BIOL 2060 midterm

I am fully aware that things are going to be spelled wrong- if you are using this- I will not be fixing this I am too lazy sorry

ecology

the study of interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of organisms

organism

single individual of any type of living creature on the planet, including trees, birds, insects, microbes

ecosystem

a group of interacting organisms and their physical enviroment

great acceleration

sudden intense increase in planetary metrics due to human influence signalling the anthropocene

alternative defintion for ecology

the study of the processes influencing the distribution

observation

act of noting or perciving a phenomenon or event using the sense or scientific instruments

natural history

the scientific study of animals or plants especially as concerned with observation rather than experiment and present in popular rather than academic form

taxonomy

the branch of science concerned with classification of animals

enviormental science

interdisplicanry broad study including ecology and other fields to solve enviormental problems

science

collection of knowledge and a process for the collection of knowledge

model

a simplfied representation or abstraction of an organism or ecological system

hypothesis

proposed, testable explanation made on the basis of existing evidence as a starting point for further investigation

mechanism

system for causally interacting parts and processes that produce one or more effects or phenomena 

prediction

stated as the expected outcome of a particular

trade-offs

comprosmises organisms make in allocating limited resources to different aspects of their biology, behaviour, or physiology, influencing their fitness and adaptation to specific enviormental conditions

principle of allocation

states that when resources are devoted to one use, they cannot be allocated to another

poikilotherms

allow body temperature to vary significantly with enviroment

ectotherms

use external mechanisms of heat to regulate their body temperature

endotherms

regulate their temperature through internal mechanisms

non-hometherm endotherm

generate heat but do not maintain a constant internal body temperature

homeotherms

generate heat to maintain constant internal temperatre

root-shoot ratio

the ratio between a plants investment in below-ground vs above-ground growth

extremophiles

organisms that are able to live in extreme conditions

biosphere

portion of the Earth that houses all living organisms and their enviroment

niche

range of conditions that a species must be able to tolerate and still be able to survive and reproduce

climate

long-term patterns of temperature, humidity, wind, and preciptiation in a region

Biomes

large geographic areas affected by similar climartic and physical factors

Ecozone/ecoregion

relatively large area of the earths surface with distinct enviormental condtions

ecological tolerance

the ability of an organism to endure under certain enviromental condtions

fundamental niche

range of abiotic condtions in which a species can potentially survive and reproduce

abundance

the total number of indivduals of a species within a defined area

density

the number of indivduals per unit area or volume

population

group of indivduals of the same species that is spatially distinct from other groups of individuals of the same species

iteration

involves repeatedly applying a models rules to update variables over time

simulation

enables the modeling of various scenarios by running multiple interactions under different conditions 

deterministic model

type of model where the outcome is entirely determinded by the input parameters and initial conditions 

stochatric model

type of model that incorperoates elements of randomness or uncertainity

dispersion

refers to the spatial arrangement or distribution pattern of individuals within a population across a given area or habitat

allelopathy

a phenomenon where indivduals organisms release chemicals into the enviorment that influence the growth, germentation, or development of other nearby organisms

clumped population

indivduals are clustered together in groups within a population

uniform population

individuals are evenly spaced throughout the population

random population

individuals are distributed without any specific pattern or order

parameter

a constant in a model that helps define the systems behaviour but does not change during analysis

births

the number of individuals that are born into the population

immigration

the movement of individuals into the population from other areas

deaths

the number of individuals that die within the population

emigration

the movement of individuals out of the populations to other areas

density-dependent factors

vary in impact with population size

density independent factors

affect the population regardless of population size

carrying capacity

the maximum number of individuals of a species that can be supported by the available resources in a particular enviorment

regular fluctuation

tied to seasonal changes in the enivorment

irregular fluctuations

non-seasonal changes in the enviorment

cyclical fluctuations

intrinsic factors, species interactions

monotonic damping

a smooth approach to carrying capacity

damped oscillations

regular fluctuations that is consitent over time

stable limit cycle

regular fluctuations that is conistent over time

chaos

complex, unpredictable and irregular fluctuations

stability of population

the maintenance of a relatively constant population size over time within a given geographic area

CV

measure of the relative variablily around the equilibrium

perturbation

any temporary or permanent change in the conditions in an ecosystem that disrupts its normal functioning or structure