Tropical Ecology exam 3

Specificity

a method employed by plants to narrow in on specific pollinators Improves reproductive success by adapting floral traits to attract particular species of pollinators.

Herbivory

eating plant material,

Influences plant community dynamics and health.

Co-evolution

Evolution of species that interact with each other, often evolving in response to each other

Mutualism

symbiotic relationship where both species benefit from interacting

Pollination syndrome

combination of floral traits that select for specific types of pollinators

ex) bat pollinated flowers are often fragrant, pale, and large

Reward

something the plant makes in order to entice a pollinator or a disperser to come to the plant

ex) nectar, fruit

Convergent evolution

independent evolution of similar traits in species of different lineages

Plant defense

plants mechanism of surviving

ex)

thorns

mutualistic relationship like with ants

toxins

Genetic marker (paternity analysis)

Unique marker in DNA that can show lineage

Environmental heterogeneity

Differences in environmental conditions within an ecosystem

Allows for niches and biodiversity

Density dependent mortality

Multitude of ways seedlings die when close together near parent

Ex)

spread of pathogens

competition

predation

disaster

Dispersal kernel

Math model to describe probability of dispersal

Escape hypothesis

Hypothesizes that seedlings dispersed farther away from parent do better by avoiding density dependent mortality

Over-dispersal

Dispersing seeds far from the parent

Intermediate dispersal

Dispersing seeds an intermediate distance away from the parent, seems to work best

Directed dispersal

Dispersal aimed at a specific area

Often driven by the disperser going to favorable sites

Ex)
Certain birds liking to perch in canopy gaps and defecting seeds in it

Colonization hypothesis

Hypothesizes that dispersal to specific microhabitats is goal rather than getting away from parent

Manipulating animal behavior

One way of getting seeds dispersed

Ex)

Producing large, nutritious seeds that encourage hoarding, which the animal often forget about

Ripening

When fruits ripen they are ready to be dispersed.

Green is usually not ripe, blending in with leaves and still photosynthesizing, also not usually fragrant

Brand loyalty

Plants can create brand loyalty by being highly specialized for specific pollinators

Keel petal

feature of flowers in legume family, facilitates pollination by birds

Pseudo copulation

flowers will mimic the look of a female pollinator in order to attract a male pollinator to mate with it and getting pollen on itself

Pollinea

sac of pollen

Exocarp

protective skin around fruit (apple skin)

Endocarp

Surrounds and protects seeds

Can be hard, like in peaches or fleshly like in some berries

Mashers

crush fruit and discard seed before eating

Gulpers

Swallow whole fruit and seed

Retention time

how long the seed stays in the animal

Cyanogenesis

release of hydrogen cyanide from damaged plant tissue as a defense mechanism against herbivores