AP Bio Ecology and Behavior

DDT

Pesticide linked to environmental and health issues.

biomagnification

The increase in chemical concentration in animal tissues as the chemical moves up the food chain

abiotic

nonliving chemical and physical factors

biotic

living factors

organismal

behavioral, physiological, and morphological ways critters meet abiotic challenges

ecosystem

all abiotic factors and the community of species in an area

biosphere

the sum of all the planet's ecosystems

biome

areas of predominant fiora and fauna

spring equinox and autumn equinox

day = night

summer solstice

day > night

winter solstice

day < night

rain shadow

there is less rain on one side of a mountain range

vertical stratification

in aquatic biomes; the layering of an ecosystem into bands based upon depth or elevation

photic zone

in aquatic biomes; can get photosynthetic light

aphotic zone

in aquatic biomes; has very little light

thermocline

in aquatic biomes; narrow stratum of rapid temperature change

benthic zone

in aquatic or marine biomes; bottom substrate (bed)

benthos

community of organisms in benthic zone

detritus

dead organic matter

littoral zone

in freshwater biomes; shallow, well-lit waters close to shore

limnetic zone

in freshwater biomes; well-lit, open water farther from shore

profundal zone

in freshwater biomes; deep, aphotic waters

aphotic

no light

oligotrophic

in freshwater biomes; deep, nutrient poor

eutrophic

in freshwater biomes; shallow, high nutrient content

mesotrophic

in freshwater biomes; moderate productivity

wetland

area covered with water

estuary

area where freshwater merges with the ocean

intertidal zone

in marine biomes; area where land meets water

neritic zone

in marine biomes; shallow regions over continental shelves

oceanic zone

in marine biomes; very deep water past the continental shelves

continental shelf

the earth's surface from the edge of a continent to the deep part of the ocean

pelagic zone

in marine biomes; open water of any depth

abyssal zone

in marine biomes; benthic region in deep oceans

chaparral

in terrestrial biomes; spiny evergreens at midlatitudes along coasts

temperature grassland

in terrestrial biomes; all grasses, seasonal drought, occasional fires, large mammals

temperate deciduous forest

in terrestrial biomes; midlatitude regions, broad-leaf deciduous trees

coniferous forest

in terrestrial bioms; cone-bearing trees

tundra

in terrestrial biomes; permafrost, very little precipitation

organismal ecology

the costs and benefits of homeostasis affect an organism's response to environmental variation

regulators

animals and plants that use behavioral and physiological mechanisms to achieve homeostasis

conformers

allow some conditions in their body to vary with external changes

principle of allocation

each organism has a limited amount of energy that can be allocated for obtaining nutrients, escaping from predators, coping with environmental fluctuations, growth, and reproduction

types of responses to environment

physiological, morphological, behavioral

physiological response

small changes in the rates of processes that do not require alteration of body structure; acclimation

morphological response

alter the form of internal anatomy; ex: more fur or feathers, seasonal color changes

behavioral response

move to a new location

niche

all the biotic and abiotic factors used by an organism

carrying capacity

maximum number of individuals that a population can sustain in a given environment

density-dpendent factors

limiting factors

density-independent factors

nothing to do with population's size

fixed-action pattern

preprogrammed response to a stimulus

habituation

loss of responsiveness to unimportant stimuli or stimuli that provide no feedback

imprinting

innate behavior learned during critical period early in life

associative learning

one stimulus is associated with another

classical conditioning

a specific type of associative learning involving involuntary, reflexive responses

operant conditioning

trial-and-error learning; behavior shaped by consequences

observational learning

learning by watching someone lese do it first

kinesis

change in the speed of movement in response to a stimulus; organisms will move faster in bad environments and slower in good environments

migration

cyclic movement of animals over long distances according to the time of year

taxis

reflex movement toward or away from a stimulus

agonistic behavior

conflict behavior over access to a resource

dominance hierarchies

ranking of power amongst the members of a group

territoriality

defense of territory to keep others out

altruistic behavior

action in which an organism helps another at its own expense

reciprocol altruism

animals behave altruistically toward others who are not relatives, hoping that the favor will be returned somethime in the future

foraging

feeding behavior of an individual

optimal foraging

natural selection favors thsoe who choose foraging strategies that maximize the differential between costs and benefits

inclusive fitness

the ability of individuals to pass their genes not only through the production of offspring

coefficient of relatedness

statistic that represents the average proportion of genes two individuals have in common

cryptic coloration

camouflage

aposematic coloring

bright coloration warns others that they can do some damage if attacked

batesian mimicry

a harmless species looks like a harmful one

mullerin mimicry

two species that look like each other are both harmful