Wildlife Ecology

ABIOTIC -- nonliving components of the environment
ACCLIMATION -- An environmentally induced change through long term exposure in an individual’s physiological rate or other
capacity to perform a function
ACTIVE MANAGEMENT -- direct manipulation of animal populations (e.g., translocation, hunt)
ADAPTATION -- genetically controlled structural, physiological, or behavioral characteristics that enhance the chances for members
of a population to survive and reproduce in their environment
ADDITIVE MORTALITY -- a concept in which the effect of one kind of mortality is added to those of other sources of mortality
AGE STRUCTURE -- distribution of the number of individuals of various ages
AESTHETIC (esthetics) -- possessing qualities that are appreciated for their beauty or emotional values
AESTIVATION -- the shutting down of metabolic processes during the summer in response to hot or dry conditions
ALLELE -- one of two or more alternative forms of a gene that occupies the same relative position or locus on homologous
chromosomes. In a diploid organism, each individual inherits one allele from each parent.
ALTRICIAL -- born or hatched relatively undeveloped and remaining in the nest for a substantial period (vs. “precocial”)
AMENSALISM -- relationship between two species where one is inhibited or harmed and one is unaffected
ANADROMOUS -- fish that begin life in freshwater, travel to and mature in the sea, and return to their native stream to reproduce
ANTHROPOMORPHIC -- described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes; ascribing human characteristics to
nonhuman things
AQUIFER -- a subterranean layer of porous water-bearing rock, gravel, or sand
AUTOTROPHS -- producers; organisms that are capable of converting solar energy to chemical energy (sugar) by photosynthesis
BAG LIMIT -- number of animals that can be taken in a unit of time, usually a day; called “creel limit” for anglers (e.g., “6 trout per
day”)
BENTHIC -- pertaining to the lowermost region of an aquatic system
BIOACCUMULATION – increase or build-up of a chemical substance in an organism or part of an organism
BIOMAGNIFICATION (bioamplification) – increase or build-up of a chemical substance in a food chain
BIODIVERSITY -- diversity of life; includes genetic, species, community, and ecosystem diversity as well as ecological processes
BIOLOGY -- study of living organisms and their vital processes (Webster)
BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES -- movement of elements or compounds through living organisms and nonliving environments in a more
or less circular pathway
BIOMASS -- total quantity of living organisms per unit of space
BIOMES -- large, relatively distinct ecological systems characterized by particular climate, soil, plants, and animals
BIOTA -- all the plants and animals within an area or region
BIOTIC -- life or act of living
BIOTIC POTENTIAL -- maximum rate at which population can grow when no resources are limiting (rm)
BIRTH OR NATALITY RATE -- number of births per number of individuals over a specified time period

BOTTOM-UP CONTROL -- when the abundance of trophic groups in nature are determined by the amount of energy available from
the producers in a community
BROOD -- a family of young birds from a single mother; sometimes applied to fish and reptiles
BYCATCH -- captured marine organisms, including fish, shellfish, oceanic birds, and marine mammals that are not the target species
CARNIVORES -- organisms that feeds on animal tissue from all consumer levels
CARRYING CAPACITY (K) -- maximum population size that a habitat can support (a characteristic of habitat)
CATADROMOUS -- a fish that grows to sexual maturity in fresh water but migrates to the ocean for spawning
CHROMOSOMES -- compact structures consisting of long strands of DNA that are wound around proteins
CLIMATE FORCINGS -- an event that can change the balance between incoming and outgoing energy in the climate system, both
natural and anthropogenic
CLIMAX -- “final” stage of ecological succession that remains in dynamic equilibrium for a relatively long time
CODON -- a series of three base pairs, code for a gene
COEVOLUTION -- two or more species interacting over a long period of time that have a close ecological relationship, through
reciprocal selective pressures, changes in one species can lead to changes in another
COHORT -- a group of individuals in a population born during a particular time period, such as a year
COMMENSALISM -- interaction between two species where one species benefits and the other species is unaffected
COMMUNITY -- coexisting, interdependent populations of different species
COMPENSATORY MORTALITY -- The concept that one kind of mortality largely replaces another kind of mortality in animal
populations, an animal dying from one cause (e.g., hunting or disease) cannot die from another cause (e.g., predation or starvation),
so one source of mortality compensates for the other.
COMPETITION -- interaction between individuals that share a required resource that is limited; between organisms of the same
species is intraspecific and between organisms of different species is interspecific
CONSERVATION -- sustained use of a resource (and so much more!)
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY -- an integrative approach to the protection and management of biodiversity
CONSUMERS OR HETEROTROPHS -- organisms, which obtain organic nutrients by feeding on dead or live tissues
COPROPHAGY -- feeding on feces, this in some species allows them to recover nutrients from their droppings that escaped initial
digestion
COVER -- any structural resource of the environment that enhances survival of an organism ( e.g., hiding or nesting cover)
CREPUSCULAR -- active during twilight, i.e., at dusk or at dawn
CRITICAL HABITAT -- specific geographic areas with physical and biological features essential to the conservation of a listed species
DECIMATING FACTORS -- immediate causes of death; often a result of limiting conditions or welfare factors (e.g., starvation,
accidents, parasites, disease, predation, hunting)
DENSITY -- number of organisms per unit area
DENSITY-DEPENDENT FACTORS -- factors that cause higher mortality or reduced birth rates as a population becomes more dense
DENSITY-INDEPENDENT FACTORS -- factors that operate independent of population density
DETRITIVORES -- organisms that feed on dead organic matter and waste products that are collectively known as detritus
DIPLOID -- having two haploid sets of homologous chromosomes
DISEASE -- any deviation from normal state of health (e.g., malnutrition, infection, parasites, and deformities)

DISPERSAL -- movement of individuals from regions of birth or activity for another location (synonymous with emigration, i.e., a one-
way movement)
DISPERSION -- distribution of organisms within a population over an area (e.g., random, clumped or uniformly spaced)
DISTURBANCE -- periodic change, destruction, or removal of ecosystem components
DIURNAL -- active during daylight
DNA -- genetic code or blueprint for life; uses four types of molecules called bases (GACT)
ECOLOGY -- study of interrelationships among living systems, and their environments
ECOSYSTEM -- the biotic community and its abiotic environment functioning as a system
ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT -- guardianship that emphasizes ecological systems as functional units for land and resource
management and emphasizes the long-term sustainability of those systems – See Grumbine Handout
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES -- processes through which ecosystems and their biota benefit humans (e.g., welfare factors, but also flood
control, food production, commerce, etc)
ECOTONE -- transition zone between two structurally different communities EDGE – place where two or more vegetation types meet
(abundance & variety of wildlife is often great in edge)
EDGE EFFECT -- response of organisms, animals in particular, to environmental conditions created by the edge
EMIGRATION -- movement of part of a population permanently out of an area
EMIGRATION RATE -- number of animals leaving the population over a specified time period
ENDANGERED -- any species in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range; legally endangered when
status is declared by U.S. Dept. of the Interior
ENTROPY -- disorder or randomness in any system
ENVIRONMENT -- the sum total of all physical and biological conditions of an organism’s surroundings that may influence them
ESTUARY -- highly productive zone that is partially enclosed, where fresh water and sea water meet and mix
EUTROPHICATION -- process of nutrient enrichment in aquatic ecosystems
EVOLUTION -- a change in allele frequency over time resulting from natural selection and producing cumulative changes in
characteristics of a population
EXOTIC -- species of wildlife or fish that are not native to an area but introduced
EXPONENTIAL GROWTH -- a constant rate of growth applied to a continuously growing base over a period of time; population
growth that exceeds the carrying capacity until population numbers saturate the habitat

EXTINCTION -- state of a species no longer represented by living individuals
FEATURED SPECIES -- species selected for management emphasis because of their high value to humans
FECUNDITY -- potential ability of an organism to produce eggs or young; rate of production of young by a female
FERAL -- a previously domestic animal that has become established in the wild (e.g., feral cats, feral horses)
FERTILITY -- the potential capability of an organism to produce young; percent of eggs that are fertile
FOOD CHAIN -- pathways over which energy flows through an ecosystem from green plants to consumer organisms at each trophic
level
FOOD WEBS -- network of complex feeding relationships, interlocking pattern formed by a series of interconnecting food chains
FRAGMENTATION -- reduction of a large habitat area into small, scattered remnants
FRY -- larval fish; fry of most species become “fingerling” (2-6 in = 5-15 cm) during the first year of life
GENERALIST -- species that can live anywhere and eat many different types of food
GENES -- part of DNA that is usually located on a chromosome and that contains chemical information needed to make a particular
protein controlling or influencing an inherited bodily trait
GENETIC VARIABILITY -- amount by which individuals in a population differ from one another due to their genetic makeup
GENOTYPE -- genetic constitution of an organism
GESTATION -- the period (or process) of embryo development within the uterus of a mammal
GRAVID -- term describing females containing ripening eggs
HABITAT -- place where an organism lives; suitable habitat must exist within an organism’s environment; the habitat provides food,
water, cover, and special needs; habitat is species specific
HABITAT COMPONENTS (welfare factors) -- life requirements for healthy, productive wild animals; provided by the animal’s habitat
(food, water, cover, space, oxygen in aquatic systems, special factors)
HABITAT FRAGMENTATION -- the breaking up of contiguous areas of wildlife habitat, often by home building, road construction, or
agriculture
HAPLOID -- having the gametic number of chromosomes or half the number characteristic of somatic cells
HERBIVORES -- primary consumers (plant-eaters) that feed directly on producers
HETEROTROPH -- organism that is unable to manufacture its own food from simple chemical compounds and consumes other
organisms for its source of energy
HETEROZYGOUS TRAITS -- have different alleles from each parent (Tt)
HOMEOSTASIS -- a stable state of an organism or the tendency of a system to maintain a stable or balanced state
HOME RANGE -- the total area occupied by an animal during its life cycle, that is the area required for feeding, breeding, and
securing refuge
HOMOZYGOUS TRAITS -- have identical alleles from each parent (TT or tt)
IMMIGRATION -- arrival of new individuals into a given area or population (vs. “emigration” out of an area)
IMMIGRATION RATE -- number of animals entering the population over a specified time period
INCUBATION -- period (or process) of development of embryo within eggs; requires heat from “sitting” parent in birds
INDICATOR SPECIES -- species that indicate certain environmental conditions, seral stages, or treatments; can serve as an early
warning that a community or an ecosystem is changing or being damaged
INDIGENOUS -- found where it/they evolved and generally limited to that area; pronghorn are indigenous to North America

INVASIVE SPECIES -- a non-native species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to
human health
KEYSTONE SPECIES -- a species whose activities have a significant role in determining community structure
LAND ETHIC -- a view put forth by Aldo Leopold calling on humans to respect the land and all living things
LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY -- the study of the structure, function, and change in a heterogeneous landscape composed of interacting
ecosystems
LAW OF THE MINIMUM -- refers to limiting effects of availability of resources required by organisms
LAWS OF THERMODYNAMICS:
1st Law of Thermodynamics (law of conservation of energy) – energy can only be transformed, not created or destroyed
2nd Law of Thermodynamics – as food is passed from one organism to another, the potential energy contained in the food
supply is reduced step by step until all the energy in the system becomes dissipated as heat
LAWS OF TOLERANCE (SHELFORD) -- the presence and success of an organism depends on the extent to which a qualitative or
quantitative deficiency or access of any one of several factors may approach the limits of tolerance for that organism
LEK -- a site where birds (primarily grouse) traditionally gather for sexual display and courtship
LENTIC – standing waters (e.g., ponds, lakes, and reservoirs)
LIFE HISTORY STRATEGY -- r & K specialists use suites of reproductive adaptations to fit their environment. For example, r-selected
species have many, smaller young with little or no parental care while K-selected species produce fewer, larger young that receive
extended parental care.
LIMITING FACTOR -- factor or condition greater than or outweighing other factors in limiting wildlife population growth
LIMNETIC -- shallow water zone of lake or sea in which light penetrates to the bottom but is beyond where rooted vegetation can
grow usually >2 meters deep
LITTORAL -- shallow water of lake in which light penetrates to the bottom, permitting submerged, floating, and emergent vegetative
growth; also shore zone of tidal water between high and low water marks; usually <2 meters deep
LOGISTIC GROWTH -- growth of a population that approaches and remains near carrying capacity, rate of growth becomes zero or
near zero (density dependence)
LOTIC -- flowing waters (e.g., streams and rivers)
MANAGEMENT -- manipulation of populations or habitats to achieve desired goals by people

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED YIELD -- the largest number of fish or wildlife that can be removed without destroying a population’s
reproductive capability; ideal MSY is ½ K, but not always practical due to dynamic nature
MEIOSIS -- the cellular process that results in the number of chromosomes in gamete-producing cells being reduced to one half and
that involves a reduction division in which one of each pair of homologous chromosomes passes to each daughter cell and a mitotic
division
MIGRATION -- intentional, directional, usually seasonal movement of animals between two regions or habitats; round-trip journey
MITOSIS -- a process that takes place in the nucleus of a dividing cell, involves typically a series of steps consisting of prophase,
metaphase, anaphase, and telophase, and results in the formation of two new nuclei each having the same number of chromosomes
as the parent nucleus
MONOGAMY -- mating of one male and one female for one reproductive cycle (serial), one season (annual), or life
MORTALITY OR DEATH RATE -- proportion of a population dying per unit of time
MULTIPLE-USE MANAGEMENT -- a philosophy of conservation that advocates simultaneous management for more than one
resource on an area and/or use of a resource for more than one purpose
MUTATIONS -- random change (in DNA sequence) that makes up genes
MUTUALISM -- a relationship between two species where both benefit
NATALITY -- births; production of new individuals in a population
NATIVE SPECIES -- normally live and thrive in a particular ecosystem
NATURAL HISTORY -- biology, ecology, habits, and other characteristics of a species
NATURAL RESOURCE -- product and/or experiences provided by the Earth that have values to humans (renewable and non-
renewable)
NATURAL SELECTION -- the process of genetically different individuals with a higher survival potential in a given environment leaving
more progeny; differential survival and reproduction of organisms based on genetic differences
NET PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY -- difference between photosynthesis (production) and respiration (use) of biomass
NICHE -- functional role of a species in the community, including activities and relationships
FUNDAMENTAL NICHE - total range of environmental conditions under which a species can survive
REALIZED NICHE - portion of fundamental niche actually occupied by a species because of competition from populations of
other species; environmental conditions under which a population survives and reproduces in
nature
NOCTURNAL -- active in the dark, i.e., during the night
OMNIVORE -- an animal that eats a varied diet of plants and animal matter
PASSIVE MANAGEMENT -- no direct action is allocated toward the manipulation of wildlife populations, also called inactive
management
PARASITISM -- symbiotic relationship where the host is harmed and the parasite benefits

PELAGIC -- characteristic of deep, open water in the ocean or in large lakes (e.g. pelagic zone or pelagic fishes)
PERMAFROST -- permanently frozen ground, only the upper 30 to 100 cm of soil (called the active layer) thaws every summer and
then completely refreeze during winter
PHENOTYPE -- physical expression of a characteristic of an organism as determined by genetic constitution and environment
POACH -- to illegally take (kill) fish or wildlife
POLYANDRY -- mating of one female with more than one male within a single reproductive cycle
POLYGAMY -- any mating system that includes more than one mate of either sex (see polygyny, polyandry, promiscuity)
POLYGYNY -- mating of one male with more than one female within a single reproductive cycle
POPULATION -- a group of individuals of the same species living in a given area at a given time with interaction
POPULATION ABUNDANCE -- number of individuals of a species that occupies a particular area
PRECOCIAL -- born or hatched relatively well-developed and soon able to move about (e.g., ducklings and fawns)
PREDATION -- interaction where one living organism serves as a food source for another
PRESERVATION -- “Hands off” no manipulation of a species or its habitat
PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY – equals the rate at which primary producers capture and store energy in a given interval
GROSS - total rate of photosynthesis for an ecosystem during a specified interval
NET - rate of energy storage in plant tissues minus metabolic activities that use energy (photosynthesis minus respiration)
PRIMARY SUCCESSION -- an ecological succession that develops in an area not previously occupied by a community
PRINCIPLE OF COMPETITIVE EXCLUSION -- when two or more species coexist using the same resource, one must displace or exclude
the other
PRODUCERS -- green plants and certain chemosynthetic bacteria that convert light or chemical energy into organismal tissue
PRODUCTION -- actual number of surviving offspring produced by a population
PROMISCUITY-- mating between any number of males and females with no pair bonds formed
RANGE OF TOLERANCE -- the range of physical and/or chemical conditions in which a species can survive. These include moisture,
temperature, radiation, micronutrients, and oxygen
RECRUITMENT -- number of new individuals added to a wildlife population by natural reproduction, immigration, or stocking that
reach breeding age in the population
RED QUEEN HYPOTHESIS – concept that states organisms must evolve to maintain their place or become outcompeted; continue to
evolve (running as fast as you can just to keep up)
RESERVOIR -- large, usually deep, human-made bodies of water, often associated with dams
SCIENCE -- knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws especially as obtained and tested through the
scientific method
SECONDARY SUCCESSION -- an ecological succession that occurs in an area that at one time already supported living organisms
SERAL STAGES -- overlapping phases without succession
SPECIATION – formation of a new species
1. Long linear change due to environmental changes
2. Splitting into two populations through distribution in different areas (geographic isolation)
3. Reproductive isolation – if geographic isolation is long enough then two groups may no longer interbreed and begin to
diverge because of different selective pressures until they can’t interbreed and produce fertile offspring

SPECIES -- groups of populations that actually or potentially interbreed with each other and produce viable offspring
SUCCESSION -- process of community development and replacement over time; often progresses to a relatively stable stage in
community development called a climax community
SUSTAINABLE -- meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability to meet the needs of the future
TERRITORY -- area defended by an organism; varies among species according to social behavior, social organization, and resource
requirements of different species
THREATENED -- any species that is likely to become “endangered” in the foreseeable future; legal term when threatened status is
declared by U.S. Dept. of Interior
TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS -- term used to describe what happens to common resources as a result of human use (overuse)
which ultimately depletes/destroys a shared limited resource even though this is not in the long-term best interest of humans and
the earth
TROPHIC LEVELS -- feeding levels within a food chain; functional classification of organisms in an ecosystem according to feeding
relationships from first-level autotrophs through succeeding levels of herbivores and carnivores
UNGULATE -- a hoofed mammal (e.g., deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, horses, cattle)
WATERSHED -- drainage basin; entire region drained by a waterway that drains into a lake or reservoir ocean
WELFARE FACTORS (habitat components) – life requirements for healthy, productive wild animals; provided by the animal’s habitat
(food, water, cover, space, oxygen in aquatic systems, special factors)
WILDLIFE -- undomesticated animals in their natural environments including vertebrates and invertebrates
WILDLIFE CORRIDOR -- a protected area that connects two or more wildlife preserves, allowing species to migrate to new habitat to
find food, mates, or nesting
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT -- the scientifically based art of manipulating habitats to produce a desired effect: protect, conserve, limit,
or enhance wildlife populations