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Innate behaviour

An action or response that an organism performs automatically without needing to learn it. It is often genetic, like a pre-programmed instinct.

Learned behaviour

An action or response that an organism develops through experience and interaction with its environment. This behaviour can be modified over time.

Ecological niche

This describes all the resources an organism uses (food, water) and all of the roles it plays (eg: predator, prey, parasite), including its interactions with other species, its own species and its environment.

Stimulus

An environmental cue that organisms respond to.

Taxis

Directional movement response of an animal, towards or away from a stimulus.

Kinesis

Non-directional movement response where an organism doesn't move towards or away from the stimulus, but its overall activity changes proportionally to the intensity of the stimuli.This increases its chances of finding favourable conditions or leaving unfavourable ones.

Klinokinesis

A type of non-directional kinesis response where an organism changes its rate of turning proportionally to the intensity of the stimuli. In unfavourable conditions the organism will turn more frequently to increase its chances of finding favourable conditions.

Orthokinesis

A type of non-directional kinesis response where an organism changes its speed proportionally to the intensity of the stimuli. In unfavourable conditions the organism will move faster to increase its chances of finding favourable conditions.

Chemical navigation

The use of chemical cues (such as pheromones, scents or chemical gradients) to navigate unfamiliar environments.

Solar navigation

The use of the sun's position in the sky as a compass to determine direction when navigating. Animals use their biological clock to compensate for the sun's movement across the sky throughout the day.

Stellar navigation

The use of stars in the night as a compass to determine direction when navigation. Animals use their biological clock to compensate for the stars movement throughout the night.

Landmark navigation

The use of environmental features such as trees, mountain ranges, coastlines as visual cues to navigate.

Magnetic field navigation

The ability of an organism to sense and use the Earth's magnetic field as a compass to orientate themselves. These organisms often have specialised cells containing magnetic particles to help them detect magnetic fields.

Migration

A regular, mass movement of a population of animals from one geographic location to another, typically driven by seasonal changes to resources or breeding needs and usually involves a return trip.

Plumule

The first shoot/stem that appears from a germinating seed.

Radicle

The first root that appears from a germinating seed.

Tropism

A directional growth response of a plant towards or away from a stimuli.

Auxin

A plant hormone that promotes and inhibits cell elongation the the stem and roots of plants. It plays a key role in tropic responses of plants.

Meristem

Region of the plant where there is a high level of mitosis - when the hormone auxin is produced.

Nastic response

A non-directional movement response in plants that is rapid and reversible. The movement is caused by changes in turgor pressure.

Pulvini cells

Motor cells in plants that can quickly change their turgor pressure creating nastic movements.

Turgor pressure

The force exerted by the water inside a cell against the cell wall of a plant cell.

Turgid

When a plant cell is swollen and full of water.

Flaccid

When a plant cell has lost water reducing turgor pressure.

Thigmonasty

A non-directional movement response in plants to touch stimuli.

Photonasty

A non-directional movement response in plants to light intensity.

Nyctinasty

A non-directional movement response in plants to darkness. Often referred to as 'sleep movements' that are regulated by an internal biological clock.

Suprachiasmatic nucleus

The SCN is a cluster of cells in the hypothalamus of the brain that act as the internal biological clock controlling most circadian (daily) rhythms in animals.

Biological clock

An internal, genetically programmed system within an organism that regulates the timing of behaviours.

Diurnal

An activity pattern where animals are active during the daytime.

Nocturnal

An activity pattern where animals are active during the night-time.

Crepuscular

An activity pattern where animals are active at dawn and dusk. Often to avoid extremes of midday heat, night time cold or predators.

Circatidal

A biological rhythm that has a period of 12.4 hour cycles of tides.

Circadian

A biological rhythm that has a period of 24 hours.

Circalunar

A biological rhythm that has a period of 29.5 days, synchronised with the moon's phases.

Cricaannual

A biological rhythm that has a period of 365 days.

Exogenous Rhythm

A biological rhythm that is solely driven by an external cue from the environment. When the external cue is removed, the rhythm stops.

Endogenous Rhythm

A biological rhythm that is generated internally by the organism's biological clock and is entrained by external cues. In the absence of external cues, the rhythm will continue with its own 'free running period'.

Free-running period

The natural length of an endogenous rhythm when the zeitgeber is removed and an organism is kept under constant environmental conditions.

Phase shift

The change in the timing of a biological rhythm in response to a new environmental cue.

Zeitgeber

The external environmental cue that synchronises or resets and organisms biological clock.

Entrainment / entrain

The process of an organism's biological clock being synchronised with the environment via an environmental cue.

Photoperiodism

Regulation of responses and behaviours using length of day

Phytochrome

A light sensitive plant pigment involved in measuring the photoperiod and controlling the flowering mechanism in plants. It exists in two forms, Pr and Pfr.

Pr (phytochrome red)

The 'inactive form' of phytochrome pigment. This form absorbs red light and is quickly converted during the day into Pfr, the active form.

Pfr (phytochrome far red)

The 'active form' of phytochrome pigment. This form absorbs far light and is slowly converted during the night into Pr, the inactive form.

Photoperiod

The length of daylight in a 24 hour cycle.

Critical day length

The specific length of daylight required to trigger flowering in plants.

Noctoperiod

The length of uninterrupted darkness in a 24 hour cycle.

Critical night length

The specific length of darkness required to trigger flowering in plants.

Long day plant

A plant that requires a photoperiod longer than the critical day length (or a noctoperiod shorter than the critical night length to trigger flowering).

Short day plant

A plant that requires a photoperiod shorter than the critical day length (or a noctoperiod longer than the critical night length to trigger flowering).

Day neutral plant

A plant whose flowering is not determined via day or night length but other environmental cues.

Interspecific relationship

An interaction between individuals of different species within an ecosystem.

Commensalism

An interspecific relationship where an individual of one species benefits and an individual of a different species is neutrally affected (+/o)

Mutualism

An interspecific relationship where individuals of different species interact in a way that is beneficial to both (+/+).

Interspecific competition

An interspecific relationship where individuals of different species spend energy competing for the same limited resources within an ecosystem. Both species are negatively affected ( - / - ).

Herbivory

An interaction where a herbivore feeds on plant matter. The herbivore benefits by gaining energy and nutrients, while the plant is harmed (+/-).

Predation

An interaction where a predator eats a prey. The predator benefits by gaining energy and nutrients, while the prey is killed (+/-).

Parasitism

An interaction where a parasite lives and feeds on/in a host. The parasite benefits by gaining nutrients and the host is harmed, but usually not killed (+/-).

Brood parasitism

A specific type of parasitism where a brood parasite lays its eggs in the nest of a host species. The host raises the parasite's offspring, often at the expense of its own young.

Antibiosis

Contest competition where one organism produces substances that are harmful to individuals of another species. This inhibits the growth, reproduction and survival of the second species.

Allelopathy

A specific form of antibiosis where plants produces chemicals that inhibit the growth, reproduction and survival of other species.

Intraspecific competition

Competition between members of the same species. This form of competition is much more intense as individuals of the same species have very similar ecological niches.

Natural selection

The process by which individuals in a population who possess alleles better suited to the environment tend to survive and reproduce more successfully that those with less favourable traits. Over time these advantageous alleles become more common in the population.

Aggressive behaviour

Any behaviour that involves a threat or attack towards another individual with the intent to cause harm or gain dominance.

Agonistic behaviour

All behaviours related to conflict or confrontation between members of the same species including aggression, threats, rituals, displays and submissive behaviours. The goal is to establish dominance without serious injury.

Submissive behaviour

Any behaviour by which an individual communicates non-threatening intent or acceptance of lower status to a more dominant individual to avoid conflict.

Sexual dimorphism

The distinct differences in appearance and size between males and females of the same species.

Linear hierarchy

A form of social organisation within a group where individuals are ranked from most (alpha) to least (beta) dominant. Each individual dominates those below it and is submissive to those another it.

Alpha individual

Highest ranking individual within a hierarchy.

Territory

A defined area that an individual or group actively marks and defends against others. This often holds valuable resources such as a nest, food or mates.

Home range

A larger area that an individual or group uses for foraging, hunting and raising young. It is not actively defended and can overlap with others.

Lek

A display group where males of a certain species gather to perform courtship displays to attract females. Females visit to choose males with the most impressive displays to mate with.

R-strategist

Species that produce a high number of offspring with little to no parental care.

K-strategist

Species that produce a low number of offspring with high levels of parental

Parental care

Any behaviour provided by a parent that increases the survival and reproductive success of their offspring.

Monogamy

A mating system where one male and one female form an exclusive pair bond for at least one breeding season, and often for life. Both parents often participate in parental care.

Polygyny

A mating system where one male mates with multiple females during a breeding season. The male typically provides no parental care, while females raise the offspring.

Polyandry

A mating system where one female mates with multiple males during a breeding season. The female typically lays multiple clutches of eggs and the males are often responsible for incubation and parental care.

Courtship

Behavioural rituals or displays performed by animals to attract and secure a mate.