L12 Autecology

Question 1

What is autecology

Answer 1

The study of an individual organism or species in relation to its environment

Question 2

What kind of measurements are taken in autecology

Answer 2

Easily measured variables - light, humidity, available nutrients

Question 3

What is the aim of autecology

Answer 3

To understand the needs, life history and behaviour of the organism or species

Question 4

What did early autecology focus on

Answer 4

Plant adaptations to extreme environments

Question 5

How did technical advances help autecology

Answer 5

Permitted physiological experiments under controlled laboratory conditions
Technical analysis of various parameters in the fiels (gas flux, O2 production, light)

Question 6

How can autecology be used in climate change modelling

Answer 6

Predict nre minimum temperatures, precipitation regimes, and season length
Predict changes in vegetaion patterns - loss of forest, more deserts
Predict what will happen under different scenarios

Question 7

What is the flora of a region

Answer 7

All wild plant species
A catalogue of plants

Question 8

How many plant species (angiosperms, charophytes and ferns) are in the Plant Atlas 2020

Answer 8

1692

Question 9

How many non-native plant species are there

Answer 9

1753

Question 10

Roughly how many bryophytes are there (UK Plant atlas 2020)

Answer 10

1000

Question 11

Give two species of buttercup which could be seperated using the prescence or absence of morphological features

Answer 11

Meadow buttercup (Ranunculus acris) and creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens)

Question 12

How does a dichotomous key work

Answer 12

Prescence or abscence of distinctive morphological and physiological properties

Question 13

Who published one of the first autecological books pn British flora, what was the issue with it

Answer 13

Tansley (1911)
Could not be used in the field

Question 14

Give the leading quote in autecology and who and when it was said

Answer 14

‘Our main concern as plant ecologists is to know why a plant of this species not that, is growing in a given spot’ Clapham (1956)

Question 15

When was Flora of the British Isles publiched and by who

Answer 15

Clapham et al (1952)

Question 16

What was included in the Flora of the British Isles book

Answer 16

Accurate identification of all British plants plus commonly grown garden plants and well established aliens
Invaluable info concerning ecology, geographical distribution, evolutionary history, agricultural significance

Question 17

What change in the study of British flora was seen between 1970 and 1990

Answer 17

research efforts were more detailed and specialsied

Question 18

What kind of communities are demographical studies useful for and why

Answer 18

r-selected
Understanding how an adult tree was affected as a sapling is hard if it happened 10s of years ago

Question 19

What about British flora can be found in the journal of ecology

Answer 19

Series of autecological accounts
Over 300 species accounts
Covers both common and endangered species

Question 20

What information can be found in the ecological flora of the British Isles (Uni of York and Kew Gardens)

Answer 20

Data on 3842 higher plants species based on 130 eological and morphological characteristics
Mycorrhizal associations and fungi
Phytophagous insects

Question 21

Where are changes in distribution and abundance of plant species most pronounced

Answer 21

Lowlands

Question 22

What has been the overall trend in:
Number and size of populations
Species richness

Answer 22

Both decrease

Question 23

Total number of plant species recorded in the Plant Atlas 2020

Answer 23

3445

Question 24

What proportion of native plants have declined in distribution since the 1950s

Answer 24

> 50%

Question 25

What effect has agricultural intensification had (Plant Atlas 2020)

Answer 25

Significant declined in native species Loss and degradation of habitats Increased grazing

Question 26

What has caused nitrogen enrichment of soils What effect has this had (Plant Atlas 2020)

Answer 26

Over-fertilisation and atmospheric pollution Favours non-native species (from warmer climates) which outcompete natives

Question 27

What effect has climate change had on the distribution of natove and non-native plants (Plant Atlas 2020)

Answer 27

Declines in some native plants Provided species originating from warmer countries more favourable conditions

Question 28

Give an example of a plant that has been affected by draining of damp meadows

Answer 28

Devils-bit scabious

Question 29

What proportion of ancient arable wildflowers have experienced declines in distrubution

Answer 29

62%

Question 30

Give examples of native mountain plants which have declined due to climate change

Answer 30

Alpine lady fern Alpine speedwell Snow pearlwort

Question 31

Give an example of a Southern species which has benefitted from climate change and how it has benefitted

Answer 31

Bee orchid Now able to spread firther North

Question 32

What can functional classification be useful for (and monitor)

Answer 32

Preserving rare populations Predicting response to change in environment Climate change Soil conditions Competiton Human exploitation

Question 33

Who recognised functional classification

Answer 33

Ramenskii (1938)

Question 34

How many plant stratergies are there What determines them

Answer 34

3 Environmental influecnes like stress and disturbance

Question 35

Who determined the 3 plamt stratergies

Answer 35

Grime 1977

Question 36

What are the 3 plant stratergies When do they occur Give an example of each

Answer 36

Low stress and low disturbance = compeitors e.g. Oak Low disturbance and high stress = stress-tolerators e.g. Cactus High disturbance and low stress = ruderals e.g. Dandelion

Question 37

What impacts does stress have

Answer 37

Restricts photosynthettic production Shortages of light, water, mineral nutrients, sub-opyimal temperatures

Question 38

What is disturbance and what causes it

Answer 38

Destruction of plant biomass Herbivores, pathogens, humans, wind, frist, drought, soil erosion, fire

Question 39

What is the CSR model What does it propose Where oes it come from

Answer 39

Proposes that vegetation develops in an equillibrium between Intesnitues of stress (product constraints) S Disturbance (physical damage) R Competitoin (from neighbours for a scarse resource) C Grime (1977)

Question 40

Give some examples of intensities of stress (product constraints)

Answer 40

Drought Not enough light

Question 41

Give 2 examples of disturvance / physical damage

Answer 41

Herbivory Humans

Question 42

What kind of plants grow when there is loww stress and low disturbance

Answer 42

Large, fast growing High competitive avaulability to become dominant

Question 43

What is Allium ursinum Where does it fall on the CRS model

Answer 43

Wild garlic, between R and S Bottom middle Little bit of disturbance is okay, can deal with stress well (low loght)