| Term | Definition |
|---|
| conservation ecology | ecology where one has to maintain biodiversity |
| restoration ecology | ecology where one has to restore and repair damaged communities |
| global ecology | ecology where one treats the earth and a single ecosystem |
| observational study | an ecological study where a researcher observers patterns, but does not explain a situation |
| field study | an ecological study where a researcher manipulates factors, this study can be expensive and difficult |
| lab study | an ecological study where the experiment is highly simplified and in controlled conditions |
| mathematical study | an ecological study where prior knowledge of the system under study is required |
| Darwin | this man discovered natural selection as a mechanism for evolution; made discoveries on a 5 year voyage on the Beagle |
| Wallace | independently arrived at the same conclusion as Darwin |
| artificial selection | animal or plant breeding where individuals are selected for desirable traits and the rest are killed |
| Malthus | a man who stated that the human population is capable of doubling every 25 years, but it does not because resources are limited |
| Theory of Natural selection | 1) No two individuals are exactly alike; 2) Some variation is heritable and offspring tend to resemble their parents 3) All populations are capable of geometric increase; 4) Individual with advantageous traits have more offspring; 5) Natural selection results in adaptation that improve survival/reproduction |
| fitness | the ability to contribute offspring to the next generation |
| natural selection | can only work on existing heritable variation, (Mutations, Assortment, Crossing Over) |
| directional selection | selection favors one extreme of variation to others |
| stabilizing selection | selection favors the average variation |
| disruptive selection | selection favors the extremes in variation |
| conservative traits | traits that are always present in a species |
| phenotype | the traits possessed by an organism; the result of an interaction between the environment and genes; the physical representation of the genotype |
| genotype | the genetic makeup of an organism; the biochemical representation of the phenotype |
| ecotypes | different forms of the same species adapted to a particular environment |
| clines | gradual changes in genotype or phenotype over an environmental gradient |
| reciprocal transplant experiment | a switch in individuals to test weather phenotypes remain the same |
| biological species concept | a species is a group of individuals that can breed in their natural environment |
| gene flow | the flow of genetic material between different population to maintain their species |
| spatial isolation | a type of isolation where the organisms can not breed due to their geographic location |
| temporal isolation | a type of isolation where the organisms can not breed due to variances in the times that each organism is active or alive |
| behavioral isolation | a type of isolation where the organisms can not breed due to variances in character that prevent reproduction |
| mechanical isolation | a type of isolation where the organisms can not breed due to physical reproductive incompatibility |
| gametic isolation | a type of isolation where the organisms can not breed because gametes are incompatible |
| reduced hybrid viability | a type of isolation where the organisms can breed, but the offspring is sterile |
| hybrid breakdown | a type of isolation where the organisms can breed, but the resulting offspring are weak or die shortly after death |
| morphological species concept | a species is based on arbitrary selected physical traits |
| Linnaeus | a man who used the morphological species concept to classify organisms |
| allopatric speciation | speciation occurs with a geograaphic barrier present (eg. two organisms on two opposite sides of a mountain) |
| adaptive radiation | the evolution of diversely adapted species from a common ancestor upon introduction to new environmental opportunities |
| sympatric speciation | the divergence of the same species within the same geographic area |
| endemic species | species known only from one area and are usually groups that have poor dispersal abilities |
| plate tectonics | theory that the plates of the Earth are moving |
| subduction | when the Earth's plates collide |
| convergent evolution | evolution where two species start off different and become similar due to similar environmental demands |
| parallel evolution | evolution where two species follow each other in morphology and stay similar through time |
| polyploidy | presence of an extra set of chromosomes due to accidents in cellular division |
| assortative mating | when species prefer to mate with their own morph |
| conditions | physical or chemical factors that are not consumed |
| resources | factors that are consumed (eg. light, water, food, nutrients) that may result in competition |
| temperature | a condition that affects the metabolic reactons within organisms, if too high or low, can cause metabolic imparement |
| photoperiod | the hours of daylight in a 24h period |
| chilling | a temperature condition that breaks seed dormancy |
| ectotherms | organisms where body temperature is controlled by the environment |
| poikilotherms | organisms that have a variable body temperature |
| endotherms | organisms that internally regulate body temperature |
| homeotherms | organisms with a constant body temperature |
| heterotherms | organisms that are sometimes endothems or ectotherms |
| sun leaf | a thick leaf with more cell layers and more chloroplasts |
| shade leaf | a thin leaf with a larger surface to mass ratio |
| transpiration | water from soil to roots to stems to leaves to air |
| stomata | pores in leaves that allow water and carbon dioxide out during the day and close during the night or drought |
| RDZ | area around the roots of a plant known as a resource depletion zone |
| heterotrophs | need to consume organic Carbon |
| polyphagons | generalist heterotrophs that eat a varied diet |
| monophagons | specalist heterotrophs that eat only specific prey or part of prey |
| grazers | herbivores that eat leafy tissue |
| browsers | herbivores that eat woody tissue |
| granivores | herbivores that eat seeds |
| frugivores | herbivore that eat fruit |
| nectivores | herbivore that eat(drink) nectar |
| phloem feeders | herbivore that eat(drink) sap |
| ruminant | a herbivore that has a specialized digestive system incorporating symbiotic organisms for the digestion of cellulose(eg. cows, sheep) |
| carnivores | composition of food is of animal tissue |
| herbivore | composition of food is of plant tissue |
| omnivore | composition of food is both from animal and plant sources, they feed on more then one trophic level, diet varies from season to season |
| physical defenses | thorns, spines, shells, scales that defend prey |
| chemical defenses | compounds released by prey to defend themselves from predators |
| cryptic coloration | camouflage to avoid predation |
| aposematism | warning coloration to avoid predation |
| batesian mimicry | harmless prey mimics a dangerous one to avoid predation |
| mùllerian mimicry | many harmful prey resemble each other to avoid predation |
| predator satiation | rapid increase in abundance of prey to avoid predation , predators only consume a fraction of the population |
| intraspecific competition | competition between individuals of the same species |
| interspecific competition | competition between individuals of different species |
| scramble competition | competition where all individuals are affected equally |
| contest competition | competition where some individuals suffer while others are unaffected |
| exploitation competition | competition where there is no interaction between individuals (eg. sheep and a grazing pasture) |
| interference competition | competition where there is direct interaction between individuals (eg. a cheetahs aggression over a territorial dispute) |
| density dependence | an increase in crowding that increases the severity of conditions |
| niche | the sum of the conditions and resources needed by an organism |
| climate | long term average patterns of weather at a given locality |
| the sun | celestial body with an average temperature of 5800° |
| the Earth | celestial body with an average temperature of 15° |
| 23.5° | the obliquity of the Earth's tilt |
| summer solstice | June 21, 23.5° north, longest day of summer |
| winter solstice | December 21, 23.5° south, shortest day of winter |
| spring equinox | March 21, 12 hours of daylight |
| autumn equinox | September 21, 12 hours of daylight |
| arctic circle | anything above 66.5° north |
| antarctic circle | anything below 66.5° south |
| precipitation | this weather is formed when either of the three conditions occur: (Convective lifting, Orographic lifting, Frontal storms) |
| westerlies | wind patterns where the wind blows from the southwest to northeast |
| easterlies | wind patterns where the wind blows from the northwest to southeast |
| ITCZ | The Inter Tropical Convergence Zone, where convective precipitation occurs due to colliding trade winds |
| gyre | a large whirlpool in the oveans |
| La nina | west coast of South America(dry) is cold because of cold upwelling; Asia/Australia(wet) |
| EL Niño | warm water accumulation off west coast of South America(wet); Asia/Australia(dry) |
| biomes | environments that cover a significant amount of area |
| wet forest | biome near equator with a permanent canopy, vegetation is stratified, high productivity, low nutrients in soil |
| dry forest | biome further from equator, seasonal rainfall, drought deciduous |
| savanna | biome with tropical grasslands with scattered trees, seasonal rainfall, droughts, fires |
| desert | biome with <30cm of rain a year, either hot or cold, very low productivity |
| chaparral | biome near coastal areas with mild wet winters, but hot dry summers fires, drought deciduous |
| temperate grassland | biome with deep fertile soil, periodic drought, fire, hot summers, cold winters |
| temperate deciduous forests | biome with moderate or high precipitation, seasonal canopy, loss of leaves stops dessication |
| coniferous forests | biome with colder then deciduous conditions, short growing season, evergreen leaves, conical shape to prevent snow accumulation |
| tundra | biome with cold, dry, windy, permafrost prevent extension of roots; it floods when it rains, low productivity |
| photic zone | zone where photosynthesis can occur |
| aphotic zone | zone where photosynthesis can not occur |
| fresh water | water with salt<1% |
| salt water | water with salt about 3% |
| litteral zone | zone in lakes close to shore, shallow, photic, rooted and floating plants |
| limnectic zone | zone in lakes far from shore, shallow, photic, |
| profundal zone | zone in lakes very deep and aphotic |
| benthic zone | zone in lakes that is the lake bed; can be both photic and aphotic; decomposers |
| river | a water body where the faster the water the higher the [O2], animals are streamlined to cling to the bottom |
| wetland | biome with marshes, swamps, bogs, shallow and photic |
| estuaries | biome where rivers meet an ocean, salinity varies with distance from river |
| intertidal zone | zone in oceans where the tide comes up and down |
| neritic zone | zone in an ocean which is photic just a little farther from shore; corals are found in this zone |
| oceanic zone | zone the photic zone that extends from the neritic zone all the way accross |
| pelagic zone | zone in an ocean where it is deep, can be photic or aphotic |
| abyssal zone | zone in an ocean that is far from shore in the deepest areas |
| coral reefs | biome with very high levels of diversity and production, found in the neridic zone of the ocean in tropical locations |
| population | individuals of one species in an (arbitrarily defined) area |
| unitary organism | an organism that is predictable, has a fixed number of parts, and is indivisible |
| modular organisms | organisms that have a varying number of modules, branching structure |
| genet | is one genetic individual, all modules are from the same zygote |
| ramet | independent, asexually produced modules (clones) |
| life history | the schedule of birth, growth, reproduction and death |
| annual | 1 generation a year |
| perennial | 1 generation is extended over multiple years |
| iteroparous | multiple breeding occasions |
| semelparous | only one breeding occasion |
| seed bank | dormant seed in a soil bank |
| ephemerals | vegetative phase <8 weeks |
| cohort | all individuals born in a certain time period |
| cohort life table | survivorship of a cohort over time |
| exponential growth | type of growth populations exhibit in uncrowded conditions |
| migration | the movement of populations from areas of little food to areas with an abundance of food |
| k | the symbol for the carrying capacity, the maximum number of individuals that a particular environment can support |
| r selection | symbol for selection when N <<k |
| k selection | when N≅k, this type of selection favors better quality offspring |
| fundamental niche | the full environmental area an organism can occupy |
| realized niche | the environmental area an organism occupies in light of competition and other pressures |
| competitive exclusion principle | two species can coexist in a stable environment as a result of different niches, if they share the same niche, one will go extinct |
| ∝ | the symbol for the competition coefficient and is the effect of one species on another in the Lotka-Volterra model |
| character displacement | natural selection reduces traits in organisms in order to avoid niche overlap |
| niche complementary | overlapping niches that differ in terms of 1 resource or condition |
| guild | groups of similar species exploiting the same resource |
Combine with other sets
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