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Remember to study the previous chapters. 1/2 of final is this chapter, 1/2 is comprehensive. Chapter 51, 52,
What are the Four Basic Questions in Animal Behavior đź’€
Nature vs. Nurture & Genes vs. Environment
What is the Basis of Behavioral Ecology?
studying how animals behave in their environments, and how their behavior is shaped by ecology and evolution
proximate: how, what?
ultimate: why?
Konrad Lorenz - what he studied, hypothesis, procedure, results, meaning
studied concept of imprinting, hypothesized duck and geese follow the first moving thing they see once hatching. Konrad used himself as a moving object, and the hatched animals ended up following him as if he was their mother. Found that imprinting is time sensitive, for the ducks and geese, it was within a few hours after hatching.
What is sociobiology?
Ethology applied to human behavior
E.O Wilson Significance
controversial sometimes historically, but made significant and historical contributions to the field of sociobiology and human behavior
proximate vs ultimate causation?
proximate: examines immediate or underlying reasons why a behavior or trait occurs (neural, hormonal, physiological)
Ultimate: examines evolutionary reasons behind why a behavior or trait occurs (such as mating or selective pressures)
Tinbergen experiment and conclusion
creates a silhouette of a herring gull’s parent bird, found that red dot on parent triggered the chick’s pecking behavior, and led to regurgitation of food by parent bird
fixed action pattern
innate, unlearned behavioral responses triggered by external stimuli (sign stimuli)
imprinting definition
learning during early development of an animal, called a critical period, (after birth or hatching), which the animal then attaches itself to a organism or object
why are critical periods important?
exposure upon young animals determines what they think of as normal for the rest of their lives
how does hormones alter behavior?
mainly during mating seasons, alters brain pattern for responding to others or mating calls (sexual behavior)
Optimal Foraging
theory that explains how animals maximize food-gathering efficiency while minimizing energy expenditure while foraging
Associative learning
Associative learning is a type of learning in which an organism learns to connect or associate two or more stimuli or events. ex: Pavlov’s dog bells
Social Learning
process through learning from the observation and limitation of others. ex: young bird learns to sing by watching/hearing adult birds sing in its environment
What are the Two Modes of Sexual Selection?
Male-male competition: competing for female using behaviors such as combat, attracting techniques, etc.
Female Choice: sexual selection where female chooses male based upon specific traits or characteristics, they are more selective than males most of the time
what is waggle dance, how is it used, and what does it tell us about bees?
physical communication technique used by bees to help locate food sources. Bees waggle abdomen in figure eight pattern on a specific angle for direction of food source, and with a specific time frame for how far away the food is. Tells us how bees utilize optimal foraging through social learning
How do Sex Roles lead to different Mating Systems? (name the three types of mating systems)
male optimization/strategy/choice leads to different sex roles…
Monogamy
Polygamy
Promiscuous
define game theory as it relates to animal behavior
game theory is used to model and predict the behavior of animals based on the decisions they make in response to their environment and other individuals.
monogamy
Monogamy: male effort needed to successfully raise in chicks, exclusive mating between a couple, birds and mammals
polygamy
Polygamy: male defends from other males a group of females and young, long term relationships with multiple members, herd animals, lions, sea lions, elephants, seals, etc *Role reversal in Jacana Birds!
promiscuous
Promiscuous: male help is not worth it to help survival of young, better for both genders to mate with multiple partners, bears, mountain lions, rabbits, etc
Tail of two voles significance (what makes montane and prairie voles different?)
montane voles are monogamous, prairie voles are polygamous. Montane voles have a larger hypothalamus and thus produce more hormones for social bonds (oxytocin)
How does Natural Selection Shape Behavior?
makes animals behave in ways that helps them survive the most, examples: sexual selection, etc
What determines where a species lives? (generally)
climate (temp and precipitation): strongest impact on terrestrial organisms
Light and nutrient availability: strongest impact on where aquatic organisms live
What is ecology?
study of interactions between organisms and living and nonliving components of their environment
What are the six levels of Ecology? (smallest to largest)
organismal ecology
population ecology
community ecology
ecosystem ecology
landscape ecology
global ecology
What Key Climate Factors affect Living Organisms?
temperature, precipitation, sunlight, wind
Latitude variation in sunlight intensity concept
equator gets direct sunlight, moving towards both poles has a decreasing angle of sunlight
What is a biome?
A biome is a large geographical region characterized by a specific type of climate, vegetation, and animal life.
Global air circulation and precipitation patterns
northeast/southeast trades move towards equator, westerlies on each side move away, descending dry air absorbs moisture, ascending moist air releases it
microclimate
very fine localized patterns in climate, ex: slopes, forest tree shadows
Seasonality and changing sunlight intensity (name them)
June solstice, December solstice, September equinox
What are the 8 Terrestial Biomes Defined in Chapter 52?
tropical forests, savanna, deserts, chaparral, temperate grasslands, temperate broadleaf forests, coniferous forests, tundras
What Factors dictate Tropical forests?
Tropical forests: near equator, high disturbance, temperature, diversity and rainfall.
two main types of tropical forests
tropical rain forests and tropical dry forests
difference between tropical rain forest, and tropical dry forests (precipitation and season)
rain forests: rainfall is constant 200-400cm annually. Dry forests: seasonal precipitation, 150-200cm annually, long dry seasons
tropical rain forest and dry forest characteristics (what type of plants are found there?)
broadleaf evergreen trees, vertically layered competition for light, most animal diversity. Tropical dry: deciduous trees
What Factors dictate Deserts?
Deserts: low rainfall, high temperature, but both highly variable, 30 N & S of equator and interior of continents, plants have defensive, and are built to conserve water
What Factors dictate Savannas?
Savannas: distinct seasons, found in tropical and subtropical regions, fire and drought adapted plants, large herbivores, usually warm
What factors dictate chaparral?
Chaparral: found in coastal regions with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers, characterized by dense, woody shrubs and fire-adapted vegetation, wine
What factors dictate temperate grasslands?
Temperate grasslands: found in regions with moderate rainfall and temperature, characterized by tall grasses, fire, and grazing-adapted flora and fauna, most of it is converted to agricultural land, grazing
Factors that dictate temperate broadleaf forests?
Temperate broadleaf forests: found in regions with moderate to high rainfall and temperature, characterized by deciduous trees, fertile soils, and a diverse understory.
factors that dictate coniferous forests?
Coniferous forests: largest terrestrial biome on earth, found in regions with long, cold winters and moderate to high rainfall, characterized by evergreen trees, acidic soils, and specialized flora and fauna.
factors that dictate tundras?
Tundra: found in high latitudes and altitudes, characterized by permafrost, low-growing vegetation, and extreme weather conditions.
List Some Biotic and Abiotic Features that Limit the range of Species.
abiotic: temperature, precipitation (water), soil, disturbance, topography, salinity, sunlight
biotic: parasitism, mutualism, competition, predation
What is disturbance?
natural or human activity that changes a community. ex: storm, fire, deforestation, etc
What is dispersal?
movement of individuals or gametes away from area of origin or populations of high density
Predation Signage (+,-, or both?)
+, -, predator benefits, prey pays a price
Traditional predation
One organism consumes another in whole or part
Predation includes….
classic predation, parasitism, parasatoidism, herivory, granivory
Parasitoidism
Where parasite lives on or inside host at some point during its life. Host usually ends up dying
Herivory
Predation in the form of eating plants
Granivory
Predation in the form of eating seeds
demographic transition
stable population, shift from high birth and mid death rates to low birth and low death rates
demographic momentum
tendency for growing populations to continue growing even after fertility rates decline due to a majority of the population still being childbearing age
Community Level of organization in ecology
Living organisms living and interacting in one place and time. Measured by richness, diversity, and stability
population level of organization
group of organisms of same species interacting
what do R and K represent? (way to remember the ways of how each species work)
R is rate of growth, K is carrying capacity
what type of feedback loop is exponential growth?
positive feedback loop
K selected species
begins with exponential growth, but eventually reaches its environments carrying capacity. Environment has limited resources and competition. EX: Humans, many terrestial mammals
R selected Species
has “boom” phase of quick growth that reaches above the environment’s carrying capacity, afterwards the population “busts” and death occurs and drops below carrying capacity a bit. low competition, resources abundant. EX: mosquitos, rodents, rabbits, mosquitos
K species phases
expontential phase, hits karrying capacity, plataeu phase
R selected species phases
boom and bust
What is an R species good for?
in conditions that are unpredictable, with varied states… such as disasters being common. These species can reproduce and recover quick after such events.
What is a K species good for?
population dense areas, with slow and secured growth. Competition is present, and a great place to raise youth
density dependent factors (what type of species live there, and example organisms?)
competition, disease, predation, resource availability, territory (space). K selected species, trees, lions, etc
density independent factors
Disturbances: natural disasters, disasters caused by humans. R selected, weed, insects, rodents
Define Survivorship Curves , Identify three types, give underlying reasons for each pattern.
Survivorship curves are graphical representations of different organisms in terms of representing their typical population survival over the timespan of their lives.
Type 1: high initial survival rate, gradual decline over time. ex: humans and large mammals like elephants and gorillas - low reproductive rate, but invest in parental care.
Type 3: high mortality rate immediately, large reproduction rate, ex: fish and many invertebrates
type 2: relatively constant mortality rate, fall in between type 1 and 3, ex: reptiles and birds
Define and contrast Exponential Growth and Logistic Population Growth
exponential growth is quick and uncontrolled, where a population is assumed to have unlimited resources to support population growth
logistic growth takes into account the carrying capacity of a population, logistic growth sees the same growth, but it levels off at a populations carrying capacity
Briefly talk about patterns in human population growth
human population growth since the industrial revolution has been rapid.
Begins with high birth and death rates, death rates then decline due to improved sanitation, death rates then continue to decline, but birth rates do too due to higher education for woman, as well as more access to contraceptives, population eventually stabilizes near carrying capacity.
symbiotic mutualism sign and meaning
+,+, interaction where both partners benefit, ex: coral and zooxanth, pollination, lichens fungi algae
Define age structure and demographic inertia.
Age structure refers to the distribution of individuals of different ages in a population.
Demographic inertia: the time lag between changes in birth and death rates and the resulting changes in population size
How does coral bleaching relate to symbiotic mutualism?
As global warming increases water temperature, zooanthelle cannot live with coral, so corals get a white color to be deemed bleached. Now more susceptible to disease and death.
Competition signage
-,-
Competitive exclusion
when animals compete for the same resources, the better competitor will displace the other species
Liebig’s law of the minimum
in plants, one resource is always limiting, the best competitor for a limiting resource will predominate
Example on predator/prey coevolution
Cheetahs and Gazelles, cheetahs evolved to be better predators with agility, muscular build, and sharp claws. Gazelles have evolved to be very slender and agile, helping them avoid predators.
symbiosis
includes mutualism, commensalism, parasitism
Define Commensalism and give examples
+,0 one benefits, the other is unharmed. example: egrets and grazing mammals, epiphytes that depend on host for structural support, but do not hurt them
Character Displacement
two species occupy a similar niche or environmental space and evolve to become more different from each other in terms of traits
Assymetric Competition
-0, in some organisms, small advantage can become a big advantage. Happens in animals through despotism ex: plants, being a bit taller at the start means getting more sunlight.
define ecological niche
space in landscape occupied by a species. includes: fundamental and realized niches
fundamental niche
all places the species could live
realized niche
where the species can maintain itself when competition arises
If you cannot measure the effect, the symbiotic relationship is most likely…
commensalism
What are food chains and food webs?
food chains trace energy, and are very unstable. the more complex the food web, the more stable. Food chain shows a linear relationship, the food web shows a network.
amensalism
-,0 no effect found on one, other is destroyed
biodiversity
more complex an ecosystem, the more stable it is
species richness
number of different species in an area (ex: people from multiple states in one room)
species evenness
distibution of species across an ecosystem
difference between keystone and dominant species
keystone species has largest impact on environment despite abundance-its presence is needed for a healthy functioning ecosystem. Dominant species is the species with most abundance in the ecosystem.
What is the difference between a bottom-up and top down model of community organization
Bottom up organization argues that the “bottom” of the trophic levels is most important for the function of the rest of the ecosystem-producers and bigger base means the pyramid (ecosystem) will go higher and succeed.
Top down model suggests the most important factor is the top of the food chain pyramid i.e predators that determine how the rest of the ecosystem will function relatively.
trophic cascade
how the change in abundance of one species (usually predators from the top of a food chain), lead to a change in abundance or behavior of other species leading down the chain (domino effect kind of)
keystone predator
top predator of an ecosystem that maintains the biodiversity of the ecosystem through direct and indirect effects
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