Ecology and Conservation Biology Review

Flashcards covering population dynamics, species interactions, community ecology, ecosystem energy flow, and conservation biology based on Chapters 53 through 57.

Metapopulation

A group of distinct local populations of a single species.

Dispersion Patterns

The spatial arrangement of individuals within a population, categorized as clumped, regular, or random.

Estimated Population Size ($N$)

Calculated using the formula $N = \frac{n_1 \times n_2}{n_{12}}$, where $n_1$ and $n_2$ are sample sizes and $n_{12}$ is the number of marked individuals recaptured.

Exponential Population Growth

Growth that adds a multiple of the population size over time, resulting in a J-shaped curve, represented by the equation $\frac{dN}{dt} = rN$.

Carrying Capacity ($K$)

The maximum population size that an environment can support, acting as a limit in logistic growth models.

Logistic Growth Equation

$\frac{dN}{dt} = rN \frac{(K - N)}{K}$.

Type I Survivorship Curve

A pattern where most individuals survive to old age, characteristic of species like the Dall mountain sheep.

Type II Survivorship Curve

A pattern where individuals face a constant risk of mortality at all ages, observed in species like song thrushes.

Type III Survivorship Curve

A pattern where most individuals die young, common in species like the barnacle Balanus glandula.

r-strategists

Species that tolerate unpredictable conditions, have short life spans, and produce large numbers of offspring in a period of exponential growth.

K-strategists

Species that thrive in predictable environments, compete for high-quality resources, and have population growth that stabilizes near carrying capacity.

Trophic Level

A position in a food web or community representing how an organism obtains energy, such as primary producers, primary consumers, or secondary consumers.

Antagonistic Interactions

Interactions where at least one species is harmed, including predation ($+/-$), herbivory ($+/-$), and parasitism ($+/-$).

Mutualism

A positive interaction where both species benefit ($+/+$).

Amensalism

An interaction where one species is harmed while the other is unaffected ($0/-$).

Batesian Mimicry

An adaptation where a harmless species closely resembles a venomous or toxic species to avoid predation.

Müllerian Mimicry

An adaptation where two or more toxic species evolve to look like each other, reinforcing the avoidance behavior in predators.

Shannon Index ($H$)

A mathematical formula used to calculate species diversity: H = -\text{\textSigma} p_i \text{ln}(p_i), where $p_i$ is the proportion of individuals in each species.

Trophic Cascade

An indirect interaction where the consumption at higher trophic levels, such as predators, determines the net primary production or community structure at lower levels.

Keystone Species

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its community relative to its small size and abundance, such as the sea otter.

Foundation Species

A species that has a large effect on its community due to its large size and high abundance, such as trees in a forest.

Ecosystem Engineer

An organism that significantly alters its physical environment, such as beavers creating wetlands.

Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis

The idea that species diversity is highest at intermediate levels of disturbance, which balances competition and mortality.

Net Primary Production (NPP)

The energy captured by primary producers through photosynthesis minus the energy they lose through respiration.

Consumption Efficiency

The proportion of available biomass that is ingested by consumers.

Assimilation Efficiency

The proportion of ingested biomass that consumers assimilate through digestion.

Production Efficiency

The proportion of assimilated biomass used to produce new consumer biomass.

Extinction Vortex

A process where small population size leads to inbreeding and genetic drift, resulting in lower reproduction and higher mortality, further decreasing population size.

Edge Effects

The environmental and biological changes that occur at the boundary between two habitats, often resulting in increased nestling loss or reduced fledging success.

Habitat Corridors

Physical connections, such as bridges or strips of vegetation, that link isolated habitat patches to allow for species movement.