Exam 2 Flashcards
(206 cards)
- describes how environmental conditions change over time
- some is predictable, such as the changing conditions that occur during the day versus during the night or the changes in seasonal conditions that are typical for a given climate
temporal environmental variation
occurs from place to place due to large-scale variation in climate, topography, and soil type
spatial environmental variation
- the position of each individual is independent of the position of other individuals in the population
- not common in nature
random dispersion
why are random dispersions not common in nature
abiotic conditions, resources, and interactions with other species are not randomly distributed
- a type of dispersion in which each individual maintains a uniform distance between itself and its neighbors
- arises from direct interactions between neighbors
evenly spaced dispersion
- individuals are aggregate in discrete groups
- a result of social groups, clustered resources, or offspring that remain close to their parents
clustered dispersion
describes the spacing of individuals with respect to one another within the geographic range of a population; can be clustered, evenly spaced, or random
dispersion
true or false:
A population can exhibit one pattern of dispersion at a large scale but a different pattern of dispersion at a smaller scale
true
the total number of individuals that exist within a defined area
abundance
why is the total abundance of a population important
it provides a measure of whether a population is thriving or on the brink of extinction
- the number of individuals in a unit of area or volume
- a valuable measure because it tells ecologists how many individuals are packed into a particular area
density
what happens if a habitat can support a higher density than currently exists
the population can continue to grow in the area
what happens if the population density is greater than what the habitat can support
either some individuals will have to leave the area or the population will experience lower growth and survival
where is the highest concentration of individuals located across a large geographic area
the center of a population’s geographic range
what happens as one moves closer to the periphery of the geographic range
biotic and abiotic conditions become less ideal and support fewer individuals
- a measure of the total area covered by a population
- includes all the areas its members occupy during their life
- an important measure because it tells us the size of the area a population occupies
geographic range
why don’t individuals of a species or population often don’t occupy every location within their geographic range
climate, topography, soils, vegetation structure, and other factors influence the abundance of individuals
which type of temperatures are more hospitable to a greater variety of species
warmer
the more suitable the habitat,
the larger a population can grow within that habitat
The process of determining the suitable habitat conditions for a species
ecological niche modeling
The range of ecological conditions that are predicted to be suitable for a species
the ecological envelope of the species
The habitat in which an organism lives is determined by the organism’s
niche
includes the range of abiotic and biotic conditions it can tolerate
niche
- elaborate male secondary sexual characteristics act as handicaps
- argues that the greater the handicap and individual carries in terms of a more extreme trait, the greater its ability to offset that handicap with the other superior qualities
handicap principle