Fundamentals of Ecology

What are the 6 components of the ecological hierarchy?

Individuals, Populations, Communities, Ecosystems, Landscapes, Biospheres.

What is the first governing principle of ecological systems?

The law of conversation of matter and the first law of thermodynamics. Matter and energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only transferred.

What is the second governing principle of ecological systems?

Ecological systems can enter a dynamic steady state, where gains and losses are balanced.

What is the third governing principle of ecological systems?

Evolution is key to understanding the diversity of life and how organisms interact.

What is predation?

Organisms killing and consuming animals.

What is parasitoidism?

Predators which feed on the host from inside.

What is parasitism?

Organisms which live in/on another organism and cause damage.

What is herbivory?

Organisms eating producers.

What are scavengers/detritivores/decomposers?

Organisms which consume dead organic matter.

What is commensalism?

Organisms which live in/on another organism without causing damage.

What is mutualism?

Organisms which provide mutual benefit to one another.

What is neutralism?

Organisms which coexist but do not affect one another.

What is amensalism?

Organisms negatively affecting other organisms with no benefit to themselves.

What is competition?

Organisms in the same niche.

What is a biome?

A geographic region which contains communities composed of organisms with similar adaptations.

What are the 4 large scale climate drivers?

Solar radiation, Earths rotation, Air currents, Ocean currents.

What are the 4 local scale climate drivers?

Orography, Microclimates, Urban island effect, Soils/bedrock.

What are the 9 terrestrial biomes?

Tundra, Boreal forest taiga, Temperate rainforest, Temperate seasonal forest, Mediterranean woodland and shrubland, Temperate grassland, Tropical rainforest, Tropical savannah, Subtropical deserts.

What are the 8 aquatic biomes?

Lentic systems (non-flowing freshwater), Lotic systems (flowing freshwater), Freshwater wetlands, Salt marshes, Mangrove swamps, Intertidal zones, Coral reefs, Open Ocean.

What is albedo?

The fraction of solar energy reflected by a surface.

What is the Intertropical Convergence Zone?

Where two hadley cells meet, causing heavy precipitation. Moves north and south seasonally.

What is the coriolus effect?

Objects tragectory curve as they move along earths surface due to earths rotate.

What is a gyre?

Large scale water circulation between continents.

What is upwelling?

Upward movement of ocean water.

What is phenotypic plasticity?

The same genotype can look different depending on environmental conditions.

What is holometabolous metamorphosis?

A complete change in form.

What is hemimetabolous metamorphosis?

A partial change in form.

What is determinate growth?

Animals stop growing after sexual maturity.

What is indeterminate growth?

Animals continue to grow after reaching sexual maturity.

What is ‘survival rate’?

The proportion of individuals in a group still alive at a given time.

What is longevity?

The lifespan of an organism.

What is senescence?

The gradual loss of fitness as an organism ages.

What is reproductive senescence?

The loss of fertility.

What is actuarial senescence?

The increase in mortality.

What is fecundity?

The number of offspring per capita in a given time interval.

What is parity?

The number of reproductive episodes that an organism experiences.

How many times do semelparous organisms reproduce?

Once.

How many times do iteroparous organisms reproduce?

Multiple times.

What are seasonal breeders?

Animals with a set time of year in which they can reproduce.

What is the principle of allocation?

The same energy, time and nutrients cannot be used for multiple purposes.

What are fast or slow species?

Determined by how ‘fast’ their life histories are, determined by output in a set time.

What is a population?

A group of one organism living in a particular area.

What are endemic species?

Species which often live in only a single location.

What are cosmopolitan species?

Species with large, often multi-continent ranges.

What is continuous/fragmented distribution?

A continuous distribution means all populations are connected, while a fragmented distribution is when populations are separated.

What is a fundamental niche?

The range of abiotic conditions under which a population can persist.

What is a realised niche?

The range of abiotic conditions under which a population actually exists.

What is ecological niche modelling?

Using statistical methods to identify suitable habitats for a species. Can be used to predict movement of invasive species.

What is abundance?

The total number of members in a population within a defined area?

What is density?

The number of individuals per unit of space.

What is clustered/clumped dispersion?

Individuals can be found around other individuals in groups.

What is even/uniform/regular dispersion?

All individuals are equally distanced from one another.

What is random dispersion?

No pattern in the distance of individuals from eachother.

What is active vs inactive dispersal?

In active dispersal, the organism decides the direction of its movement, while in inactive dispersal, the organism does not have a choice.

What is natal dispersal?

Pre-reproductive individuals moving to a new area where reproduction will later occur.

What is adult dispersal?

Movements as a sexually mature adult.

What are annual/perennial species?

Annual species only live for one year, while perennial species live multiple years.

What is a photoperiod?

The amount of light that occurs every day.

What is an Ecological Envelope?

The range of ecological conditions that are predicted to be suitable for a species.

What is a direct count?

Actively catching/observing organisms.

What is an indirect count?

Using trail cameras, eDNA, scat and tracks.

What is temporal heterogeneity?

Species composition in ecosystems changes over time.

What is spatial heterogeneity?

Species composition in ecosystems changes within the habitat.

What are population models?

Mathematical/statistical equations/tools aimed to describe how the number of organisms in a population changes.

What are continuous models?

Models where time is continuos.

What are discrete models?

Models measured in time intervals.

What is an unstructured model?

One which assumes all individuals are identical.

What is an age or class structures model?

One which categorises individuals into their life stages.

What is an individual based model?

A model which assumed all individuals are unique, and record individual life processes.

What is a deterministic model?

A model where the future is known.

What is a stochastic model?

A model where the future is unknown.

What is environmental stochasticity?

Unexpected natural events, such as weather.

What is demographic stochasticity?

Unexpected mortality, changes in sex ratios, etc.

What are Allee effects?

Individuals in smaller populations with become less fit.

What is Population Viability Analysis (PVA)?

Using stochastic population models to predict extinction rate, how long it will take for desireable populations to establish, and to test different management strategies.

What are metapopulations?

Distinct patches with subpopulations linked by dispersion.

What is the basic metapopulation model?

Assumes that these patches are identical, ignoring spatial differences or habitat characteristics.

What is the source-sink metapopulation model?

Account for patch heterogeneity, sources being high quality habitats where reproduction>mortality and sinks being low quality habitats where mortality>reproduction. 

What is landscape metapopulation modelling?

Consider the surrounding matrix habitat and its effects on connectivity. W

What is an ecological trap?

A habitat which is highly preferred by an organism, yet is low quality and causes slow reproductive rates. 

What is a donor?

The individual directing behaviour towards another.

What is a recipient?

The individual receiving a behaviour.

What is cooperation?

Both donor and recipient gain fitness from an interaction.

What is altruism?

Only the recipient gains fitness from an interaction.

What is selfishness?

Only the donor gains fitness from an interaction.

What is spitefulness?

Neither the donor nor recipient gain fitness from an interaction.

What is direct fitness?

Fitness gained by passing genes to offspring.

What is indirect fitness?

Fitness gained by helping relatives pass on genes.

What is inclusive fitness?

The sum of direct and indirect fitness.

What is direct selection?

Selection that favours direct fitness.

What is indirect selection.

Selection that favours indirect fitness.

What is the coefficient of relatedness?

The numerical probability of an individual carrying the same genes as an ancestor.

What are the steps of predation?

Detection, pursuit, capture, handle, consume.

What is crypsis?

The ability of an organism to avoid detection.

What is aposematism?

Evolving distastefullness in hand with warning colouration.

What is batesian mimicry?

Mimicing a dangerous species while being safe.

What is Mullerian mimicry?

Mimicry a dangerous species while also being dangerous.

What is a landscape of fear?

Prey living their lives based around the activity of predators.

What is anthropogenic trophic degrading?

The degradation of ecosystems due to human involvement.

What are the lotka-volterra prey/predator models?

dN/dt = rN - cNP. dP/dt = acNP - mP.