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Ecology

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Scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment

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Biogeography

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essentially spatial ecology

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Ecosystem

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an environment in which organisms carry out their struggle for existence (includes an environment's physical conditions and the array of organisms within its boundaries)

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Ecosystem consists of

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biotic and abiotic interactions

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biotic interactions

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living interactions

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abiotic interactions

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nonliving interactions (i.e., physical, chemical)

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Population

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a group of individuals of the same species that occupy a given area

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Populations interact with one another by

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competing for resources, predator-prey, mutually beneficial relationships

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Community

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includes all populations of different species interacting within an ecosystem

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Landscape

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area of land or water that is composed of different communities and ecosystems (at this level communities and ecosystems are linked by the dispersal of organisms and the exchange of materials)

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Biome

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geographic region with similar geological and climatic conditions (tropical rain forest, desert, grassland)

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Biosphere

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thin layer surrounding Earth that supports all life

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Ecological systems hierarchy

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Individual, population, community, ecosystem, landscape, biome, biosphere

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Physical ecology

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functioning of an individual organism

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Global ecology

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functioning of the Earth's environment as a whole

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Individual patterns

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birth and death events

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Population patterns

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rates of birth and death, individual distribution

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Community patterns

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factors that influence relative abundances of species

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Ecosystem patterns

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flow of energy and nutrients through the physical and biological systems

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Landscape patterns

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factors that influence the spatial distribution of ecosystems and the effect on organisms

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Biome patterns

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patters of biological diversity with geography

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Biosphere patterns

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interactions between ecosystems and atmosphere

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Field studies

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ecologist examines natural patterns across the landscape

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Experiment

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ecologist tests under controlled conditions

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Field study

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ecologist tests under natural setting (difficult to control other influencing factors, realistic results because they are collected in a natural setting)

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Laboratory experiment

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ecologist tests under controlled conditions but results not directly applicable in the field

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Theory

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integrated set of hypotheses that together explain a broader set of observations than any single hypothesis

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Statistical population

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A set of counts, measurements, or characteristics about which relevant inquiries are to be made (Scientists use the term "statistical population" in a specialized way, quite different from "population" in the ordinary sense).

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Sample

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part of populations that is actually observed

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Categorical data

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qualitative observations that fall into separate and distinct categories

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Numerical data

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quantitative observations that are a set of numbers

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Nominal data

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unordered categories (hair color, sex)

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Ordinal data

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order-important data (pre-reproductive, reproductive, post-reproductive)

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Binary data

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only two categories

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Discrete data

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only certain values possible (integer values, counts)

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Continuous data

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any value within an interval is possible (height, weight)

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Models

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abstract simplified representations of real systems

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Frequency distribution

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count of the number of observations having a given value (ie histogram)

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Scatter plot

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Used to examine relationship between two variables or sets of observations

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Autotroph

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organism that derives energy from sunlight

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Heterotroph

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organism that derives energy from consuming other organisms

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Natural selection

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differential success in survival and reproduction of individuals within the population (product of variation in heritable characteristics)

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Fitness

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measure of an individuals contribution to future generations

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Evolution

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process by which properties of populations change over time

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Adaptation

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heritable trait that develops in response to environmental conditions

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Gene

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a length of DNA that contributes to formation of a protein

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Gene expression

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conversion of the information encoded in a gene first into messenger RNA and then to a protein

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Allele

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different form of a gene

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Genome

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all DNA in a cell

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Chromosome

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contains large amount of DNA and genes within that DNA

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Locus

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specific position of a gene on a chromosome

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Homozygous

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two copies of same allele of gene

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Heterozygous

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different alleles on each chromosome

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Genotype

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particular combination of genes present

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Phenotype

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outward appearance of an organism for a given characteristic

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Dominant allele

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allele which expresses itself and masks another

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Recessive allele

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allele which can be masked and unexpressed with a dominant allele

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Codominant allele

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alleles where each contribute to the phenotype

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Qualitative traits

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traits that fall into discrete categories

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Quantitative traits

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traits that have a continuous distribution

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Process driving natural selection

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success or failure of individuals

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Subpopulation

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local populations, genetically differentiated, that occur among a whole population

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Gene pool

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sum of alleles of all individuals in a population representing the total genetic variation of that population

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Target of selection

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phenotype directly acted upon by selective forces

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Selective agen

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environmental pressure that results in fitness differences

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Mutations

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heritable changes in a gene or chromosome

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Genetic drift

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change in allele frequency due to random chance associated with sexual reproduction

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Migration

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movement of individuals between local populations

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Gene flow

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movement of genes between populations

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Inbreeding

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mating of closely related individuals

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Inbreeding depression

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increased likelihood that rare, recessive, or deleterious genes that lower overall fitness are inherited

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Cline

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measurable, gradual change over a region in the average of a phenotypic trait

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Ecotype

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population adapted to its unique (often abrupt) local environmental conditions

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Geographic isolates

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result when gene flow among subpopulations is prevented

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Subspecies

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isolated subpopulation that has a unique set of characteristics

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Adaptive radiation

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process in which one species gives rise to multiple species that exploit different features of an environment

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Antibiotics

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class of compounds that destroy or inhibit growth of bacteria

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Antibiotic resistance

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outcome of evolution and accelerated process of natural selection hurried by widespread use of antibiotics by humans

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Phenotypic plasticity

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the ability of a genotype to give rise to different phenotypic expressions under different environmental conditions

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Norm of reaction

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set of phenotypes expressed by a single genotype across a range of environmental conditions

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Developmental plasticity

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reflects change in allocation of biomass to different tissues during growth and development due to differences in environmental conditions

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Acclimation

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phenotypic changes in an individual in response to changing environmental conditions

UMN GEOG 1403 Midterm 1 – Flashcards

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