Introduction to ecology

Question 1

what is the hierarchial organisation of ecology?

Answer 1

• Individuals
• Populations
• Communities
• Ecosystems
• Biosphere

Question 2

what are the three different types of adaptations?

Answer 2

• morphological
• physiological
• behavioural

Question 3

how can adaptations be influenced?

Answer 3

by the environment

Question 4

population

Answer 4

individual of one species living in a particular area

Question 5

species

Answer 5

group of organisms that naturally interbreed and produce fertile offspring

Question 6

community

Answer 6

populations of species living together

Question 7

ecosystem

Answer 7

one or more communities interacting with their abiotic environment (non-living chemical and physical environment)

Question 8

biosphere

Answer 8

all ecosystems on earth

Question 9

what is the first governing principle of ecology?

Answer 9

matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can only change form

Question 10

what is the second governing principle of ecology?

Answer 10

ecological systems can be in a dynamic steady state when gains and losses of mass and energy are in balance

Question 11

what is the third governing principle of ecology?

Answer 11

evolution is key to understanding diversity of life and how organisms interact with each other and their abiotic environment

Question 12

what three things does evolution require to take place?

Answer 12

• individual organisms to vary in their phenotype
• phenotypic traits to be heritable
• trait variation associated to variation in fitness; some traits are better than others

Question 13

predation

Answer 13

organisms that kill and consume individual animals

Question 14

parasitoidism

Answer 14

special types of predators that feed on the host from the inside

Question 15

herbivory

Answer 15

organisms that consumes producers (whole or parts of)

Question 16

parasitism

Answer 16

organisms that live in or on another organism causing damage

Question 17

scavenger, detritivore, decomposer

Answer 17

organisms that consume dead organic matter

Question 18

commensalism

Answer 18

organisms that live in or on another organism without causing damage or providing benefit

Question 19

mutualism

Answer 19

organisms that interact with each other providing benefits

Question 20

neutralism

Answer 20

organisms that coexist but do not affect each other (no benefit and no damage)

Question 21

amensalism

Answer 21

organisms that interact damaging another without damage or benefit

Question 22

competition

Answer 22

negative impact on both species

Question 23

deductive approach

Answer 23

propose a hypothesis a priori and test it with data

Question 24

inductive approach

Answer 24

use data to develop a hypothesis

Question 25

what are the four steps of the scientific method?

Answer 25

1. observations lead to question 2. previous knowledge can help suggest a hypothesis 3. hypothesis leads to a prediction: expected outcome of experiment or observations if hypothesis is true 4. design an experiment to test predictions

Question 26

what are the different types of experiments?

Answer 26

- observational or natural experiment - manipulative experiment - computational or mathematical "experiment"

Question 27

what are the three key concepts of experiments?

Answer 27

- control: manipulation or observation that keeps factor of interest unmanipulated - treatments: set up experiments or observation groups that vary in the factor of interest - replicates: number of independent samples where all factors of interests are kept constant