Cycle 11 - Ecology in Anthropocene

Question 1

What is population ecology?

Answer 1

study of how and why populations of organisms grow and decline

Question 2

What is population size?

Answer 2

the number of individuals making up the population at a specific time

Question 3

What is population density?

Answer 3

the number of individuals per unit area/volume of habitat

Question 4

How does population density compare with body size?

Answer 4

large body size = population density decline

Question 5

What is an age structure?

Answer 5

statistical description of the relative numbers of individuals in each age class

Question 6

How are individuals categorized by age?

Answer 6

pre reproductive or post reproductive

Question 7

Why is the percent of reproducing individuals in a population important?

Answer 7

to see how fast the population will grow in the future

Question 8

What is generation time? How is it important for population growth?

Answer 8

average time between the birth of an organism and birth of its offspring
- short in species with small body size = faster population growth

Question 9

When do exponential models or logistic models apply for population growth?

Answer 9

exponential - populations experience unlimited growth

logistic - population growth in limited due to resources

Question 10

When do exponential models or logistic models apply for population growth?

Answer 10

exponential - populations experience unlimited growth

logistic - population growth in limited due to resources

Question 11

What are the four changes to population that must be considered for demographic change?

Answer 11

1. # of births
2. # of deaths
3. immigrants to a population
4. emigrants from a population

Question 12

How can you calculate the change in population size?

Answer 12

∆N/∆t = B - D

Question 13

What is births per capita (b)? deaths per capita (d)?

Answer 13

b = B/N

c = D/N

Question 14

What is the equation for per capita growth rate (r)?

Answer 14

b-d = r

Question 15

What is the equation for exponential model of population growth?

Answer 15

dN/dt = (b-d)N = rN

Question 16

What is zero population growth in terms of the equation?

Answer 16

b=d so r = 0

Question 17

What is the intrinsic rate of increase?

Answer 17

maximum possible per capita population growth rate in a population living under ideal conditions

rmax x N

Question 18

What is the carrying capacity?

Answer 18

maximum number of individuals that an environment can support indefinitely (K)

Question 19

What is the logistic model of population growth?

Answer 19

population growth slows as the population size approaches K

Question 20

What is the equation of logistic model of population growth?

Answer 20

dN/dt = (rmax x N)(K-N/K)

Question 21

What happens when K = N?

Answer 21

zero population growth

Question 22

What happens when K = N?

Answer 22

zero population growth

Question 23

Why is the logistic population growth model necessary?

Answer 23

realistically shows intraspecific competition - dependence of two or more individuals in a population on the same non-infinite resources

Question 24

What does it mean when r<0 and r>0 in either model?

Answer 24

r<0 increasing population and r>0 decreasing population

Question 25

What are density dependent variables? Examples for regulating plant and animal populations?

Answer 25

factors that increase or decrease with population density ex. predation, parasitism, disease

Question 26

What are density independent variables?

Answer 26

reduce population size regardless of density?

Question 27

What is co-evolution?

Answer 27

evolution of genetically based, reciprocal adaptations in two or more species that interact in the same ecological setting

Question 28

What the is effect on interacting populations in PREDATION?

Answer 28

+/- predators gain nutrients and energy, prey are killed or injured

Question 29

What the is effect on interacting populations in PARASITISM?

Answer 29

+/- predators gain nutrients and energy, hosts are killed or injured

Question 30

What the is effect on interacting populations in HERBIVORY?

Answer 30

+/- Herbivores gain nutrients and energy, plants are killed or injured

Question 31

What the is effect on interacting populations in Competition?

Answer 31

-/- both competing populations lose access to some resources

Question 32

What the is effect on interacting populations in COMMENSALISM?

Answer 32

-/0 one population benefits, other is unaffected

Question 33

What the is effect on interacting populations in MUTUTALISM?

Answer 33

+/+ both benefits

Question 34

What are endoparasites?

Answer 34

live within a host

Question 35

What are ectoparasites?

Answer 35

feed on the exterior of the host

Question 36

What are some plant defence mechanisms?

Answer 36

- spines and thorns - poisonous chemicals

Question 37

How do species avoid detection?

Answer 37

camouflage

Question 37

What are aposematic species?

Answer 37

species that are poisonous that have bright patterns to advertise potential predators

Question 38

What is mimicry?

Answer 38

same pattern as aposematic species but are not actually poisonous

Question 39

What is the Anthropocene?

Answer 39

500-70 years ago - extinction of species and declined species due to human activity creating long-lasting geological mark and potential 6th mass extinction

Question 40

What is habitat fragmentation?

Answer 40

remaining areas of intact habitat are reduced to small isolated patches

Question 41

What is the edge effect in a forest?

Answer 41

removal of natural vegetation disrupts the local physical environment, exposing the borders of the remaining habitat to additional sunlight, wind, and rainfall

Question 42

What are extirpations? Where do their result from?

Answer 42

local population extinction results from overexploitation (excessive harvesting of an animal or plant species

Question 43

What are the major threats to biodiversity due to humans?

Answer 43

1. Habitat destruction 2. overexploitation 3. climate change 4. invasive species and disease 5. pollution

Question 44

Why was there a significant increase of population after the Black Death plague?

Answer 44

industrial revolution and improving healthcare

Question 45

Can the carrying capacity change?

Answer 45

yes! vary by habitat and season

Question 46

How does crowding affect reproduction?

Answer 46

plants at higher density produce fewer seeds = density dependant factor

Question 47

How is parasitism a density dependent factor?

Answer 47

its transmission is facilitated by increasing population density

Question 48

How is predation a density dependent factor?

Answer 48

more prey density = easy predator access

Question 49

Which type of density factor is infraspecific competition?

Answer 49

resources are limited so density dependent factor

Question 50

What type of density factor is weather/temperature?

Answer 50

density independent factor

Question 51

Can density independent and dependent factors work simultaneously?

Answer 51

Yes! ex. heat weakens immune system (independent) more disease (dependent)

Question 52

What is fecundity?

Answer 52

potential reproductive output

Question 53

How can humans purposefully impacted other species population growth?

Answer 53

1. biological control by introducing a species to control another 2. conservation management by moving, culling, or facilitating reproduction

Question 54

How can bacteria in the human body change our behaviour?

Answer 54

increases appetite, stress response

Question 55

How is host-parasite and example of co-evolution/evolutionary arms race?

Answer 55

infections cause anti influenza responses for protection with antibodies selection for viruses to escape antibodies through mutations new antigenic cluster causing infections

Question 56

Which type of species interaction will not result in coevolution?

Answer 56

commensalism -- neutral species will not evolve

Question 57

What are some new approaches to better Anthropocene?

Answer 57

fecal transplants to restore a healthy gut ecosystem one heath concept - well being of people animals and environment