BIOL215 Notes

Community Ecology

Study of all species of plants and animals living in the same place at the same time.

Population Ecology

Study of a group of conspecific individuals living in the same place at the same time.

Behavioral Ecology

Study of individual plant or animal behaviors in relation to their environment.

Ecological Genetics/Genomics

Study of genetic variability and its relation to ecological processes.

Genetic Variability

Originates with mutation leading to different alleles; essential for evolution and adaptation.

Minimum Viable Population Size

Population size that retains 90% of genetic variability after 200 years.

Natural Selection

Non-random, differential reproduction of genotypes leading to preservation of favorable traits.

Optimal Foraging Theory (OFT)

Theory that suggests animals optimize food choices for maximum energy gain.

Territoriality

Active exclusion of others from a territory, commonly seen in specific animal groups.

Asexual Reproduction

Mode of reproduction where offspring are genetically identical to the parent.

Sexual Reproduction

Mode of reproduction involving the combination of genes from two individuals.

Polygamy

Mating system involving multiple partners, including polygyny and polyandry.

Dioecious

Plant or animal species that have distinct male and female individuals.

Monoecious

Species that have both male and female reproductive organs in the same individual.

Semelparous

Species that reproduce once in their lifetime and die.

Iteroparous

Species that reproduce multiple times throughout their life.

Carrying Capacity (K)

Maximum sustainable population size in a habitat over the long term.

Density-Dependent Regulation

Population growth regulation influenced by population density levels.

Liebig’s Law of the Minimum

Population number can be regulated by the most scarce essential resource.

Elton’s niche

The role of a species in a community, often described as its profession.

Hutchinson’s niche

All biophysical conditions characterizing a species’ life; includes fundamental and realized niches.

Fundamental Niche

The full range of conditions where a species can survive and reproduce without limiting factors.

Realized Niche

The actual conditions and resources occupied by a species due to biotic factors like competition.

Competition Coefficients (α)

Measurement of the effect of one species on another in terms of competition.

Community Ecology

Study of all species of plants and animals living in the same place at the same time.

Population Ecology

Study of a group of conspecific individuals living in the same place at the same time.

Behavioral Ecology

Study of individual plant or animal behaviors in relation to their environment.

Ecological Genetics/Genomics

Study of genetic variability and its relation to ecological processes.

Genetic Variability

Originates with mutation leading to different alleles; essential for evolution and adaptation.

Minimum Viable Population Size

Population size that retains 90% of genetic variability after 200 years.

Natural Selection

Non-random, differential reproduction of genotypes leading to preservation of favorable traits.

Optimal Foraging Theory (OFT)

Theory that suggests animals optimize food choices for maximum energy gain.

Territoriality

Active exclusion of others from a territory, commonly seen in specific animal groups.

Asexual Reproduction

Mode of reproduction where offspring are genetically identical to the parent.

Sexual Reproduction

Mode of reproduction involving the combination of genes from two individuals.

Polygamy

Mating system involving multiple partners, including polygyny and polyandry.

Dioecious

Plant or animal species that have distinct male and female individuals.

Monoecious

Species that have both male and female reproductive organs in the same individual.

Semelparous

Species that reproduce once in their lifetime and die.

Iteroparous

Species that reproduce multiple times throughout their life.

Carrying Capacity (K)

Maximum sustainable population size in a habitat over the long term.

Density-Dependent Regulation

Population growth regulation influenced by population density levels.

Liebig’s Law of the Minimum

Population number can be regulated by the most scarce essential resource.

Elton’s niche

The role of a species in a community, often described as its profession.

Hutchinson’s niche

All biophysical conditions characterizing a species’ life; includes fundamental and realized niches.

Fundamental Niche

The full range of conditions where a species can survive and reproduce without limiting factors.

Realized Niche

The actual conditions and resources occupied by a species due to biotic factors like competition.

Competition Coefficients (\alpha)

Measurement of the effect of one species on another in terms of competition.

Intraspecific Competition

Competition between individuals of the same species for limited resources.

Interspecific Competition

Competition between individuals of different species for limited resources.

Competitive Exclusion Principle

States that two species competing for the exact same limited resources cannot coexist.

Resource Partitioning

When species divide a niche to avoid competition for resources, allowing for coexistence.

Predation

An interaction where one organism (predator) kills and consumes another organism (prey).

Mutualism

A symbiotic relationship where both species benefit from the interaction.

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped.

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship where one organism (parasite) lives on or in another organism (host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense.

Ecological Succession

The process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time.

Primary Succession

Occurs in an area that is initially devoid of life and soil (e.g., bare rock, new volcanic islands).

Secondary Succession

Occurs in an area where a community that previously existed has been removed, but the soil remains (e.g., after a forest fire).

Keystone Species

A species whose impact on its community or ecosystem is disproportionately large relative to its abundance.

Trophic Level

The position that an organism occupies in a food chain.

Food Web

A complex network of feeding interactions among various organisms in an ecosystem.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem, often measured at genetic, species, and ecosystem levels.