Exam 3 Ecology Review: Wolves, Competition, and Life History Traits

A collection of fill-in-the-blank review cards covering Yellowstone trophic cascades, competition types, flour moth communication, C/S/R theory, photosynthetic trade-offs, and resource allocation.

The movement of energy-containing chemicals from one organism to another is known as __________.

energy flow

A change in the size of one population that produces an effect on populations at other trophic levels is called a __________.

trophic cascade

Effects of one species on other species mediated through shared interactions with a third species or group of species are referred to as __________.

indirect effects

The reintroduction of wolves led to an increase in woody species because elk altered their behavior and stopped feeding in __________ areas.

high risk

According to the ecological efficiency rule mentioned in the notes, only about __________ of biomass at one trophic level is converted to the next trophic level.

$$10\%$$

While richness is simply the number of species, the __________ index accounts for both the number of species and their evenness.

Shannon weiner

The impact of one species on the biomass or abundance of another species, usually defined as a consumer-resource relationship, is termed __________.

Interaction strengths

Predators primarily choose to feed in hunting hotspots that maximize energy intake with the least amount of effort based on __________.

Optimal foraging theory

The maximum number of trophic levels that an ecosystem can support is primarily determined by __________.

energy availability

The principle stating that two species competing for the exact same resources cannot coexist indefinitely is called __________.

competitive exclusion

Competition occurring between individuals of different species fighting for limited resources is known as __________ competition.

interspecific

Sarah Corbet conducted experiments showing that Mediterranean flour moths detect population density using __________.

chemical cues

Adult female Mediterranean flour moths communicate using pheromones, whereas larvae use different __________ to detect their environment.

chemical cues

Along environmental gradients, habitats subjected to high disturbance are characterized by __________ organic mass and low nutrients.

low

Relative Increase per Plant (RIP) is calculated by dividing growth in interspecific competition by growth in __________ competition.

intraspecific

A plant species demonstrating an $\text{RIP} > 1$ is considered a __________ competitor in interspecific interactions.

strong

When reading Table 27.1, rows describe a species' ability to do well in interspecific competition, while columns describe __________.

the effect of that species on its neighbors

Pipewort persists in the community despite competitive exclusion because it thrives in __________ disturbance, nutrient-poor conditions.

high

In C/S/R Theory, plants that invest their energy primarily into rapid reproduction and producing many seeds are categorized as __________.

Ruderals

The point at which an organism's respiration rate exactly equals its photosynthetic rate is called the __________.

light compensation point (LCP)

Percentage induction is calculated as photosynthesis at $1\,\text{minute}$ divided by __________.

Amax

Light use efficiency (LUE) is defined as $CO_2$ fixed Flash divided by __________.

$CO_2$ fixed in some time at Amax

A reproductive strategy characterized by 'Big Bang reproduction' is referred to as __________.

Semal Parous

The concept that natural selection causes organisms to optimize the partitioning of resources to maximize fitness is the __________.

Principles of allocation

Unlike K-selected organisms, r-selected species prioritize growth rate, early maturation, and producing __________ offspring.

many small

In populations subject to high predation, organisms tend to mature earlier, reproduce faster, and produce __________ offspring.

more

The ability of an organism to adjust its traits or resource allocation in response to changing environmental conditions is known as __________.

Phenotypic plasticity