Glossary

process in which an individual organism adjusts to a change in its environment (reversible process)

morphological, behavioral, and physiological traits that increase fitness in a particular environment

diversification of strategies from other organisms to fill an ecological niche

demographic distribution of males and females of specific age ranges within a population

different form of a gene

a metric to quantify the diversity of types of organisms and/or their relative abundance

offspring are born less developed, requiring significant amounts of parental care

carnivore at the top of a food chain with no natural predators. Apex predators are often keystone species

prey species who share a predator, but do not compete for resources

produces genetically identical offspring

produces genetically identical offspring

moving nutrients into cells where they are used to perform bodily functions

a type of community with relatively consistent species composition, uniform general appearance, and distribution that is characteristic of a particular habitat (i.e. oak-hickory forest); adapted to specific environmental selective pressures

organisms that produce organic compounds via carbon transformation (e.g., carbon dioxide to sugar)

species with no prey in a food web (e.g., autotrophs or detritivores), commonly shown at the bottom of food web diagrams

harmless species mimic deadly ones

variation between communities

the variation within and between different types of life; often quantified as richness (i.e., number of species)

the productivity and abundance of populations at any given trophic level are limited by the productivity and abundance of populations below them (especially primary producers)

the edge or perimeter of a patch

an organism that consumes animal tissue

diversity index for estimating the total number of species in a population, based on the observed species abundance in a given sample

organisms that obtain energy through the oxidation of electron donating molecules in the environment

a relatively stable community that forms over a long period of time without major disturbances, whose membership includes species that are adapted to the stressors associated with their given environment

a measurable, gradual change over a geographic region in the average of some phenotypic character, such as size and coloration.

perpetual adaptation (in response) to another organism

Rear offspring  with different genotypes under same environmental condition

Determines genetic component to phenotype

a group of populations of different species that occupy the same area, that interact directly or indirectly

individuals compete for limited resources

two species competing for same resources as complete competitors (with the same niche requirements and traits) cannot coexist

completely masks the recessive allele in heterozygotes

the proportion of possible links between species that are realized, calculated as the number of links divided by the maximum number of possible links

competition between organisms for a shared food resource

some individuals claim resources at the expense of other individuals (zero-sum game)

the interior of a patch where resources are more abundant

a narrow strip of habitat that connects two patches

the number of organisms in the population directly affects the growth rate

the number of organisms in the population does not have an effect on the growth rate

transmission increases with the number of hosts in a given area

a similar process to acclimation, except it is permanent

plants that have either male or female reproductive organs

over time, population shifts to either higher or lower extremes

over time, population shifts to BOTH extremes and does not favor intermediate

an event that disrupts a community and clears or alters some niches (e.g., hurricane, wildfire)

areas where biodiversity decreases, particularly in desert areas

a broad transition zone between adjoining patches

subpopulation of a species that is adapted to a specific environment

parasites that live on or in the skin (e.g., external host habitat), but not within the body

non-territorial meetings between individuals that negatively affect either one or both species

parasites that live inside the host organism (e.g., internal habitats such as gastrointestinal tract, lungs, liver, roots)

a reaction that absorbs energy/heat into the system

amount of internal energy in a compound

a measure of disorder, or how evenly energy is distributed in a system

A measure of disorder, or how evenly energy is distributed in a system

do not interact with their host for long enough to be considered parasitic (vampire bats and mosquitoes are examples)

biodiversity tends to be highest at/around the equator; this pattern is true for both terrestrial and aquatic species

a measure of alpha diversity that quantifies the extent to which species in a community have similar relative abundance

a reaction that releases heat into the surroundings (the system loses energy)

environmental factors that influence life history strategies, such as age-specific mortality, survivorship

a group of genetically identical individuals, such as plants, fungi, or bacteria, that have grown in a given location, all originating vegetatively, not sexually, from a single ancestor

differences in allele frequencies within or between populations or subpopulations

set of alleles in DNA that influence phenotype

the total amount of carbon fixed by producers during photosynthesis

an organism that consumes plant or fungal tissue

two different alleles for a gene

two of the same alleles for a gene

does not completely mask the recessive allele in heterozygotes; a combination of parental phenotypes are present.

transitional stage of succession characterized by higher turnover of generalist and competitive species

consumers below the top level in a food web, including any organisms connected to a higher and lower trophic level

mate choice, typically by females, based on desirable characteristics (ex: peacocks tail)

between individuals of different species

competition within one gender to be able to mate (ex: males fighting over territory)

between individuals of the same species

factors based on an individual’s genotype that influence life history strategies, including development, genetics, physiology

distant from neighboring patches or populations

reproductive strategy in which an individual reproduces many times during their lifespan

a species with a large body size and long life span that produces fewer offspring later in life. Offspring have a high survival rate and high level of parental investment

a species that has a disproportionate effect on the structure of the rest of the community, relative to its abundance in that community

energy in motion, performing work at expense of potential energy

parasitism by theft (not necessarily true parasitism)

study of the composition, structure, and function of the landscape

A species’ typical lifetime pattern of growth, development, and reproduction. Takes into account:

Age and size at reproduction
Typical lifetime length
Number of offspring produced over the course of an individual’s lifetime

A species’ typical lifetime pattern of growth, development, and reproduction. Takes into account:

Age and size at reproduction
Typical lifetime length
Number of offspring produced over the course of an individual’s lifetime

= average number of links per species; measures the complexity of interactions across a food web

a mathematic and/or graphical representation of predator prey relationships, that assumes that the consumption of a prey species by a predator (and the predator population's resulting size) is directly correlated with abundance of the prey species in the habitat

parasites that are visible to the naked eye. Macroparasites spend a longer amount of time with the host in proportion to the host’s lifespan.

an event in which 75% or more of all species go extinct within a period of 2 million years

the surrounding landscape in which patches of suitable habitat are embedded

mid level predator species that is preyed upon by the apex predator, while simultaneously preying upon species at lower trophic levels

a set of local populations occupying habitat patches, connected to one another by the movement of individuals

refers to a microbial community as a collection of genomes

refers to collection of microbes in a community

microscopic parasites. Generally manifest as disease and last a relatively short time compared to host lifespan (e.g., viruses, bacteria)

(MDA) – area of suitable habitat necessary for maintaining the minimum viable population

(MVP) –  smallest isolated population having a 99% chance of remaining extant for 1000 years despite the foreseeable effects of demographic and environmental stochasticity, and natural disasters

plants with both male and female reproductive organs

one male, one female - largest time commitment

unrelated species share a similar coloration to amplify the visible signal of a trait (e.g., toxicity)

both species benefit from the relationship

disruptions to landscapes caused by fire, flooding, earthquakes, etc.

the mechanism of evolution; environmental pressures result in differential survival and reproduction rates, causing different phenotypes (and adaptations) to become more prevalent in a population

Requires variation and heritability that leads to differences in fitness

amount of organic matter created from photosynthesis, expressed in units of organic matter per unit area per unit time

NPP = (Gross primary productivity) - (Respiration by autotrophs)

range in phenotype variation from the same genotype in different environments

A greater norm of reaction will have greater phenotypic variation
Dramatic differences in phenotype will graph as a steep slope
A differing environment results in a differing phenotype

Use common garden and reciprocal transplant experiments to determine norm of reaction

an organism that consumes both plant and animal tissues

foraging strategies minimize the energy spent to acquire resources, and maximize the energy gained from those resources

an organism that takes nutrients and energy from another living organism (called the host), but does not kill them. Parasites typically associate with their host for an extended period of time.

an organism that takes nutrients and energy from another living organism, eventually killing their host

areas of habitat suitable for a species of interest

physical manifestation of DNA

single genotype gives rise to different phenotypes based on environmental conditions

Phenotypic plasticity in itself is a heritable trait (plasticity with respect to a given trait)

highly opportunistic (sometimes "weedy") species that establish themselves during primary succession and may make the habitat more hospitable by fixing nitrogen, changing pH levels, or other "ecosystem engineer" functions

true predators that specialize in consuming plankton

mating system in which one female mates with multiple males

mating system in which one male mates with multiple females

a group of individuals of the same species, that inhabit a given area

patterns of continuous change over time that take into account birth, death, and migration

stored energy

offspring are born more developed and independent. Require very little to no parental care

an organism that consumes another organism

competition for limited space between sessile (immobile) organisms

an organism that is consumed by a predator

mating system in which individuals take multiple mates, regardless of sex

a trait that fits into a specific category; involves descriptive qualities.

a trait on a spectrum of values; numerical categories

a species with a small body size and short life span that produces lots of offspring earlier in life. Offspring have a low survival rate and low level of parental investment

an individual that does not contribute to the sexual diversity of a population

species are listed in order or decreasing relative abundance in a community, with the most abundant species listed first

a method of plotting the total number of different species have been encountered in a given number of samples, that helps ecologists estimate the species richness in a sample or community of interest, and to gauge how much sampling is “enough” to get an accurate picture of the community

swap the conditions under which two different ecotypes are reared

Determines genetic component to phenotype

refers to the constant “evolutionary arms race” between predators and prey

the proportion of individuals in a community that belong to a particular species. The relative abundance of all species in a community add up to equal 1.

division of resources by coexisting species such that each species occupies a unique niche within the same area

returning a habitat, environment, or ecosystem to its original condition or membership, prior to a disturbance (often anthropogenic)

conservation effort focused on restoring sustainable biodiversity and ecosystem health by connecting and preserving wild areas, and protecting or reintroducing keystone species/apex predators

a measure of alpha diversity a measure of alpha diversity that quantifies the number of species in a sample or community of interest

all individuals in a given population experience the same density-dependent decrease in growth and reproduction as the intensity of competition increases

growth of new tissues and reproduction

reproductive strategy in which an individual has only one reproductive cycling during their lifespan

produces genetically distinct offspring

different spatial patterns of the elements that make up the landscape, and the processes that give rise to those patterns

over time, population selects for an intermediate phenotype

primary succession (featuring generalist and opportunistic species), intermediate succession (featuring competitive species), and climax communities (featuring species adapted to specific stressors of a particular environment)

 a subset of a larger population

Local population of interbreeding individuals

predictable patterns in the formation of communities

long-term relationship between two different species

behavioral exclusion of others from a specific area that is defended as a territory

predator populations limit the abundance of prey species, often resulting in a trophic cascade

dispersal of pathogens (e.g., active vs. passive)

water that is lost from leaves into the surrounding air

occurs when top predator populations change, causing reciprocal changes in the populations of lower trophic levels. Often results in drastic changes to ecosystem structure and functioning.

shows where certain species fit in relation to all other species in that trophic level; calculated from the fraction of food they consume from other trophic positions

a predator that directly hunts and kills their prey

how biodiversity varies along a vertical gradient. For example, vegetation in a forest shifts from grass and herbaceous ground cover on the forest floor, to shrub and herb layers, to trees that make up the understory and finally the canopy. In a forest, these layers are influenced and determined by the vertical gradient of light.

spatial change in community structure; relates to structure and species composition across a defined area or gradient