Biology
Study of living organisms and their vital processes
Wildlife
Non-domesticated animals in their natural environments including vertebrates and invertebrates
Biodiversity
diversity of life - genetic, species, community, and ecosystem diversity as well as ecological processes
wildlife management
application of knowledge and skills to protect, conserve limit, or enhance wildlife populations
Natural Resources
Products/experiences provided by the Earth that have values to humans. Renewable/nonrenewable
Conservation
sustained use of a resource
Preservation
“hands off” no manipulation of a species or its habitat
Sustainable
meets the needs of present without compromising ability to meet needs of future
Natural History
biology, ecology, habits, and other characteristics of species
Ecology
study of interrelationships among living systems and their environments
Who owns wildlife in the US?
The public
Benefits of managing wildlife
diseases control, limit starvation of species
Potential problems of managing wildlife
By helping one species, you can inadvertently harm another
funding
Genes
the sentences (using codons) that spell out how to construct proteins which produce traits
Locus
the position of the gene
diploid
organisms - pair of chromosomes
Alleles
Different versions of the same genes. Code for different versions of the same trait
Heterozygous traits
different alleles from each parent
Homozygous trait
identical alleles from each parent
Genotype
an individuals genetic blueprint
Phenotype
what an individual looks like - outward appearance
Genotypic variation
differences in the genetic makeup of individuals
Phenotypic variation
differences in morphological makeup
Mutation
a change in the sequence of GACT or the “blueprint”
Causes of mutation
radiation, replication errors, chemicals
Evolution
a change in allele frequency in a population over time
Natural selection
environmental factors favor particular inherited traits
Things you need for natural selection
Genetic variation
Overproduction of offspring
struggle for existence
differential survival and reproduction
Sexual reproduction
shares mutations with offspring and creates new allele combinations.
randomly creates new genotypes which may be less well (or perhaps better) adapted
costly in time and energy
risky - an adult has to develop from a fertilized egg
Red Queen Hypothesis
You have to evolve as fast as you can to stay in the same place
Artificial selection
directed by humans
Loss of genetic variation
genetic drift, Inbreeding, small pop./endangered species
Speciation
new species are often produced when populations are isolated for long periods of time
What level does evolution occur?
Population level
Facts
observations about the world around us
Hypothesis
a proposed explanation for a phenomenon made as a starting point for further investigation
Theory
a well-substantiated explanation acquired through the scientific method and repeatedly tested and confirmed through observation and experimentation
Law
a statement based on repeated experimental observations that describe some phenomenon of nature
Populations
Group of interacting individuals of same species living in a given area at a given time
Polyandry
one female to several males
Polygyny
One male to several females
Monogamy
seasonal or lifetime, one partner
Promiscuity
indiscriminate mating
Population abundance
number of individuals of a species that occupy a particular area
Density
Number/area
what contributes to population abundance?
births and deaths
Birth or natality rate
number of births per number of individuals in a population over a specified period of time
Mortality or death rate
number/proportion of population dying over a specified time period
Fecundity
number of eggs produced per female (physical ability)
Fertility
percent of eggs that are fertile (potential)
Production
Actual number of surviving offspring produced by a population
Recruitment
number of new individuals reaching breeding age in population
Fitness
Relative ability of an individual or population to survive, reproduce, and pass on genetic material in an environment
dispersal
movement of individuals from one location to another
immigration rate
number of individuals entering population
emigration rate
number of animals leaving population
Biotic potential
maximum rate at which populations can grow when no resources are limiting
r-selected life history
adaptations for rapid population growth
reproduce rapidly, high mortality, rapid turnover, good dispersal, little effort in young, many offspring
carrying capacity (k)
maximum number of individual in a population that the habitat can sustain
depends on habitat, cover, food, etc
K-selected life history
competition for resources is intense, good competition
low reproductive rates, few offspring, more effort into young
adapted for more stable habitat
maximum sustained yield
populations maintained at 1/2 k will result in the maximum number of animals that can be harvested each year
Tragedy of the Commons
Human overuse destroys a shared limited resource
Density-dependent factors
factors that cause higher mortality rate as population becomes more dense
Density-independent factors
factors that operate independently of population density (weather, accidents)
Population
all individuals of a species in given area that interact with eachother
community
assemblage of populations of species that interact with eachother in same environment
ecosystem
communities interacting with non-living matter/energy in environment
species
groups of populations that actually or potentially interbreed with each other and produce viable offspring
Reproductively isolated from other groups
genetic barrier, behavioral barrier, physical barrier
Order of Classifications
Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family Genus species
habitat
A place or area where a population or an animal lives
Provides welfare factors or life-sustaining habitat components
Habitat components (welfare factors)
food, food specificity, water, cover, space, oxygen, special needs
Niche
Species’ place and function within the environment. Habitat and actions
Fundamental niche
all physical, chemical, and biological factors that a species is adapted to for life, growth, and reproduction and could potentially occupy.
Realized niche
Portion of fundamental niche actually occupied by a species
may be restricted by competitive interactions with other species
Principle of Competitive Exclusion
two species cannot have the exact same niche
Limiting factor principle/law of the minimum
organism’s growth is limited by the factor in the shortest supply
The Principle of tolerance limits
Tolerances vary with individuals within a species or with development/season
Coevolution
Species that interact over long time period influence each other’s traits via natural selection
Predator ambush
Ambush, stalking, cooperative hunting
Prey defense
speed and agility, armor, weaponry
Symbiotic relationships
close relationship, often highly dependent
Parasitism
slow form of predation
Mutualism
both species benefit
Commensalism
“I help you, you do nothing for me”
Competition
They both decline until one shifts niches or dies off
second law of thermodynamics
as food is passed from one organism to another, the potential energy contained in the food supply is reduced step by step until all the E in the system becomes dissipated as heat
Food chains
pathways over which energy flows through an ecosystem
Trophic levels
feeding levels within a food chain
food webs
natural systems have more than one route through which energy flows.
Biosphere
sum of all ecosystems on Earth.