Chapter 14
What is the formula for calculating population density
# of individuals/area (units^2)
Steps of secondary succession
1) 0-2 yrs. weeds and other plants grow. 2) 2-18 yrs, grass, shrubs, and pine seedlings grow. 4) 70-100 yrs, pine-oak-hickory forest is developing
Steps of primary succession
1)0-15 yrs. Moss, lichens, and other pioneer species grow. 2)15-80 yrs. Shrubs, cottonwoods, and alder thickets grow. 3) 80-115 yrs. Transition to forest. 4) 115-200 yrs. Hemlock-spruce forest
What is the difference between an organism's habitat and its ecological niche?
A habitat is all of the biotic and abiotic factors in the area where an organism lives, while a niche includes all physical, chemical, and biological factors that a species needs to survive, stay healthy, and reproduce.
Term habitat comes for work means "to dwell." Explain how this word origin relates to the definition of a habitat.
A habitat is an area or environment where an organism or ecological community normally dwells or lives.
What is competitive exclusion
A principle that states that when two species are competing for the same resources, one species will be better suited to the niche and the other species will either be pushed into another niche or become extinct.
Examples in niche
All of the above plus hunting behavior
biosphere
All the living organisms on Earth and the land, air, and water in which organisms live. Includes all ecosystems.
Microclimate
Climate within a small area that differs significantly from the climate of the surrounding area
Examples of density-dependent limiting factors
Competition, prededation, parasitism, and disease
density-dependent/ density-independent
Density-dependent limiting factor depends on the population density; density-independent limiting factor does not.
survivorship curve
Diagram showing the number of surving members over time from a measured set of births
Population crash
Dramatic decline in the size of a population over a short period of time
explain why ecological equivalents do not share the same niche
Ecological equivalents live in two different geographic locations and therefore do not compete for the same resources.
exponential growth/logistic growth
Exponential growth occurs when a population increases rapidly over a short period of time; Logistic growth occurs when a population grows slowly for a while, has a short period of exponential growth, then levels off at a stable size.
what type of population growth is at risk for a population crash? Explain.
Exponential growth. The population may outgrow available resources such as food
Factors to change population size
Immigration Emmigration Death Birth
what does equivalent mean in math? how does that meaning relate to ecological equivalents.
In math, an equivalent refers to two sets that have identical or corresponding parts; in a similar way, ecological equivalents are two species that occupy identical niches but occur in different regions.
Type 1
Low level of infant mortality and an older population. Common to large mammals and humans
Temporate Zone
Moderate climate zone between the polar zones and the tropics
logistic growth
Population growth that is controlled by limited resources
What is the difference between primary and secondary succession?
Primary succession is the establishment and development of an ecosystem in an area that was preciously uninhabited, the process of primary succession might be started by glacial retreat, volcanic eruptions, or landslides. Secondary succession is the reestablishment of a damaged ecosystem in an area where soil was left intact, the process of secondary succession may be started after a flood or fire.
Exponential growth
Rapid population increase due to an abundance of resources
Type 2
Survivorship rate is equal at all stages of life. Common to birds and reptiles
Key factors to shape climate
Temp Sunlight Water Wind
Describe the Gaia hypothesis
The Gaia hypothesis explains how biotic and abiotic factors interact in the biosphere. In this hypothesis, the Earth is considered to be a sort of living organism in which the atmosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere function together to yield a biosphere that can sustain life.
What is the connection between the biota and biosphere
The biota is the collection of living things that live in the biosphere
Use your knowledge of the word pioneer to write a deefinition for the term pinoeer species
The first person to settle a new area is a pioneer; likewise, a pioneer species is the first species to inhabit a once-empty area.
What is ecological succession
The sequence of biotic changees that regenerate a damaged community in a preciously uninhabited area.
in competitive exclusion, who is competing and who gets excluded
Two species that use the same resources in the same way compete together; the species that is less suited (less well-adapted) will be pushed out of the niche or become extinct.
Type 3
Very high birth rate, very high infant mortality. Common to invertebrates and plants.
How does the availability of resources affect population growth
When resources are abundant, populations can grow at a more rapid pace; when resources are lacking, populations begin to decline
What is meant by the term reproductive strategy? What accounts for differences in reproductive strategies
a reproductive strategy is the way an animal reproduces; for an animal with many predators, it makes sense to lay thousands of eggs because that ensures that a least a few might survive to adulthood; those animals with fewer predators can invest more time in caring for their young
hydrosphere
all of Earths water, ice, and water vapor
what is the difference between endoparasites and ectoparasites
an endoparasite lives on the inside of its host and an ectoparasite lives on the outside of its host
How is parasitism similar to and different from predation
both refer to relationships in which one organism benefits and the other is harmed/eaten; parasitism is a symbiotic relationship in which two organisms live in close contact with one another, such a close relationship is not necessary for predation
List two reasons why population might live in a clumped dispersion and two reasons why a population might live in a uniform dispersion
clumped dispersion— individuals may live close together in groups to facilitate mating, gain protection, or access food resources; uniform dispersion— territoriality and intraspecies competition for limited resources lead to individuals living at specific distances from one another
Polar zone
cold climate zone where the sun's rays strike Earth at a very low angle
geosphere
features of earths surface, including continents and the sea floor, and everything below earths surface
Examples in habitat
food, other lions, trees, watering hole, wildebeest, zebra, sand, temperature, grass, savanna.
Emigrate/ immigrate
immigration is the movement of individuals into a population. Emigration is the movement of individuals out of a population
A hyena chases off a vulture to feast on antelope carcass
interspecific
two squirrels race up a tree to reach nuts
intraspecific
What might cause the population density of a population of deer to increase
lack of predators, plenty of food resources
What type of population growth curve shows a carrying capacity
logistic growth
Use you knowledge of the word "mutual" to write a definition for mutualism
mutual refers to a relationship, such as a mutual agreement; mutualism is a symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit
What are the three possible outcomes of competitive exclusion?
one competitor is pushed out of a niche by another competitor, niche partitioning (resources are divided among competitors), or evolutionary response (divergent evolution occurs).
mutualism
one organism benefits other organism benefit. Flower and bee; pilot fish and shark.
parasitism
one organism benefits other organism harmed. Deer and ticks
commensalism
one organism benefits other organism no impact. Barnacles and whales; human and mites on eyelash folicle
what is the difference between population density and population dispersion
population density is a measurement of the number of individuals living in a defined space while a population dispersion is the way in which individuals of a population are spread in an area or a volume
What are ecological equivalents
species that occupy similar niches but live in different geographical regions
The term symbiosis comes from a Greek term which means "living together." How does this word origin help to explain the definition of symbiosis
symbiosis is an ecological relationship between members of at least two different species that live together in direct contact mutual refers to a relationship, such as a
atmosphere
the air blanketing earths solid and liquid surface
Examples of density-independent limiting factors
unusual weather, natural disasters, human activities
Tropical zone
warm climate zone that receives direct or nearly direct sunlight year round
Explain how 4 earth systems connect
within the biosphere, a plant grows in the ground (geosphere). During photosynthesis, oxygen is expelled into the atmosphere. Precipitation (hydrosphere) is needed for the plant to grow.