incomplete ecology chapter 4

Tolerance

withstanding some extreme though an adaptation

avoidance

avoid some extreme through some behavior or physiological change

physiological ecology

the study of interactions between organisms and the physical environment that influence their survival and persistence

ecological success

survival and reproduction

climate envelope

The range of climate conditions under which a species occurs

Stress

the condition in which an environmental change results in a decrease in the rate of an important physiological process

Hypoxia

the delivery of less oxygen to your tissues by your circulatory system than is needed

Acclimatization

the ability to adjust their physiology, morphology, or behavior to lessen the effect of an environmental change

Adaptations

Over many generations, genetically based solutions to environmental stress are selected for and become more frequent in the population

Ecotypes

Populations with adaptations to unique environments. Can eventually become separate species as the physiology and morphology of individuals in different populations diverge

Enzymes

protein-based molecules that catalyze biochemical reactions

Denaturation

constituent proteins lose their structural integrity such as at high temperatures

Isozymes

different forms of enzymes with different temperature optima as a means of acclimatization\

Conduction

the direct transfer of energy from warmer molecules to cooler molecules

Convection

when heat energy is carried away from a warmer body by cool water or air

latent heat transfer

the removal of heat by the change in the state of water from liquid to vapor as it evaporates on the skin’s surface

transpiration

evaporation of water from inside the plant

evapotranspiration

evaporation of water from inside the plant in addition to surface evaporation

convective and conductive heat transfer negative when

plant is warmer than the surrounding air

stomates

pores in leaves

guard cells

cells that surround stomates and control transpiration through opening/closing stomates

pubescence

the presence of light-colored or white hairs on the leaf surface, which lowers the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the leaf surface

boundary layer

a zone of turbulent air flow across a surface, lowers convective heat loss

Ectotherm

Animals that regulate their body temperature primarily through energy exchange with the external environment. greater tolerance for variation in their body temperature than endotherms

Endotherm

Animals that rely primarily on internal heat generation

Crypsis

Basal metabolic rate

resting metabolic rate

thermoneutral zone

a range of environmental temperatures where a basal metabolic rate can be maintained

lower critical temperature

environmental temperature at which heat loss is greater than metabolic heat production, the body temperature begins to drop, triggering an increase in metabolic heat generation.