Behavioral Ecology and Population Biology

These flashcards cover key concepts in behavioral ecology and population biology, including definitions, rules, and characteristics of different species strategies.

Altruism

Behavior that has a fitness cost to the individual exhibiting it and a fitness benefit to the recipient individual’s ability to produce offspring.

Hamilton’s Rule

A model created by William D. Hamilton that assesses how an allele that contributes to altruistic behavior could increase in frequency in a population.

Inclusive fitness

Combination of direct fitness derived from an individual’s own offspring and indirect fitness derived from helping close relatives produce offspring.

Kin selection

Natural selection that acts through benefits to relatives and results in increased indirect fitness.

Population size (N)

Total number of individuals in a population.

Population density

Number of individuals within a specific area or volume.

Uniform distribution

A distribution where individuals maintain a relatively equal spacing, often to maximize resource use and defend territories.

Clumped distribution

A distribution where individuals gather in groups, often resulting from social behaviors or the availability of resources.

Demography

The statistical study of populations, analyzing their structure, distribution, and trends.

Mark and recapture

A method used to estimate population size of mobile animals by capturing, marking, and later recapturing individuals.

Type I survivorship curve

A curve that indicates high survivorship among young and middle-aged individuals, with most deaths occurring in older age.

Type II survivorship curve

A curve that shows a constant rate of mortality throughout the lifespan.

Type III survivorship curve

A curve characterized by high mortality rates for young individuals, with a higher chance of survival for those that reach adulthood.

Fitness trade-offs

The balance between energy devoted to reproduction versus survival and other biological functions.

r-selected species

Organisms that grow quickly, reach maturity early, and produce many offspring with little parental care.

K-selected species

Organisms that mature slowly, invest energy in traits that enhance survival, and produce fewer offspring with more parental care.

Life Table

A table that shows the probability of survival and reproduction for individuals in a specified age class.