Chapter 43
Explain imprinting
Imprinting is a form of learning that occurs when a young animal forms an association with the first moving object it is exposed to.
Define exponential growth
Exponential growth is the growth of a population in which there is a rapid increase over a short period of time due to an increase in the number of reproductive females in the population. This produces a J-shaped growth curve.
What is predation?
Predation is the interaction in which one organism (the predator) uses another (the prey) as a food source.
What is a biome?
A biome is one of the biosphere’s major communities, characterized in particular by certain climatic conditions and particular types of plants and animals.
What is an invasive species?
An invasive species is a species that takes over a community or habitat and reduces other lower species.
Explain auditory communication
Auditory Communication is the sound that an animal makes to send a message to another individual.
Explain a limiting factor and give an example
A limiting factor is a resource or environmental condition that restricts the abundance and distribution of an organism. An example of this is trout that live in cool mountain streams where oxygen levels are high whereas carp and catfish live near the shore because they can tolerate warmer waters and lower oxygen concentrations.
List the three types of symbiotic relationships and give an example of each
1. Parasitism
Fleas and ticks on cats or dogs
2. Commensalism
Egrets and buffalos
3. Mutualism
Bacterias in human bodies
How is weather different from climate?
Weather is environmental conditions that occur over a short period of time while climate is weather conditions that occur over a long period of time.
What is habitat loss?
Habitat loss is when a species or ecosystem’s habitat is either destroyed or damaged enough that it is inhabitable.
Define sexual selection
Sexual changes are the changes in males and females, often due to male competition and female selectivity, leading to increased fitness.
What are the three patterns of distribution?
The three patterns of distribution are clumped, scattered, and uniform.
What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
A food chain is the order in which one population feeds on another in an ecosystem whereas a food web is a complex pattern of interconnected food chains that represent the feeding relationships between the organisms in the community.
Where are coral reefs located and what types of life are found in coral reefs?
They are found in shallow, warm, tropical waters.
Filter feeders ( sponges, sea squirts, and fan worms ) and scavengers ( crabs and sea urchins ).
Define the three levels of biodiversity.
Genetic diversity
Community diversity
Landscape diversity
Genetic diversity
Genetic variation that exists among members of a population.
Community diversity
Variety of species in a particular locale, dependent on the species interactions.
Landscape diversity
Variety of habitat elements within an ecosystem (e.g., plains, mountains, and rivers).
Explain and give an example of territoriality
Territoriality is marking and/or defending a particular area against invasion by another species member.
An example of territoriality is when cheetahs mark their territory with their urine.
Define r and k
R: Favorable life history strategy under certain environmental conditions; characterized by a high reproductive rate with little or no attention given to offspring survival.
Define resource partitioning
A mechanism that increases the number of niches by dividing the resource, such as food or living space, among species.
What is a rainshadow and where does it occur?
A rainshadow is the leeward side (side sheltered from the wind) of a mountainous barrier, which receives much less precipitation than the windward side.
Explain Eutrophication and its effect on extinction.
When lakes receive excess nutrients, algae begin to grow in abundance. When it dies, the decomposers break down the algae and use up oxygen, causing fish in the lake to be deprived of oxygen, leading to death.
Explain and give an example of operant conditioning
Operant conditioning is learning that results from rewarding or reinforcing a particular behavior.
An example is when you give a dog a treat or affection after you teach it a trick.
List and explain the 4 alternative agricultural methods
Polyculture: Planting more than one crop in a field
Contour farming: No-till conserves topsoil, so no water runs off
Biological pest control: Using predators to kill pesticides
Crop rotation: Reduces the use of nitrogen-containing fertilizers
Explain the steps of the nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen fixation: Bacteria convert nitrogen gas into ammonium or nitrate, which can be used by plants.
Nitrification: Bacteria convert ammonium into nitrate, which is more easily absorbed by plants.
Assimilation: Plants take up nitrate and use it to make proteins and other organic molecules.
Ammonification: Decomposers break down organic matter and release ammonium back into the soil.
Denitrification: Bacteria convert nitrate back into nitrogen gas, which returns to the atmosphere.
What are the three layers of the lake in the summer and what do they contain?
Surface layer/epilimnion, contains phytoplankton
Middle layer/thermocline, contains some oxygen
Lowest layer/hypolimnion, contains Detritus and decomposition
What is the difference between a source population and a sink population?
A source population can be defined as one that over several generations shows no net change in population size but is a net exporter of individuals. A sink, in contrast, is a net importer of individuals.