Bio Test #2

define ecology

the study of interactions between organisms and the environment

what environmental limit/s have the strongest influence on the distribution of terrestrial organisms?

climate has the strongest influence

what environmental limit/s have the strongest influence on the distribution of aquatic organisms?

light and nutrient availability have the strongest influence

define climate

long-term or average weather conditions in a given area

are north-facing slopes wetter or drier than south-facing slopes?

wetter

are south-facing slopes wetter or drier than north-facing slopes?

drier

which two measurements are plotted on a climograph?

annual precipitation and temperature for the region

define ecological niche

all abiotic and biotic conditions that an organism needs to survive and reproduceHow

what is a proximate cause?

how a behavior occurs — the mechanisms directly responsible for the behavior

ex: the gene, hormone, stimulus triggering the behavior

what is an ultimate cause?

why a behavior occurs — the evolutionary history and functional utility of the behavior

ex. whether it evolved from a common ancestor

what does optimal foraging maximize and minimize?

it maximizes benefits and minimizes risks and cost

true or false: foraging behaviors can have a genetic basis

true.

snakes and slugs example

define learned behavior

indevidual based learning of behaviors modified to specific experiences

define socially learned behavior

behaviors learned from others by animals that live in social groups

what acts are often performed by animals that live in groups?

altruistic acts

define altruism

behaviors that benefits another individual, but reduces fitness of the animal that performs it

define kin selection

an animal engages in altruism behavior that benefits the genetic fitness of its relatives

what are the four ways a population can change in size?

• births

• deaths

• immigration

• emigration

define population dispersion

define population distribution

what are the three types of dispersion patterns in individuals within a population?

what are the two ways to describe population size?

what does “the number of survivors” mean when referring to life tables?

define survivorship

define age-specific fecundity

define age class

what is survivorship curve?

what are the three types of survivorship curves?

when do death rates most occur in a type I survivorship curve?

when do death rates most occur in a type II survivorship curve?

when do death rates most occur in a type III survivorship curve?

what are the two parts of how a population’s size changes that are used in poulation growth models?

define absolute change in population size

define relative change in population size

define life history strategy

what are the four main traits used to describe an organism’s life history strategy?

what life history traits are specific to r-selected species?

what life history traits are specific to K-selected species?

what does the core concept of transformation of energy and matter state?