APES ecology test Flashcards
(34 cards)
Sympatric speciation
Species form from populations that become reproductively isolated within the same location.
Allopatric speciation
Species formation due to separation of species.
Population ecology
Dynamics of a population and how they interact with the environment
Community ecology
The study of interactions between species and communities
Ecosystem ecology
The study of living and non living components of an ecosystem .
Population growth rate:
The rate at which the number of individuals of a population increases in a time period.
Exponential growth:
A growth becomes more rapid in proportion to the growing total number.
Logistic growth:
Growth rate decreases as population reaches carrying capacity
K-selected reproduction:
When an environment is at or near carrying capacity, new offspring are reproduced
r-selected reproduction:
In an environment with a surplus of resources, many new offspring are reproduced.
Intraspecific competition
Between members of the same species
Interspecific competition
Between members of 2+ species
Competitive exclusion
Species excludes another from a resource
Species coexistence
Neither species fully excludes the other from using a resource.
Resource partitioning
Species use different resources or share resources in different ways
Character displacement
Competing species diverge in their physical characteristics
Exploitation
+/-
Mutualism
+/+
Commensalism
+/0
Trophic cascade
Predators at high Trophic levels indirectly affect hose at low Trophic levels.
Feedback loop
A circular process in which a systems output serves as input
Negative feedback loop
Output in one direction acts as input in the other direction
Positive feedback loop
Drives toward one extreme further
Emergent properties
The whole is more than the sum of the parts
