Ecology And Evolution

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If no immigration or emigration....

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Survivorship is one of the two factors determining pop size

Reproductive output is the other

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Reproductive table

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an age specific summary of the reproductive rates in a population

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Natural selection will...

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favor traits that improve the chance of survival and reproductive success

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Organisms that do not reproduce are not...

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fit

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Traits that affect an organism's schedule of reproduction and survival make up its

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life history (only works at evolutionary time)

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life histories are highly diverse but they...

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have patterns

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Semelparity (big-bang)

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single reproductive episode before death

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Iteroparity

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many reproductive cycles throughout lifetime

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.... Mandate trade-offs b/w investments in reproduction and survival

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limited resources

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Picture of deer?

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cost of reproduction

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The... for population increase is huge.

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potential

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2 major factors affecting population growth are?

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birth rate and death rate

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Exponential model of pop growth: deltaN/deltat= B-D

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Change in # over change in time equals birth rate minus death rate

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Zero population growth

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occurs when r= 0 population doesn't change birth rate=death rate

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exponential population growth (geometric growth)

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populations that are growing under ideal conditions (continuing upward curve)

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Intrinsic Rate of growth

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is the actual growth rate under ideal conditions if density dependent factors weren't there (predation, availability of food)

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Carrying capacity (K)

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Maximum population size at a particular time

K can vary overtime based on the abundance of limiting resources

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... is one of the most significant detriments of carrying capacity.

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Energy limitations

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Logistic growth

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When the growth curve reaches carrying capacity

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k-selection

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Density dependent type of selection that regulates based on population size and abundance of resources (humans)

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R-selection

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maximizes reproductive success in uncrowded environments (density independent) (weedy plants)

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Regulation

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1. Density dep reg- can be affected by factors that affect birth and death rate (competition, food availability)

2. Density indep reg- abiotic factors such as severe weather or fire

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negative feedback

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Anything that brings the system back to normal functioning levels (reproduction rate decreases as resources decrease) (#of seeds produced by plantain decreases as density increases)

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Population dynamics

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just means that populations change in size based on various factors

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population cycles

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Think of the hare and lynx. Organisms produce more of their offspring according to availability of prey to hunt or plants to eat. can change together with other populations

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I=PAT

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Impact= Population sizexConsumption(affluence)xtechnology

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demographic transition

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refers to the transition from higher birth rate to higher death rate

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ecological footprint

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expressed in hectares of land per person (consumption of available resources)

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community

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an assemblage of species living close enough together for potential interaction (predvsprey)

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species richness

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# of species in a given area

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types of relationships

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Competition (-/-)

Predation/parasitism (+/-)

Mutualism (+/+)

Commensalism (+/o)

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competitive exclusion principle

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two species compete for same limiting resources. one is superior and will eventually push the other species out of the area.

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ecological niche

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the sum total of a species use of biotic and abiotic resources in its environment

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fundamental niche

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an organism fills its role in the environment without the influence of interspecific competition

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realized niche

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the actual role that an organism plays in its environment in the face of competition

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resource partitioning

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species performs their niches while not threatening other species in their habitat

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character displacement

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When species live in the same general area but have different characteristics that allow them to coexist without too much competition. More common in sympatric populations than allopatric populations. There is not a lot of evidence to prove this and it is a fairly new concept.

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aposematic coloration vs. cryptic coloration

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cryptic coloration: camouflage. non toxic. blends in with the environment

aposematic coloration: sometimes toxic warning colors that prevents prey from being eaten

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secondary compounds (prey defenses)

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compounds that organisms emit as defense mechanisms (spices, skunk spray)

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Batesian mimicry

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an edible animal is protected by its resemblance to a toxic one that is avoided by predators

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mullerian mimicry

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two or more unpalatable species resemble each other

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size and location affect

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biodiversity (closer to tropics, more rich) (larger island, more rich)

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parasitoidism

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When an organism lays eggs on or inside living hosts and their larvae feed on them at birth

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Biological time is...

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5x quicker in the tropics

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Glaciation can cause...

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some areas to "start over"

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The major explanation for the latidunial gradient in diversity

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Climate

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Evapotranspiration

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species are generally more rich where there is a larger amount of available water

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Species area curves

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(think of the bird and the line with the dots) can show a species richness in an area

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Richness on islands depends on...

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island size and distance from mainland

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Graph with two exponential curves?

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main point: small island will have a steeper line. this indicates that a species is more likely to go extinct on smaller islands

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Relative abundance

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is the percent composition of a particular species relative to the total number of organisms in the area.

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species diversity

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the variety of species in a community

1. species richness

2. species abundance

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trophic structure

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Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, quaternary etc.

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energetic hypothesis

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higher the plant biomass, the longer the food chain

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dynamic stability hypothesis

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long chains are generally less stable, fluctuations at lower trophic levels are magnified at higher levels if the plant level is disturbed.

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bar graph with mosquito larve

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if more leaf litter was added to the tree-hole, the longer the food chain would become.

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Dominant specie vs. keystone species

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Dominant species: has dramatic effect on their habitat because of their abundance

Keystone species: their role has a dramatic impact on their environment (once considered rare species)

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American Chestnut story

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Disease killed the chestnut trees. bc of this, 7 species of insects became extinct because of their dependence on the tree

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Keystone Species

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Because of their role in the environment, when keystone species are affected, the organisms around them will be dramatically affected as well (African Elephants, floridan alligator)

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Cascading effect

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Think of the otters and the killer whales. bc a species is introduced or reintroduced, the rest of the trophic levels will be dramatically affected as well.

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bottom-up control

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when the plant and producers of the trophic levels controls the ecosystem structure. increases productivity for all trophic levels

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top-down control

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a predator controls the structure/population dynamics of the ecosystem. (an example is the urchins and otter and sea kelp ecosystem)

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"balance of nature paradigm"

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ecologists used to believe that most biological communities are at equilibrium unless seriously disturbed by human activities

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Disturbances

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Include: fire, floods, human activities

vary in intensity and frequency

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Intermediate disturbance hypothesis

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moderate levels of disturbance foster greater species diversification than do high or low levels of disturbance. (think of the graph with an arch and dots on the arch)

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Primary succession vs. secondary succession

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Prim: when a new ecosystem is formed on a brand new "canvas" (new volcanic island)

Sec: when a new ecosystem is formed after an event (fire, flood etc)

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"in the realm of the tropics"

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describes the climate system in central and south america

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"fertility"

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discusses how rainforests can support so much life. rainforests rely on the roots of the giant trees and the phosphorus and potassium output of the decomposers to thrive.

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"canyon of lights"

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talks about when trees fall and allow plants the exposure to light that they need. Just apart of the cycle and allowing for new things to grow where old things once stood.

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"hanger-on"

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discusses the plants that are able to cling to the large trees around them and obtain nutrients.

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"Jerry's maggot"

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Talks about how one of the author's colleagues, inadvertently becomes the host for a botfly maggot

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"pollination mechanisms"

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rainforest plants do not usually use wind for dispersal. Usually animals are the source of pollination in the rainforest. But the major source of pollination are insects.

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"bugs and drugs"

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discusses secondary compounds. discusses catepillars that feed on certain damaged vines and die because of the secondary compounds released when the plant is hurt