1.
Age structure: the relative number of individuals of each age in a population
2.
biogeography: study of past and present distribution of species
3.
biosphere: part of Earth in which life exists including land, water, and air or atmosphere
4.
clumped dispersion: Applies when social behaviors or resource management cause individuals in a population to cluster together.
5.
cohort: a group of individuals born at the same time
6.
community ecology: The study of how interactions between species affect community structure and organization
7.
competition: when members of different species are trying to beat the other to the limited resources
8.
competitive exclusion principal: Ecological rule that states that no two species can occupy the same exact niche in the same habitat at the same time.
9.
demography: The study of human populations in terms of size, density, location, age, gender, race, occupation, and other statistics
10.
diversity: the number of species present in a community as well as the relative abundance of each species
11.
dominant species: highest abundance or biomass in a community, usually the more competitive and most successful at avoiding predators
12.
ecology: scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment
13.
ecosystem: a community and its physical enviroment (biotic and abiotic)
14.
endoskeleton: internal skeleton or supporting framework in an animal. advantage- strength and growth
disadvantage- weight
15.
exoskeleton: the exterior protective or supporting structure or shell of many animals (especially invertebrates) including bony or horny parts such as nails or scales or hoofs. Adv. strength, protection,storage of energy and weight.
Dis. risk puncture under impart locomotion
16.
exponential/ J-shaped curve: growth pattern in which the individuals in a population reproduce at a constant rate. like bacteria multiplying
17.
factors affection habitat selection: basic needs, breeding, nestling/lover/refuge, for aging feeding areas
18.
habitat selection: The process by which organisms choose habitats among the options encountered.
19.
hydraulic skeleton: the use of blood fluids in open circulatory system to give support and help movement. increased blood pressure. octopus,starfish, fluid and rigid elements in spider legs, jumping spiders
20.
interspecific competition: competition between members of different species
21.
K- strategy: reproduction. fewer young. parents take care of them and high survival rate
22.
life history: series of events from birth,
thru reproduction to death
age which repo. 1st occurs, freq. of repo.,# of offspring, amount of parental care, energy cost of repo.
23.
life table: age specific summary of the survivorship and fecundity of a population by age class. best constructed by following the fate of a cohort
24.
logistic/ s-shaped growth: slowed by limiting factors
25.
mark and recapture method: a way to estimate populations by capturing, tagging, releasing and recapturing a sample of the original sample. Works for organisms that move.
26.
metamorphosis: the marked and rapid transformation of a larva into an adult that occurs in some animals
27.
metapopulations: groups of pop. linked by immigration and emigration. higher levels of immigration comb. with higher survival= greater pop stability
28.
Optimal foraging theory: The basis for analyzing behavior as a compromise of feeding costs versus feeding benefits. Where to hunt, which pray to select, how to catch prey, how to avoid predators while hunting, always a trade off initime vs. nutrient, value vs. survival
29.
population ecology/ abundance: number of individuals in the population at any given time
30.
Primary succession: begins in virtually lifeless area where soil has not yet been est. slow may take 1000 of years
31.
R- strategy: reproduction. lots of young. pretty much no parental care. low survival rate
32.
Random dispersion: position of each individual is independent of other individuals, occurs in the absense of strong attractions or repulsions, ex. dandelions in a field
33.
realized niche: the range of resources and conditions a species actually uses or can tolerate at optimal efficiency; smaller than fundamental niche
34.
resource partitioning: in a biological community various populations sharing environmental resources through specialization thereby reducing direct competition
35.
sampling: measure of a population
36.
secondary succession: the series of changes that occur after a disturbance of an existing ecosystem
37.
semelparity: reproductive effect, r-strategy, sexual or asexual explosion, examples: grasshoppers, may filles, octupus/squids
38.
sex ratio: population of individuals of each sex the # females is more important in the overall growth rate of populations
39.
sexual dimorphism: when 2 sexes differ greatly in appearance
40.
survivorship: probability of a newborn surviving to a particular age
41.
survivorship curve: curve that est. probability of cohorts living to different ages over time.
42.
territoriality: the behavior of a male animal that defines and defends its territory. examples: cheetas
43.
uniform dispersion: individuals are evenly distributed, may be influenced by social interactions such as territory. Example: Birds nest on small islands
44.
variability: difference among individuals, usually caused by genes and the environment
