Ecology - Genetics
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58 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Gene | A unit of heredity(traits) in a living organism that is passed to offspring |
| Chromosome | Organized structure of DNA and protein found in cells |
| Human cell nucleus | 23 Pairs of chromosomes exist in what? |
| Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid | DNA molecules are large and complex. They carry the genetic code that determines the characteristics of a living thing. |
| What is a Gene? | A gene is a short section of DNA. Each gene codes for a specific protein by specifying the order in which amino acids must be joined together. |
| Mitosis | Type of cell division that leads to growth repair. When a cell divides by this process two new cells for where each cell is identical to the other one and the cell they were formed from. |
| Biological Evolution | Changes in attributes of a population over time. |
| Fitness is | A measure of the contribution of an individual to future generations and can also be called adaptive value. |
| Fitness | Higher reproductive rate, longer survival, and higher ____ where an organism leaves more descendants. |
| Variation | All life forms vary genetically within a population |
| Inheritance | Genetic traits are inherited from parents and are passed on to offspring. |
| Selection | Organisms with traits that are favourable to their survival and reproduction are more likely to pass on their genes to the next generation |
| Natural selection | Variation, Inheritance, Selection, Time. |
| Allele | Are a different form of a gene. They can be dominant or recessive |
| Genotype | An organism's set of genes that it carries. |
| Directional selection | Phenotypes at one extreme are selected against |
| Stabilizing selection | Phenotypes near the mean of the population are fitter than those at the extremes. |
| Disruptive Selection | Extremes are favoured over the mean |
| Phenotype | An organism's observable characteristics - which are influenced both by its genotype and by the environment. |
| Distribution | Where organisms are found |
| Abundance | How many organisms are found in a given area |
| Optimality models | help us think about what the costs and benefits are |
| Biodiversity | ______ is the total variety of life on earth. It includes all genes, species and ecosystems and the ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES of which they are a part |
| Ecological interactions | Interactions "structure" communities, maintain diversity, and make ecosystems work examples: Competition Predation Mutualisms (e.g. pollination, seed dispersal) |
| Conservation Biology | Concerned with loss of biodiversity, not just loss of species: ◦ "Fundamental loss of resources in genetics, species, community attributes and ecosystem properties" ◦ maintenance of biodiversity, ecological and evolutionary processes |
| intrinsic values | All species have value independently of their utility to humans |
| Utilitarian values | Species that provide the "greatest good to the greatest number" (over the longest time) have value |
| Cons bio | can include both value systems, "To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering" (Leopold 1943). |
| synthetic approach | Both intrinsic value and utilitarian value |
| Fragmentation | disruption of extensive habitats into small ones, mostly isolated patches of habitat. Edge effects. |
| relaxation | loss of species from isolated habitats over time |
| edge effects | negative impacts adjacent to habitat boundaries Forest edges: ◦ more sunlight ◦ drying ◦ high winds ◦ tree mortality ◦ invasive species ◦ more predators |
| core area | part of a patch not impacted by edge effects. Patch size is not always the best predictor of patch quality more about how much of it has a core centre. |
| evolution and extinction | Biodiversity is not static but constantly changing. 99% of the species that ever lived have gone extinct by mass extinctions, background extinctions, finite lifetimes |
| biological communities | assemblages of interdependent species |
| habitat loss | 88% of all extinctions of species is due to __________. Most important and substantial problem. |
| Isolation | reduced immigration, re-colonization |
| Size of habitat | more species, more habitats, larger populations, protects vulnerable species |
| Shape of habitat | Reduced edge/area ratio, edge effects, disturbance regime: maintenance of disturbance generated patch heterogeneity, includes whole functional units, includes whole environmental gradients |
| disturbance regime | disturbance promotes habitat heterogeneity. By resetting successional sequence in parts of the landscape. |
| size and disturbance regime | Size of reserve should be as big or bigger scale than likely disturbances |
| Habitat heterogeneity | Supports species requiring multiple habitat types. Supports early successional species. |
| pollution | most important problem for aquatic systems (chemical pollutants, acid precipitation |
| bioaccumulation | Process by which toxin concentrations increase in living tissues (concentrations increase through the food chain) |
| Measuring Natality | _____ rate depends on species and environmental conditions. Many of these offspring don't survive |
| Potential longevity | organisms potential life span under ideal conditions |
| Realized longevity | Actual life span under natural conditions |
| Direct measurements | Mark individuals and observe how many survive from time t to time time t +1 |
| Indirect measurements | Estimates from decline in relative abundance from age group to age group |
| Life table | the age specific mortality schedule of a population |
| R-Selection (RAPID) | Early reproduction, invest in high reproductive rates, have little or no paternal care, short life span, high morality rates, tend to occur in unpredictable environments, below carrying capacity` |
| K-Selection | Late reproduction, low reproductive rates, invest in extensive pate, long life span, low mortality rates, tend to occur in predic, near carrying capacity |
| sunlight | most energy is derived from _____. |
| unidirectional | Energy flow is ______. |
| Rules of energy | The ___ __ ____ dictate diversity and abundance of organisms |
| food webs | Energy is distributed in complex _____ ____. |
| First Law of Thermodynamics | Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Energy is simply converted from one form to another. |
| Second law of thermodynamics | mk |
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