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niche
range of abiotic or biotic conditions an organism can tolerate
spatial structure
pattern of density and spacing of individuals in a population
abundance
total number of individuals in a population that exist in a defined area (help us know if a population is thriving or near extinction)
density
the number of individuals in an area; high density in places where the population is most suitable; negatively correlated to the body size of a species
dispersal
the movement of individuals from one area to another
dispersal limitation
the absence of a population from a suitable habitat due to barriers
habitat corridor
strip of favorable habitat located between two large patches of habitat that facilitate dispersal
density independent
factors that limit population size regardless of the population’s density (natural disasters)
density dependence
factors that affect a population size in relation to the population’s density (disease, predation)
negative density dependence
when the rate of population growth decreases as population density increases (caused by limiting resources)
positive density dependence
when the rate of a population growth increases as population density decreases
phenotypic trade-off
a situation in which a given phenotype experiences high fitness in one environment, whereas other phenotypes experience higher fitness in other environments
phenotypic plasticity
solution to phenotypic trade off; the ability of a single genotype to produce multiple phenotypes; allows organisms to achieve homeostasis; natural selection favors this
torpor
brief period of dormancy
central place foraging
foraging behavior in which acquired food is brought to a central place (nest with young birds)
polygenic
when a single trait is affected by several genes; enables phenotypes to span a range of values in a population (human body weight)
pleiotropy
when a single gene affects multiple traits
founder effect
when a small number of individuals leave a large population to colonize a new area
bottleneck effect
when a large number of individuals in a population are drastically reduced due to an event, leading to a loss of genetic diversity.
allopatric speciation
the evolution of a new species through the process of geographic isolation; occurs when a single population is separated by a geographic event
sympatric speciation
the evolution of new species without geographic isolation
polyploid
3 or more sets of chromosomes; gives rise to sympatric speciation
promiscuity
when males mate with multiple females and females mate with multiple males (no lasting bonds)
polygamy
a single individual of one sex forms long-term social bonds with more than one individual
polygyny
a polygamous (more than one mate at the same time) mating system in which a male mates with more than one female
polyandry
a polygamous (more than one mate at the same time) mating system in which a female mates with more than one male
factors that influence the probability of host infection
Mechanism of transmission
Mode of entering the host
Ability of parasite to jump between species
Existence of reservoir species
Counterattacks to hosts immune system
predator / prey
short, casual duration and high probability of death
plant / herbivore
short, casual duration and low probability of death
parasitoid / host
long, close duration and high probability of death
parasite / host
long, close duration and low probability of death
limiting resource
a resource whose available quantity cannot meet a population’s requirement for it ; controls how high the population can grow
aposematism
warning coloration
batesian mimicry
when tasty species evolve warning coloration that resembles non-tasty species
mullerian mimicry
when many non-tasty species evolve a similar warning coloration
endomycorrhizal fungi
fungi characterized by hyphal threads that extend far out into the soil and penetrate root cells between the cell wall and cell membrane
ectomycorrhizal fungi
fungi characterized by hyphae that surround plant roots and enter between root cells but do not enter the cells
community stability
ability of a community to maintain a particular structure
community resistance
amount a community changes when acted upon by a disturbanc
community resilience
the time it takes after a disturbance for a community to return to its original state
bottom - up control
if there are lots of plants in a forest (lots of food), the deer population (herbivores) will grow. more deer means more wolves (predators) can survive, as they have more prey; population of higher-level consumers (like herbivores and predators) is controlled by the availability of resources; More plants = More herbivores = More predators
top-down control
if wolves (predators) are removed from an ecosystem, the deer population may grow rapidly. more deer means the plants may be overgrazed and start to decrease; population of lower-level organisms (like herbivores or plants) is controlled by the presence and number of predators; More predators = Fewer herbivores = More plants
exploitative competition
competition where individuals consume and drive down the abundance of a resource so no other individuals can persist (indirect)
interference competition
competitors do not immediately consume resources but defend them (direct)
allelopathy
when organisms use chemical to harm their competition
apparent competition
two species have a negative effect on each other through an enemy
thermodynamic principles
energy follows this; conservation of energy, entropy (randomness or disorder of a system) increases due to inefficiency, treats ecosystems (like earth) as giant thermodynamic machines
standing crop
describes the total biomass (the amount of living material) of all the organisms in a specific area at a particular point in time; how much living stuff is present in an ecosystem at any given time; Determine by net primary productivity
primary production
the rate at which solar or chemical energy is captured and converted into chemical bonds by photosynthesis or chemosynthesis
net primary productivity
he rate of energy that is assimilated by producers and converted into producer biomass in an area (includes all energy that is not respired)
gross primary productivity
the rate at which energy is captured and assimilated by producers in an area
landscape ecology
field of study that considers the spatial arrangement of habitats at different scales and examines how they influence individuals, populations, communities, and ecosystems
intrinsic value
inherent value of a species; feel religious or moral obligations to preserve worlds species
instrumental value
focus on economic value a species can provide (value of crops)
provisioning species
benefits of biodiversity that humans use like lumber or water
regulating species
benefits of biodiversity that induce climate regulation, flood control, and water pollution
cultural services
benefits of biodiversity that provide aesthetic or spiritual value (like hiking to see a view)
supporting services
benefits of biodiversity that allow ecosystems to exist (soil formation)
declines in genetic diversity
Declines in genetic diversity can be caused by declining population sizes, inbreeding depression (when populations shrink, individuals are more likely to breed with closely related individuals), and the bottleneck effect (when a population is drastically reduced)
declines in species diversity
Species diversity is in decline due to habitat loss, climate change, overexploitation, invasive species, and pollution, which threaten ecosystems
biomagnification
the process by which certain harmful substances, like chemicals, become more concentrated as you move up the food chain (DDT)
biotic homogenization
the process where different diverse ecosystems become more similar to each other because of human activities (the variety of plants and animals in different areas start to look the same over time)
minimum viable population
the smallest population size that will allow a species to continue existing for the long term, without dying out due to inbreeding, lack of genetic diversity, or other risks