Ch. 53 Key Concepts: - Dynamic biological processes influence population density, dispersion, and demographics. - Life history traits are products of natural selection. - The exponential model describes population growth in an idealized, unlimited environment. - The logistic model describes how a population grows more slowly as it nears its carrying capacity. - Many factors that regulate population growth are density dependent.
9745403277 | population ecology | The study of populations in relation to the environment, including environmental influences on population density and distribution, age structure, and variations in population size. | 0 | |
9745403278 | density | A measure of how much mass is contained in a given volume. | 1 | |
9745403279 | dispersion | a spreading or scattering or separating | 2 | |
9745403280 | mark-recapture method | A sampling technique used to estimate wildlife populations. | 3 | |
9745403281 | immigration | Movement of individuals into a new location | 4 | |
9745403282 | emigration | Leaving a population | 5 | |
9745403283 | demography | The scientific study of population characteristics. | 6 | |
9745403284 | life tables | Age-specific summaries of survival patterns of a population. | 7 | |
9745403285 | cohort | A population group unified by a specific common characteristic, such as age, and subsequently treated as a statistical unit. | 8 | |
9745403286 | survivorship curve | Graph showing the number of survivors in different age groups for a particular species. | 9 | |
9745403287 | reproductive table | An age-specific summary of the reproductive rates in a population. | 10 | |
9745403288 | life history | Traits that affect an organism's schedule of reproduction and survival. | 11 | |
9745403289 | repeated reproduction | Reproduction in which adults produce offspring over many years; also known as iteroparity. | 12 | |
9745403290 | zero population growth | A decline of the total fertility rate to the point where the natural increase rate equals zero. | 13 | |
9745403291 | exponential population growth | Growth of a population in an ideal, unlimited environment, represented by a J-shaped curve when population size is plotted over time. | 14 | |
9745403292 | carrying capacity | The largest population that an enviorment can support | 15 | |
9745403293 | logistic population growth | when populations are well below the size dictated by the carrying capacity of the region they live in, they will grow exponentially, but as they approach the carrying capacity, their growth rate will decrease and the size of the population will eventually become stable. | 16 | |
9745403294 | K-selection | favorable life-history strategy under stable environmental conditions characterized by the production of a few slow growing, large offspring, iteroparity, long life, poor dispersal, strong competition | 17 | |
9745403295 | r-selection | favorable life history strategy that maximize reproductive success in uncrowded environments; also called density-independent selection. Occurs in unstable environments. Favors early reproduction and many, small offspring. | 18 | |
9745403296 | density independent | limiting factors that are density independent are those that occur regardless of population size and reduce the size of all populations in the area in which they occur by same proportion: mostly abiotic, human activities, and natural disasters | 19 | |
9745403297 | density dependent | limiting factors that operate more strongly on large populations than on small ones and varies according to an change in population density. | 20 | |
9745403298 | population dynamics | The study of short‐ and long‐term changes in the number of individuals for a given population, as affected by birth, death, immigration, and emigration. | 21 | |
9745403299 | metapopulation | A group of spatially separated populations of one species that interact through immigration and emigration. | 22 | |
9745403300 | demographic transition | change in a population from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates | 23 | |
9745403301 | age structure | Percentage of the population (or number of people of each sex) at each age level in a population. | 24 | |
9745403302 | ecological footprint | Land and water area appropriated by each nation as a resource to consume or to absorb the waste it generates. | 25 | |
9745403303 | Behavior | An action carried out by muscles by way of the nervous system in response to stimuli | 26 | |
9745403304 | Behavioral Ecology | Study of how ecology and evolution impacts animal behavior | 27 | |
9745403305 | Fixed Action Pattern | Unlearned acts caused by simple stimuli that are unchangeable and can't be interrupted. (Ex. Three spined sticklebacks act aggressively toward things w/ red coloring because they look like males) | ![]() | 28 |
9745403306 | Migration | Regular long distance change in location due to environmental cues | 29 | |
9745403307 | Circadian Clock | 24 hour cycle which corresponds to a daily cycle of rest and activity synced with light and dark | 30 | |
9745403308 | Circannual Rhythm | Rhythm linked to the yearly cycle of seasons | 31 | |
9745403309 | Signal | Stimulus sent between animals, usually as a form of communication | 32 | |
9745403310 | 4 modes of animal communication | 1. Visual 2. Chemical -- detection + emission of molecules to signal something 3. Tactile -- physical touch 4. Auditory -- aural communication + sounds | 33 | |
9745403311 | Pheremones | Chemical substances used to communicate through odors and tastes, usually in mammals and insects to stimulate mating behaviors or to sound an alarm | 34 | |
9745403312 | Innate Behavior | Behavior shared by multiple individuals by nature | 35 | |
9745403313 | Learning | Modification of behavior through experience | 36 | |
9745403314 | Imprinting | Long lasting behavioral response to an individual objects at a stage of life | ![]() | 37 |
9745403315 | Sensitive Period | Critical amount of time early in an organisms life where they are most receptive to learning behaviors and imprinting. | 38 | |
9745403316 | Imprinting Stimulus | Outside stimulus that directs young's behavior (Ex. young geese tend to follow the first thing that moves away from them) | 39 | |
9745403317 | Spatial Learning | Establishing memories based on an environment's physical space and structure (Ex. Female digger wasps use landmarks to locate their nests) | 40 | |
9745403318 | Cognitive Maps | Mental pictures of a spatial environment used to form relationships between landmarks and their positions | 41 | |
9745403319 | Associative Learning | Associating experiences, good or bad, with satisfaction or a lack thereof | 42 | |
9745403320 | Classical Conditioning | Form of associative learning that involves a repeated action (Ex. Pavlov's dogs) | ![]() | 43 |
9745403321 | Operant Conditioning | Associative learning through trial and error in which organisms associate behavior with a reward or a punishment and then repeats or avoids the action | 44 | |
9745403322 | Cognition | Most complex form of "knowing" relying on awareness, judgement, reasoning, and recollection. (Ex. bees could distinguish same from different colors and patterns to receive a reward when put in a Y-shaped maze) | 45 | |
9745403323 | Problem Solving | Creating an approach to deal with obstacles | 46 | |
9745403324 | Social Learning | Learning through observation, especially of elders or through imitation of authority figures | 47 | |
9745403325 | Foraging | Food obtaining behaviors including eating, collecting, searching, and recognizing | 48 | |
9745403326 | Optimal Foraging Model | Natural selection favors foraging behaviors that limit dangers but support benefits | 49 | |
9745403327 | Promiscuity | No strong bond between mates | 50 | |
9745403328 | Monogamy | 1 male with 1 female, tends to be long lasting | 51 | |
9745403329 | Polygamy | 1 male or female mates with multiple male or females | 52 | |
9745403330 | Sexual Dimorphism | Extent to which males and females differ inappearance | 53 | |
9745403331 | Intersexual Selection | One organism chooses to mate with another organism because of their characteristics (between different sexes) | 54 | |
9745403332 | Intrasexual Selection | Mate competition between members of the same sex | 55 | |
9745403333 | Game Theory | A tool scientists use to evaluate and study behaviors and strategies of individuals. Ex. in a species of lizard the different colors correlate to different behaviors. Scientists used the idea of rock paper scissors to determine who is vulnerable to who) | 56 | |
9745403334 | Altruism | Selflessness which decreases individual fitness but increases the fitness of another individual | 57 | |
9745403335 | Inclusive Fitness | Animals further their own genes through their own offspring and by helping close relatives because they share genes | 58 | |
9745403336 | Kin Selection | Natural selection that favors altruistic behavior through increased reproductive success of relatives (i.e. save your sister but not your cousin) | 59 | |
9745403337 | Reciprocal Altruism | Exchange of aid between individuals that aren't closely related who have the expectation of mutual aid again in the future | 60 |