enwc 201 exam 1

wildlife

includes all nondomesticated plants, animals, and other organisms; living things and especially mammals, birds, and fishes that are neither human nor domesticated; birds and mammals receive most attention

conservation

an ethic of resource use, allocation, and protection. Its primary focus is upon maintaining the health of the natural world: its fisheries, habitats, and biological diversity; planned managment of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, destruction, or neglect; the sustained-yield that can be achieved from forrests, wildlife, and other natural resources

ecology

Ernest Haeckel
eco-> oikos= home
logy-> logos= study
Scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment; a branch of science concerned with the environment; the study of interactions between organisms and their environment

Mammals

have hair, mammary glands, and 3 ear bones
unlike birds, reptiles and amphibians

Monotremes

Egg laying mammals

Carnivora

have prominent canines and sharp claws

more than half of mammals in the world

rodents(40%) and bats(20%)

mammal species in the world

about 5,500 (965 in US)

birds

have feathers
class- aves
9,900 bird species in world
50% of birds are in Passeriformes order

reptiles

8,200 in the world

amphibians

6,500 in the world
IN MOST DANGER

ecosystem

a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the non living physical components of the environment w/ which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water, and sunlight
ecologists study ecosystems

carbon cycle

respirated into atmosphere by animals and when fossil fuels are burned; photosynthesis takes carbon from the atomosphere

nitrogen cycle

nitrogen moves from the air to the soil, into living things, and back into the air; not as much atmospherically as carbon

energy

comes from the sun and is turned into chemical energy

plants

critical link between the sun and all other life on earth

2nd law of thermodynamics

the transformation of energy is not 100% efficient; The principle whereby every energy transfer or transformation increases the entropy of the universe. Ordered forms of energy are at least partly converted to heat, and in spontaneous reactions, the free energy of the system also decreases.

10% rule of thumb

only about 10% of the energy used in one trophic level is available to the next

greatest # of individuals

found in the base of the pyramid

Community

the living part of an ecosystem; can describe specific groups like "predator community"

biotic community

plant and animal community

biomes

communities varying in space

Succession

communities varying in space

pioneer community

the initial community that develops during primary succession; 1st stage of succession

climax community

A stable, mature community that undergoes little or no change in species over time; final stage of succession

primary succession

occurs where no community previously existed

secondary succession

occurs where there are remnants of a previous community

range of tolerance

range of conditions an animal can tolerate

generalist species

species with a broad ecological niche; large range of tolerances

specialist species

species with a narrow ecological niche; small range of tolerance

Niche

the functional role of an organism considered in the environment in which it lives

Competitive Exclusion Theory

- No two organisms can occupy the same niche at the same time in the same place
- The more similar the organisms are, the more intense the competition between them
- The less-fit species will have to evolve into a different niche, move to a different area, or become extinct

natural selection

the process the determines which individuals will pass on their genes to the next generation; leads to considerable change in the characteristics of a species and kinds is species present which leads to evolution

steps of natural selection

overproduction, variation, competition, selection

Evolution

the changes that we see in the genes and characteristics displayed by successive generations of a population

Speciation

the production of a new species from a previously existing species

allopatric speciation

the process of speciation that occurs with geographic isolation

sympatric speciation

The formation of new species in populations that live in the same geographic area

Extinction

the loss of an entire species; result of natural selection

Predation

An interaction in which one organism kills another for food.

intraspecific competition

competition between members of the same species

interspecific competition

competition between members of different species

Parasitism

A relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed

Commensalism

A relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected

Mutualism

A relationship between two species in which both species benefit

habitat

the physical and biological resources required by an organism for its survival and reproduction

4 basic components of habitats

food
shelter (cover)
water
space

habitat selection

choice of settings that favor survival and reproduction; most important features of habitat selection are food and shelter

long term adaptation

hibernation or estivation or migration

short term adaptation

fasting, reduced activity and torpor, using/storing body fat

population dynamics

the branch of life sciences that studies short-term and long-term changes in the size and age composition of populations, and the biological and environmental processes influencing those changes.

Natality

birth rate; factor that effects population

fertility

factor of natality; physiological capability of producing offspring

fecundity

factor of natality; potential # of offspring produced by an individual over time

Production

factor of natality; actual # of offspring produced in a given time

r-strategist

Small organisms, short lived, many offspring, limited parental care, high juvenile mortality, exploit unstable environments

K strategist

large organisms, long lived, produce few offspring, extensive parental care, low juvenile death rate, occupy stable environments

mortality

death rate; factor that effects population

compensatory mortality

the concept that one kind of mortality largely replaces another kind of mortality in animal populations

additive mortality

a concept in which the effect of one kind of mortality is added to those of other sources of mortality

population growth rate

natality - mortality

sex ratio

the relative number of males to females in a population; calculated by dividing the number of males by the number of females

Polygamous Mating

An individual from one sex mates with several of the other; more offspring if skewed towards females; less offspring if skewed towards males

Monogamous Mating

Mated individuals remain together for a longer time, forming stronger pair-bonds; same amount of offspring no matter which sex is skewed

Age Distribution

number of individuals of each age in a population
mortality differs at each age class
reproductive capacity differs at each age class

emgration

movement of individuals out of a population

Immigration

Moving into a population

exponential growth

Growth pattern in which the individuals in a population reproduce at a constant rate; not realistic; no limiting factors

logistic growth

Growth pattern in which a population's growth rate slows or stops following a period of exponential growth; limiting factors; realistic

density dependent factors

limiting factor that depends on population size; causes higher mortality or decreases birth rate as population increases

density independent factors

limiting factor that affects all populations in similar ways, regardless of population size; causes higher mortality or decreased birth rate regardless of population density

carrying capacity (k)

the maximum sustainable population for the prevailing environmental conditions

behavioral ecology

the study of ecological and evolutionary basis for animal behavior; the roles of behavior in enabling animals to adapt to their ecological niches

Imprinting

A primitive form of learning in which some young animals follow and form an attachment to the first moving object they see and hear.

circadian rhythm

the biological clock; regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24-hour cycle

nocturnal

active at night

diurnal

active during the day

Crepuscular

active at dawn and dusk

circannual rhythm

behavioral rhythms linked to the yearly cycle of seasons

courtship

Physical characteristics along with ritualized displays and behaviors to increase intraspecific recognition.
Visual or auditory

social behavior

behavior directed towards, or taking place between, members of the same species

Communication

provokes a response w/o acting directly on the receiver

altruism

behavior of an animal that benefits another at its own expense

home range

area included in the daily, seasonal and annual travels of an animal

territory

Area defended by an individual, usually excluding other members of the same species.

kin selection

Natural selection that favors altruistic behaviors by enhancing reproductive success of relatives.

many eyes hypothesis

Safety in numbers that comes from an increased probability of detecting a predator's approach by a group of vigilant prey.

Biodiversity

the diversity of genes, species, and ecosystems in a region

genetic diversity

the # of different kinds of genes in a population or species

population size

small size less diversity

species diversity

measure of different species present in an area; some areas are normally high in species diversity, while others are normally low
influential factors: history of region, immigration, size of area, human activityy

ecosystem diversity

the # of kinda of ecosystems present in an area
larger area more ecosystem

ecosystem services

higher biodiversity= higher ecosystem services

provisioning ecosystem services

products obtained from ecosystems; food, timber, fuel, fibers, soil, water

regulating ecosystem services

Control natural processes in ways that are favorable to humans; climate regulation, carbon sequestration, water purification

supporting ecosystem services

nutrient cycling, soil formation, primary production; maintain the provisioning/regulating services

cultural ecosystem services

the emotional, psychological, and recreational benefits that people obtain from nature

ethical value

organisms have an intrinsic value to exist; there is great value in just knowing that there are wild areas still out there

Active Management

does something to the population (increase/decrease) in a direct manner through manipulation

Inactive Management

minimizing external influences on populations