Ecology notes unit 2

Life History

Lifetime pattern of growth, development, and reproduction of a particular species.

Periods in an organisms life that have specific characteristics.

Life history traits are adaptations that influence…

growth, survivorship, and reproduction.

Examples of life history traits:

Lifespan

Metamorphosis

Reproductive age

Fecundity

Reproductive effort

Fecundity

number of offspring per reproductive event

Reproductive effort

total energetic cost of reproduction per reproductive event

Allocation to reproduction

examples: degree of parental care, number and size of offspring

Resource Allocation

the quantity of key resources, such as energy and nutrients, that a parent can devote to reproduction

r-select Species

“live fast, die young”

produce many young in a short lifespan

high offspring mortality

Short to no parental investment

K-selected Species

“slow and steady wins the race”

Produce few young over a long lifespan

Low offspring mortality

Long parental investment

“blank blank” influences how much a parent can invest in their offspring

energy limitations

Large animals have —, — offspring

Few, large

Quality

Small animals have —, — offspring

many, small

Quantity

What factors determine a plants reproductive effort?

Leaf, stem, seed, and root production.

What factors determine an animals reproductive effort?

Travel, competition, mating, parental investment

What factors determine reproductive effort for all?

lifespan, age to maturity, environmental conditions

Many offspring

low parental investment

Few Offspring

High parental investment

Survivorship

activities involved in reproduction increase an individual’s probability of dying

Age- specific mortality

some reproductive activities can reduce an individual’s probability of future survival.

Future offspring production

Reproduction can directly reduce the ability to produce future offspring

Limited growth

allocation to reproduction reduces allocation to growth, before and during reproduction.

Low adult survival

natural selection favors earlier muturation

Low juvenile survival

natural selection favors delayed reproduction.

Delay reproduction

Individuals that postpone reproduction for growth will have more offspring per reproductive event.

Iteroparous

multiple reproductive events

Semelparous

reproduce in one massive reproductive effort, then die

Phenology

the timing of life history events

Phenotype plasticity

ability to change phenotypes in response to different environments