Bio 182 Exam 3

Ecosystem

The organisms in a community and their physical environment

Energy & Biomass Flow

Calories of energy decrease as you go up the food chain

Ecological Stoichiometry

Considers how the balance of energy and elements affects and is affected by organisms and their interactions in ecosystems

Norman Borlaug

Originator of the green revolution

Ecosystem Services

Benefits we receive from nature when it is properly protected and cared for.

Karl von Frisch

Honey bee dances

Tinbergen Q1: How?

Causation: What physiological mechanisms cause the behavior?

Tinbergen Q2: How?

Development: How did the behavior develop?

Tinbergen Q3: Why?

Adaptive Function: How does the behavior promote the individual’s ability to survive and reproduce?

Tinbergen Q4: Why?

Evolutionary History: How did the behavior evolve over time?

Innate Behaviors

Instinctive and carried out regardless of earlier experience

Learned Behaviors

May depend on the individual’s experience

Fixed Action Patterns

A sequence of behaviors that, once triggered, is followed through to completion. Example: Geese and egg rolling.

Supernormal Stimulus

Occurs when an animal has an exaggerated response to an object that triggers the fixed action pattern

Non-associative learning

Learning that occurs in the absence of any particular outcome like reward or punishment

Senseitization

A form of non-associative learning. The enhancement of a response to a stimulus that is achieved by presenting a strong or novel stimulus first.

Associative learning (conditioning)

Occurs when an animal learns to link two events (Pavlov’s dogs)

Operant conditioning

Involves a novel, undirected behavior that becomes more or less likely over time.

Inclusive Fitness Theory

Seeks to understand social behavior through the lens of relatedness

Group Selection (Multilevel selection)

Seeks to understand social behavior through the lens of competition between groups

Relative Fitness Calculation

Divide each genotype’s survival/reproductive rate by the highest survival/reproductive rate among the three genotypes

The Cinderella Effect

Evidence for greater rates of abuse and neglect of step-children than biological children (inclusive fitness theory)

Biodiversity Hotspots

Relatively small areas with unusually high numbers of endemic species. Under threat from human activities.

Functional biodiversity

The component of biodiversity concerning the range of things organisms do in communities and ecosystems

Genetic biodiversity

The amount of genetic variation within populations

Species Diversity

Most commonly though of. The number of different species in an area.

Ecosystem diversity

The number of different ecosystems our world or an area has.

GMO (Genetically Modified Organism)

Scientists insert genes from other plants into crops to obtain desired effects

Chasing the red queen

As the physical or biological environment changes, continued adaptation is needed to maintain fitness. Applicable in GMOs, gains may only be temporary.