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81 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
age structure
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proportion of population members at specific age ranges |
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aggressive display
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visual display by a species member to discourage other members of the same species or different species |
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aposematic coloration
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warning coloration used as a defensive mechanism against predation |
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Batesian mimicry
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type of mimicry where a non-harmful species takes on the warning colorations of a harmful one |
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behavior
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change in an organism’s activities in response to a stimulus |
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biotic potential
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maximal potential growth rate of a species; also known as rmax |
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birth rate
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number of births within a population at a specific point in time; also known as B |
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camouflage
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avoid detection by blending in with the background |
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carrying capacity
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number of individuals of a species that can be supported by the limited resources of a habitat; also known as K |
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classical conditioning
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association of a specific stimulus and response through conditioning |
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cognitive learning
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knowledge and skills acquired by the manipulation of information in the mind |
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commensalism
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relationship between species wherein one species benefits from the close, prolonged interaction, while the other species neither benefits nor is harmed |
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competitive exclusion principle
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no two species within a habitat can coexist when they compete for the same resources at the same place and time |
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conditioned behavior
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behavior that becomes associated with a specific stimulus through conditioning |
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courtship display
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visual display used to attract a mate |
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death rate
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number of deaths within a population at a specific point in time; D |
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demographic-based population model
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modern model of population dynamics incorporating many features of the r- and K-selection theory |
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demography
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statistical study of changes in populations over time |
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density-dependent regulation
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regulation of population that is influenced by population density, such as crowding effects; usually involves biotic factors |
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density-independent regulation
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regulation of populations by factors that operate independent of population density, such as forest fires and volcanic eruptions; usually involves abiotic factors |
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distraction display
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visual display used to distract predators away from a nesting site |
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energy budget
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allocation of energy resources for body maintenance, reproduction, and parental care |
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environmental disturbance
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change in the environment caused by natural disasters or human activities |
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ethology
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biological study of animal behavior |
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exponential growth
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accelerating growth pattern seen in species under conditions where resources are not limiting |
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fecundity potential
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reproductive capacity of an individual |
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fixed action pattern
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series of instinctual behaviors that, once initiated, always goes to completion regardless of changes in the environment |
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foraging
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behaviors species use to find food |
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foundation species
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species which often forms the major structural portion of the habitat |
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habituation
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ability of a species to ignore repeated stimuli that have no consequence |
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host
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organism a parasite lives on |
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imprinting
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identification of parents by newborns as the first organism they see after birth |
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innate behavior
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instinctual behavior that is not altered by changes in the environment |
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intersexual selection
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selection of a desirable mate of the opposite sex |
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interspecific competition
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competition between species for resources in a shared habitat or environment |
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intrasexual selection
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competition between members of the same sex for a mate |
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intraspecific competition
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competition between members of the same species |
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island biogeography
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study of life on island chains and how their geography interacts with the diversity of species found there |
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iteroparity
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life history strategy characterized by multiple reproductive events during the lifetime of a species |
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J-shaped growth curve
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shape of an exponential growth curve |
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K-selected species
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species suited to stable environments that produce a few, relatively large offspring and provide parental care |
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keystone species
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species whose presence is key to maintaining biodiversity in an ecosystem and to upholding an ecological community’s structure |
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kin selection
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sacrificing one’s own life so that one’s genes will be passed on to future generations by relatives |
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kinesis
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undirected movement of an organism in response to a stimulus |
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learned behavior
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behavior that responds to changes in the environment |
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life history
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inherited pattern of resource allocation under the influence of natural selection and other evolutionary forces |
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life table
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table showing the life expectancy of a population member based on its age |
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mark and recapture
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technique used to determine population size in mobile organisms |
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migration
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long-range seasonal movement of animal species |
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monogamy
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mating system whereby one male and one female remain coupled for at least one mating season |
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mortality rate
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proportion of population surviving to the beginning of an age interval that die during the age interval |
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mutualism
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symbiotic relationship between two species where both species benefit |
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Müllerian mimicry
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type of mimicry where species share warning coloration and all are harmful to predators |
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one-child policy
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China’s policy to limit population growth by limiting urban couples to have only one child or face the penalty of a fine |
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operant conditioning
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learned behaviors in response to positive and/or negative reinforcement |
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pioneer species
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first species to appear in primary and secondary succession |
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polyandry
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mating system where one female mates with many males |
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polygyny
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mating system where one male mates with many females |
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population density
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number of population members divided by the area or volume being measured |
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population growth rate
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number of organisms added in each reproductive generation |
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population size
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number of population members in a habitat at the same time; also known as N |
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primary succession
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succession on land that previously has had no life |
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quadrat
|
square made of various materials used to determine population size and density in slow moving or stationary organisms |
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r-selected species
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species suited to changing environments that produce many offspring and provide little or no parental care |
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reflex action
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action in response to direct physical stimulation of a nerve |
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relative species abundance
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absolute population size of a particular species relative to the population sizes of other species within the community |
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S-shaped growth curve
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shape of a logistic growth curve |
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secondary succession
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succession in response to environmental disturbances that move a community away from its equilibrium |
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semelparity
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life history strategy characterized by a single reproductive event followed by death |
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species dispersion pattern
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spatial location of individuals of a given species within a habitat at a particular point in time; also known as species distribution pattern |
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species richness
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number of different species in a community |
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survivorship curve
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graph of the number of surviving population members versus the relative age of the member |
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symbiosis
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close interaction between individuals of different species over an extended period of time that impacts the abundance and distribution of the associating populations |
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taxis
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directed movement in response to a stimulus |
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zero population growth
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steady population size where birth rates and death rates are equal |
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signal |
method of communication between animals including those obtained by the senses of smell, hearing, sight, or touching those obtained by the senses of smell, hearing, sight, or touch |
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parasite |
organism that uses resources from another species, the host |
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logistic growth |
leveling off of exponential growth due to limiting resources |
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Emsleyan/Mertensian mimicry |
type of mimicry where a harmful species resembles a less harmful one |
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climax community |
final stage of succession, where a stable community is formed by a characteristic assortment of plant and animal species |
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behavioral biology |
study of the biology and evolution of behavior |