Chapter 6 Study Questions – Flashcards

Individual, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biosphere

Often clumped in response to predation

It depends on a limiting resource

Birds

Population distribution

Only occurs under ideal conditions

Represents ideal conditions that rarely occur in natural populations

A fast population growth rate

It is followed by a die off

Rarely occurs in highly connected meta-populations

Can occur through morphological differences between competing species

Mutualism

Parasite

It is rarely at the top of the food chain

Competition

It begins with colonization by algae, lichens, and mosses

Results in a terrestrial ecosystem

Aspen

Survivorship curves

Islands further from a continent have more species richness due to increased speciation

Competition

The number of grey wolves, a natural predator of the white tailed deer, will increase

Exponential Growth

Future population growth cannot be predicted mathematically

I. They produce many offspring in a short period of time II. They have very low survivorship early in life

An r-selected species such as the American Bullfrog

Competition for limiting resources such as available soil, moisture, and nutrients.

Bare soil, grasses & wildflowers, shrubs, sunlight-tolerant trees, shade-tolerant trees

I. Island distance to the mainland II. Island size

A large island, close to a continent

The individuals that belong to the same species and live in a given area at a particular time

All of the populations of organisms within a given area

The study of factors that cause populations to increase or decrease

The number of individuals per unit area at a given time

A resource that a population cannot live without. Occurs in scarce quantities

A factor that influences an individual's probability of survival and reproduction. This occurs in a matter that depends on the size of the population.

A factor that has the same effect on an individual's probability of survival and the amount of reproduction at any population size.

Population Size / Area

1. random (trees/seeds) 2. Uniform (evenly spaced) (territorial animals) 3. Clumped ("safety in numbers") (fish, birds, etc)

- resources - disease - limiting resources - predators

- all weather related impacts - human impact

- S shaped curve - used to predict population growth rate using density dependent factors

Predator vs Prey

Life Span: Long Time to reproductive maturity: Long Number of reproductive events (gives birth): Few Number of offspring: Few Size of offspring: Large Parental care: Present Population growth rate: Slow Population regulation: Density dependent Population dynamics: Stable, near carrying capacity

Life Span: Short Time to reproductive maturity: Short Number of reproductive events (gives birth): Many Number of offspring: Many Size of offspring: Small Parental care: Absent Population growth rate: Fast Population regulation: Density independent Population dynamics: Highly variable

- k selected species - high parental care - high survival rate throughout life

- in between k and r selected species - decline in survival rate throughout life

- r selected species - low survival rate throughout life - no parental care

a group of spatially distinct populations that are connected by occasional movements of individuals between them.

- competitive exclusion principle - resource partitioning

two species competing for the same resources cannot coexist. if these two species have the same niche; resource partitioning can evolve

the species that is out competed finds a way to use the resource in a different way or at a different time.

temporal spatial morphological

use same resources but at different times of the day or year

use different habitats

different body size or shape evolves (different shaped bird beaks)

true predators herbivores parasites parasitoids

when one species hunts,kills, and eats another species

species that only eat plants

organisms that live on or in the organism that they consume (their host)

organisms that lay eggs inside other organisms

parasites that cause infections (fungi, bacteria, viruses)

survival tactics that species use to keep away predators - camouflage - poison (bright colors) - mimicry

both species benefit from the relationship

one species benefits, while the other species is not effected

a species that plays a role in its community that is far more important than its relative abundance might suggest

beavers/alligators: ecosystem engineers sea stars/ mussels: sea starts keep mussel population "in check" flying fox bat/tropical plant species: keep each other alive fungi: helps keep plants obtain nutrients

occurs on surfaces that are initially devoid of soil (no soil) - primary succession is a longer process because there is no soil to begin with

occurs on surfaces that already have soil. have faced environmental impact - fire, flood, tsunami - construction

latitude time habitat size/ theory of island biogeography

result initially = species that already have soil colonize rapidly and easily grow in full sunshine