AP Biology Final (sob)

Interspecific Interactions

relationships between individuals of different species in a community

Interspecific competition

different species compete for the same resources in a shared environment

Competitive exclusion

the inevitable elimination from a habitat of one of two different species with identical needs for resource

Ecological niche

the role and position a species occupies in its environment, encompassing its interactions with both living and non-living factors

Character displacement

Competing species that coexist in the same environment evolve distinct traits, like beak size or coloration, to reduce competition and resource overlap

Symbiosis

a close, long-term interaction between two different biological species

Parasitism

a relationship between two organisms where one, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host

Endoparasite

a type of parasite that lives inside its host

Mutualism

both species benefit from the interaction

Commensalism

where one organism benefits, while the other is neither harmed nor helped

Facilitation

species indirectly or directly benefits another species by modifying its environment or providing resources that enhance the other's survival, growth, or reproduction

Cryptic coloration

the use of color, patterns, and sometimes even shape by organisms to blend in with their environment, making it difficult for predators to spot them or for prey to be recognized

Aposematic

defense mechanism where prey animals use conspicuous coloration or other signals to warn predators of their unprofitability or toxicity

Energetic hypothesis

proposes that the length of a food chain is limited by the inefficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels

Dynamic stability hypothesis

longer food chains are inherently less stable than shorter ones and more susceptible to disruptions

Ecological succession

the process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time

Primary succession

a type of ecological succession that occurs in an area where no previous ecosystem existed

Secondary succession

the ecological process where a disturbed ecosystem re-establishes itself, using the existing soil and remnants of the previous community

Nonequilibrium Model

describes systems where biological processes occur far from thermodynamic equilibrium, constantly exchanging energy and matter with their environment

Intermediate disturbance hypothesis

proposes that species diversity in an ecosystem is highest when disturbance levels are moderate, not too high or too low

Evapotranspiration

the sum of all processes by which water moves from the land surface to the atmosphere via evaporation and transpiration

Intermediate Disturbance hypothesis

suggests that local species diversity is maximized when ecological disturbance is neither too rare nor too frequent

Redundancy Model

the scenario where two or more genes or gene products perform the same or overlapping functions

Latitudinal gradient

the pattern where species richness generally increases as you move from the poles towards the equator

Life table

Summerizes the mortality and reproductive patterns of a population, tracking how individuals live and die across different ages or life stages

Survivorship curves

Shows the number or proportion of individuals surviving to each age for a given species or group

Reproductive tables

Summerizes the age-specific reproductive rates within a population

What is r_max?

Per captia growth rate

What is N?

Population size

What is K?

Carrying Capcity

Life History traits

characteristics of an organism that influence its survival and reproduction, ultimately affecting its fitness

Density Dependent

Factors that influence a population’s growth rate based on its density (biotic)

Density Independent

Factors that influence a population’s growth rate regardless of its density (abiotic)

Semelparity

a reproductive strategy where an organism reproduces only once in its lifetime, typically followed by death

Iteroparity

a reproductive strategy where organisms reproduce multiple times throughout their lifespan

r-selection

a life history strategy where organisms prioritize producing a large number of offspring, often with minimal parental care, in order to quickly colonize new or unstable environments

K-selection

life history strategy where organisms prioritize producing a few, high-quality offspring, rather than many, and invest heavily in their survival and development