| A | B |
|---|
| density-dependent factor | a factor that limits a population more as population density increases. |
| density-independent factors | Extreme weather events have the same effect on a population regardless of its size. |
| boom and bust population cycle | A population that repeatedly and regularly increases and decreases in size. lemming populations |
| life history of an organism | the reproductive cycle of animals and plants |
| Life tables | how mortality varies with age over a time period corresponding to maximum life span. |
| life table | a concise way of showing the probabilities of a member of a particular population living to or dying at a particular age. |
| Type I survivorship | humans –high survival rate of the young, live out most of their expected life span and die in old age. |
| Type II survivorship | that have a relatively constant death rate throughout their life span. Death could be due to hunting or diseases. Coral – squirrel – honey bees – reptiles. |
| Type III survivorship | have many young, most of which die very early in their life. Plants, oysters |
| equilibrial life history | based on repeated reproductive episodes that produce smaller numbers of well-endowed offspring likely to survive to adulthood. This is usually found in larger species that mature slowly. The high survival rate of offspring results in more stable population sizes that vary around an equilibrium point. |
| opportunistic life history | based on the production of a large number of offspring during a single reproductive episode. Desert annuals and garden weeds are opportunistic species. |
| Guppy experiment | predation might cause contrasting life histories in guppy populations by natural selection. |
| significance of the pronghorn antelope | Exhibits unique adaptations that fit their unique environment. Cannot adapt to other environments. |
| Community | Is the variety of different kinds of organisms that live in a specific environment. |
| 2 key properties of communities | Species richness & relative abundance of the different species. |
| diversity | prevalent form of vegetation is dependent on the terrestrial conditions and temperature. |
| stability | Refers to the community’s ability to resist change and return to its original species combination after being disturbed. |
| trophic structure of a community | the feeding relationships among the various species making up the community. |
| interspecific interactions | interactions between species. |
| site-specific competition | May occur when two or more species in a community rely on similar limiting resources. |
| ecological niche | Is the sum total of a species’ use of the biotic and abiotic resources in its environment. |
| competitive exclusion principle | Two species cannot coexist in a community if their niches are identical. |
| resource partitioning | Extinction of one species - Evolution of one species to use a different set of resources. Is the differentiation of niches that enables similar species to coexist in a community. |
| predation | Is when organisms eat other organisms. |
| adaptations of predators | claws-teeth-fangs-etc |
| Discuss plant defenses | Chemical toxins & Spines and thorns |
| Behavioral defenses against preditors | Alarm calls & Mobbing |
| Distrction displays | Direct the attention of the predator. |
| Camouflage | or cryptic coloration |
| Batesian mimicry | catipillar looks like a snake |
| Mullerian mimicry | Two or more unpalatable species resemble each other. |
| Biomass | Is the amount of organic material in an ecosystem. |
| Energy pyramid | energy flows as organic matter through the trophic levels of an ecosystem and loses 10% at each level. |
| biogeochemical cycling | Are chemical cycles in an ecosystem that involve both biotic and abiotic components. |
| biogeochemical cycles | one each circuit has an abiotic reservoir – two a portion can rely on geological process – three some chemicals require processing before they’re available as inorganic nutrients. |
| Biomes | major types of ecosystems that cover large geographic regions |
| Climate affects biomes | heat and precipitation. |
| The intertidal zone | Is the area where land meets water it includes organisms adapted to attach to rocks or vegetation or to burrow. |
| The pelagic zone | Is the open ocean that contains phytoplankton and zooplankton. |
| The benthic zone | Is the ocean bottom or seafloor and May include hydrothermal vent communities. |
