Ecology Unknowns (ft: darkness and mystery)

Question 1

What is ecology ?

Answer 1

The study of the interactions between living organisms and their environment

Question 2

What is the biosphere?

Answer 2

All living things on the planet ie: global ecosystem

Question 3

What is the modern synthesis theory?

Answer 3

Diversity arises from mutation which creates phenotypes of which the environment selects for with the highest fitness

Question 4

What acts as a tool for natural selection?

Answer 4

• variation in phenotypes is the tool which NS uses or acts upon for evolution

Question 5

Does NS evolve individuals?

Answer 5

NO. Natural selection acts on individual variation but evolves populations over time.

Question 6

What is the phylogenetic species concept?

Answer 6

• species are defined based on common ancestry and phylogenetic similarity

Question 7

What is behaviour? What are the degrees of study of behaviour in biology?

Answer 7

• Behaviour is the visible response to internal or external stimuli
• ethology: field of study related to behaviour
• sociobiology: the branch of biology that studies behaviour
• behavioural ecology: studies interactions between organisms and their environment: the interactions between organisms and their environment are mediated by behaviour

Question 8

What is kin selection?

Answer 8

• an evolutionary strategy that favours the fitness of those related to an organism over their own fitness
• ensures the survival of genes!

Question 9

What is group selection?

Answer 9

• where the betterment of the group is favoured over the individuals fitness
• causes them to sacrifice for their group eg; pika alarm call

Question 10

How did altruism arise?

Answer 10

• from group selection

Question 11

How did eusociality arise?

Answer 11

Potentially kin selection or ecological restraints
NOTE: kin selection: in leaf cutter ants, workers are more related than their offspring, so they may work better together as a product of evolutionary strategies to ensure the survival of their own genes (the other workers)

Question 12

Which species has the greatest variety of life histories?

Answer 12

fish

Question 13

What is life history?

Answer 13

• the pattern of survival and reproduction of a species

Question 14

What is fecundity?

Answer 14

the amount of offspring/ability to create viable offspring

Question 15

What are graminoids?

Answer 15

• grass and grass like plants

Question 16

What are forbs?

Answer 16

• non-graminoid herbaceous plants, persist for one growing season, little to no woody tissue

Question 17

What are the two factors that influence plant distribution? What about selective pressures?

Answer 17

• distribution: plant growth and seed dispersal
• selective pressures: intensity of stress and intensity of disturbance

Question 18

Define semelparous

Answer 18

• when organisms reproduce only one time in their lives, occurs in stable environments, parent can dedicate all energy to their offspring
• common in insects but some others like salmon

Question 19

Define iteroporous

Answer 19

• in organisms whose offspring have low survival rate, individuals will have longer, more frequent breeding periods to ensure the survival of at least some offspring
• common in vertebrates and k selected species

Question 20

What are the 3 main methods of estimation?

Answer 20

• cohort life table: find others born at same time and track from birth
• static life table: record age at death
• age distribution: track population between age gaps, differences attributed to death

Question 21

What are life tables for?

Answer 21

• a record of survival and reproduction rates, provides survival curves

Question 22

Why are survival curves important?

Answer 22

• fundamental descriptors of a population

Question 23

How can coexistence occur despite the competitive exclusion principle?

Answer 23

• competitive equivalence
• environmental heterogeneity impacts competitive strength
• variation in competitive ability within species

Question 24

When can coexistence occur?

Answer 24

• when k1< K2/impact of 2 on1
  and vice versa
• K must be similar between species
• each species must be regulated by its own carrying capacity to exist

Question 25

What were the first studies of variation on?

Answer 25

-plants

Question 26

What are the 8 main interactions? What are the 4 social interactions?

Answer 26

9: mutualism, ammenalism, commensalism, competition, predation/herbivory/parasitism, neutralism 4: altruism, spitefulness, selfishness, mutualism

Question 27

What are castes?

Answer 27

- different groups with certain roles based on different morphological characteristics - leaf cutter ants have the greatest amount of castes and therefore the greatest amount behaviours

Question 28

describe the relationship between darter size and egg size

Answer 28

- larger darter produce more eggs - the more eggs there are the smaller they get

Question 29

What inhibits the kangaroos from living in the north?

Answer 29

- temperature and precipitation, eavronemtnal conditions limit the distribution of roos

Question 30

Which two assumptions does exponential growth make?

Answer 30

- unlimited resources - stable environment (ensure birth and death are equal, r growth rate is fully realized) - BUT in the real world conditions vary and resources are limited (logistic)

Question 31

What is resource partitioning?

Answer 31

- multiple species can use the same resource in a slightly different way or at different times so they can coexist ; one does not outcompete the other

Question 32

What can be said about the experiment on potentilla glandulosa?

Answer 32

Different populations of the same species were taken from different elevations - if they were genetically identical, they would all grow the same - genetic variation present, grows differently in the same plot this demonstrates that populations are locally adapted and genetically distinct (populations have evolved independently, ecotypes)

Question 33

Does Natural selection always favour the fixation of a phenotype?

Answer 33

No! Natural selection can favour, disfavour or maintain the genetic makeup of a population

Question 34

Does evolution work on individuals?

Answer 34

- NO, natural selection works on individuals while evolution works on populations

Question 35

Describe the honey bee example

Answer 35

- demonstrates that behaviour can be selected for - in honey bees, a single gene determine whether a bee is a forage or a hive worker: determine by environmental conditions

Question 36

What is the difference between group selection and kin selection?

Answer 36

kin- sacrifice for relatives group -sacrifice for social group

Question 37

Describe the lion prides

Answer 37

- females closely related, protect infants and each other = kin selection - males not always related: kin selection not an adequate description: group selection when they protect social groups - but sometimes they kill younger males (females must protect them) so this is where selfish behaviour is favoured over altruism

Question 38

What is the relationship between relation and male coalition size?

Answer 38

- smaller coalitions often have more relatedness whereas larger coalitions of males are typically unrelated ( must have offspring to increase fitness)

Question 39

What is the difference between disturbance and stress?

Answer 39

disturbance: anything that. destroys biomass (storms, avalanches, fires, etc) Stress : anything that limits the production pf dry biomass (limited nutrients, drought, etc)

Question 40

What are the benefits of community ecology?

Answer 40

- bridge between physiological and community ecology - helps us develop recovery plans and regulate invasive species

Question 41

Why might phylogenetic species concepts become more common over the coming decade ?

Answer 41

- more focus on microbial organisms and increased availability of molecular methods

Question 42

How do ruderals respond to stress?

Answer 42

Ruderals do better in areas of high disturbance but cannot handle stress (stress tolerant cannot handle disturbance ie: oak tree falls during storm)