Building Blocks
This process, which occurs in both heterotrophs and autotrophs, converts organic molecules into usable chemical energy.
What is cellular respiration?
Competition, predation, and symbiosis are this type of ecological factor.
What are biotic factors?
Corals form dense reef structures in which individual polyps bud and grow directly next to each other where suitable habitat is available. This is this type of population distribution.
What is clumped distribution?
This term describes the record of events relating to growth, development, reproduction, and survival in an organism's life.
What is life history?
Researchers conduct a experiment to investigate the following research question: "How does depth affect photosynthetic rates in green algae?" What is the independent variable?
What is depth?
Whales depend heavily on this class of organic molecule for long-term energy storage and insulation.
What are lipids?
A mangrove species could survive anywhere temperatures stay above freezing, but competition and disease limit it to only part of that area. The full area where it could survive is called this.
What is the fundamental niche?
A group of separate subpopulations connected by dispersal is called this.
What is a metapopulation?
Plankton reproduce rapidly, produce many small offspring, and often thrive in disturbed environments. They fall toward this end of the life-history spectrum.
What is r-selected?
Researchers count 120 oysters on Reef A and 120 oysters on Reef B. Reef A covers 10 m², while Reef B covers 30 m². The reefs have the same ________, but Reef A has a higher ________.
What are abundance and density?
An animal that actively controls its internal salt and water balance is called this.
What is an osmoregulator?
Two damselfish of the same species compete for the same nesting space. This is what type of competition?
What is intraspecific competition?
Disease becomes more severe as a fish population becomes crowded. What kind of population regulation is this?
What is density-dependent regulation?
An animal that reproduces multiple times during its lifetime uses this reproductive strategy.
What is iteroparity / iteroparous?
Researchers compare the average density of fish found at three different habitat types. Which type of graph would be most appropriate for comparing these groups?
What is a bar graph?
This field is defined as the study of evolutionary relatedness.
What are phylogenetics?
Overfishing causes shark populations to decline. Their prey increase, which then reduces populations of smaller reef organisms and changes algal abundance. This chain reaction across multiple feeding levels is called this.
What is a trophic cascade?
This value represents the average number of offspring per female at each age.
What is fecundity?
Larger offspring and higher parental care are associated with this selection strategy.
What is K-selected?
Researchers conduct an experiment in which they vary nutrient concentration and measure algal cover on four different reef plots. Give an appropriate scientific title for the graph.
What is “Effect of Nutrient Concentration on Algal Cover” / "Algal Cover at Different Nutrient Concentrations on a Reef" / etc.?
Both variables mentioned!
Two fish survive to adulthood, but Fish A produces 20 surviving offspring while Fish B produces only 2. This difference shows that Fish A has greater ________.
What is fitness?
Reef-building corals create complex habitat that provides shelter for many fish and invertebrates. This interaction, where one species makes the environment more suitable for others, is called this.
What is facilitation?
This population-growth model produces an S-shaped curve and includes the carrying capacity.
What is logistic growth?
A reef fish species living in an unpredictable environment produces thousands of eggs each year, but invests very little energy in each offspring. Most young die before reaching adulthood. What life-history trade-off is this species making?
What is producing more offspring at the cost of offspring survival?
A researcher studies whether salinity affects oyster growth. They test oysters at 20, 25, 30, and 35 ppt and measure growth in millimeters per week. What label belongs on the y-axis?
What is Oyster Growth (mm/week)?