shaped by the way the organism divides its time and energy between
Growth
reproduction
survival
Although all organisms produce offspring, what two characteristics vary?
Number and size of offspring
Semelparous
species have a single reproductive event (can be many offspring - but all at once)
Iteroparous
species can produce multiple times
itero
to repeat
pario
to beget
r-selection
selection for high population growth rates; an advantage in newly disturbed habitats and uncrowded conditions.
R-selection (def.)
the intrinsic rate of increase of a population
K-selection
Selection for lower growth rates in populations that are at or near K; advantage in efficient reproduction is favored.
K-selection(def.)
Carrying capacity for a population
Conditions of r-selected organisms
short life spans
rapid development
early maturation
low parental investment
high reproduction rate
Conditions for k-selected organisms
Long-lived
develop slowly
late maturation
invest heavily in each offspring
low reproduction rates
Fitness
genetic contribution to future generations
Trade-offs
Organisms allocate limited energy or resources to one function at the expense of another
What are some investments considered trade-offs?
Energy
Resources
Time
Loss of other activities
Example of trade-off
Species without parental care, resources are invested into propagules
lack clutch size
Maximum number of offspring a parent can successfully raise to maturity
True or False: Dispersal will not reduce competition among close relatives but will allow colonization of new areas
False: Dispersal will reduce competition and allow colonization of new areas.
True or false: Dispersal can allow escape from areas with diseases or high predation
True
Dormancy
State of suspended growth and development in which an organism can survive unfavorable conditions.
Why are small seeds, spores, eggs, and embryos best suited for dormancy?
Less metabolic energy is needed to stay alive.
Sequential Hermaphroditism
Changes in sex during course of the life cycle
Behavioral Ecology
The study of the ecological and evolutionary basis of animal behavior
Proximate causes
How the behaviors occur
Ultimate causes
why the behaviors occur; evolutionary and historical reasons