Chap 3

Front 1

The definition and importance of "Critical Factors"

Back 1

A single factor in the shortest supply relative to its demand. It is a critical determinant in species distributuion.

Front 2

Defintion and importance of "Tolerance Limits"

Back 2

Refers to the minimum and maximum levels beyond which a particular species cannot survive/reproduce.

Front 3

Defintion of "Adaption"

Back 3

The process where species acquire traits that allow them to survive in their environments.

Front 4

"Individual Adaption"

Back 4

This type of adaption has a limited range of physiological modifications,short term modifications.

Front 5

"Population Adapation"

Back 5

Inheritance of specific genetic traits, allowing a species to live in a particular environment. Can be explained by the theory of Evolution.

Front 6

The theory of Evolution:

Back 6

A species will change over generations becasue they are competing for resources. The strongest(higher reproductive and fitness values) will survive.These strong traits, will be received by the offspring, and overtime will become common among the species.

Front 7

Divergent Speciation

Back 7

When a separation of one species occurs and they evole into a new, and seperate species.

Front 8

Convergent Speciation

Back 8

When unrelated organisms evolve to look and act alike. May result from sharing a food source of other resource.

Front 9

Natural Selection

Back 9

Describes the process where better competitors survive and reproduce more successfully.

Front 10

Intraspecific competition

Back 10

Competition among members of the same species.

Front 11

Ways a species try to avoid Intraspecific Competition:

Back 11

1. Dispersal (they spread out)
2. Territoriality
3. Resource Partitioning
4. Niche Partitioning- among
adults and juvenilles.

Front 12

Interspecific Competition:

Back 12

Competition between members of different species.

Front 13

Habitat

Back 13

Set of environmental conditions in which a particular organism lives.

Front 14

Ecological Niche

Back 14

Description of the role played by a species in a biological community. It is the total set of environmental factors that determines species distribution.

Front 15

Resource Partitioning

Back 15

Alter behavior or physiology to minimize competetion. Allows several species to utilize different parts of the same resource. (Birds eating/living at different parts of a tree)

Front 16

Predator:

Back 16

Any organism that feeds directly on antoher living organism.

Front 17

Predation Influences:

Back 17

1) All stages of predator and prey life cycles.
2)specialized food obtaining mechanisms
3)predator-prey adapations

Front 18

Coevolution:

Back 18

When a predator or prey adapts specifically as a response to predation.

Front 19

Defintion of Symbiosis:

Back 19

The intimate living together of members of two or more species

Front 20

Mutualism

Back 20

Both members benefit from the relationship.

Front 21

Commensalism:

Back 21

One member benefits while the other is unaffecterd.

Front 22

Parasitism:

Back 22

One member benefits at the expense of the other.

Front 23

Mimicry:

Back 23

species called the mimic resembles in color, form, and/or behavior another species called the model, in order to fight predation. Has two types.

Front 24

Batesian:

Back 24

the mimic (palatable) resembles the model (unpalatable) and only the mimic benefits.

Front 25

Mullerian:

Back 25

both the mimic and the model are unpalatable and both benefit

Front 26

Keystone Species:

Back 26

W/O this keystone the rest of the biological community will suffer. It's importance is usually out of proportion with its abundance. (it is realitvly small in number but has a huge impact)

Front 27

Biotic Potential:

Back 27

Potential of a population to grow in the absence of expansion limits.

Front 28

Exponential growth:

Back 28

Creates a J curve. W/O limits will continue forever. W/limits will overshoot it's carrying compacity and experince dieback. (Oscillatory pattern)

Front 29

Logistic Growth:

Back 29

"S-Curve" environmental resistance imposes limits on growth.No over shoot, no dieback.

Front 30

Exponential growth formula:

Back 30

N=Noe^kt

N-Future population
No-Current pop.
k- growth rate as decimal
t- time

Front 31

Logistic growth formula:

Back 31

N=NoK/No+(K-No)e^-kt

N-Future pop.
No-current pop.
K- carry compacity
k- growth rate as decimal
t- time

Front 32

Density-Dependent Factors:

Back 32

Mortality rates increase s the density of the population increases. (disease, stress,predation)

Front 33

Density-Independent Factors:

Back 33

Effect on mortality rate is independent of poulation density. (Abiotic conditions)

Front 34

K-type species:

Back 34

Experience Logistic Growth.
long life, slower growth, late maturity, fewer large offspring, high parentaal care,predators.

Front 35

R-type species:

Back 35

Exponential growth.
Short life, rapid growth, early mat.,many small offspring, little care, Pioneers, colonizers, prey.

Front 36

Carrying Capacity:

Back 36

The maximum number of organisms of one species a habitat and its resources can handle.

Front 37

Primary Productivity of a community:

Back 37

rate of biomass productio. Used as an indication of the rate of solar energy conversion to chemical energy

Front 38

Diversity:

Back 38

# of different species, ecological niches, or genetic variation. Inversly proportionate to abundance.

Front 39

Abundance:

Back 39

total # of organisms in a community

Front 40

Complexity:

Back 40

#of species at each trophic level, and the # of trophic levels, in a community.

Front 41

Ecotones:

Back 41

Boundaries between adjacent communities (forrest and meadows)

Front 42

Edge effects:

Back 42

penetrating influences of communities for hundres of meters, of adjacent communities.

Front 43

Ecological succession:

Back 43

Communities change all the time. There are two types of Succession: Primary and Secondary.

Front 44

Primary Succession:

Back 44

A community begins to develop on a site previously unoccupied by living organisms. (pioneer species)

Front 45

Secondary Succession:

Back 45

And exsiting community is disrupted and a new one subsequently develops at the same site. (Ecological development)

Front 46

Climax Community:

Back 46

is one that has reached the stable stage. When extensive and well defined, the climax community is called a biome. Examples are tundra, grassland, desert, and the deciduous, coniferous, and tropical rain forests. Formed by Succession.