BIOL 3034

General Ecology

Exam 3

Review Sheet

 

POPULATION INTERACTIONS

 

Terms:

Competition                              Predation                                            Parasitism

Parasitoid (book)              Detritivore                                           Mutualism

Interspecific                              Intraspecific                                        Herbivore

Detritus                                    Crypsis                                     Aposematism

Batesian mimicry                        Mullerian mimicry                                Ectoparasites

Endoparasites                          

 

Concepts:

What is the effect of each of the various species interactions on the recipient and the donor?  How does a parasite differ from a predator?  Explain the idea that predator form and function are closely tied to diet.  How can prey avoid predators?  How does a detritivore / detritus interaction differ from a predator / prey interaction?  What are the various forms of mutualism that we discussed in class?  How do plants protect themselves from predators?

 

HABITAT and NICHE

 

Terms:

Macrohabitat                            Microhabitat                            Omnivore

Carnivore                                 Herbivore                               Detritivore

Producer                                  Consumer                              Niche

Elton                                        Grinnell                         Hutchinson

Odum                                       Dimension                                Niche width

Niche breadth                           Niche overlap                         Functional niche

Realized niche                           Niche compression                 Ecological release

Niche shift

 

Concepts:

Explain the differences between the levels of habitat.  Give a diagrammatic explanation of the Hutchinsonian niche concept in 1, 2, and 3 dimensions as well as the concepts of niche overlap, niche width, functional niche, and the realized niche.  Identify and discuss three ways that niches can change.  Do overlapping niches always suggest competition?

How do the terms generalist and specialist relate to the concept of niche breadth?

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMPETITION

 

Terms:

Competition                                                      Competitive exclusion principle          

Intraspecific                                                      Interspecific                           

Limiting resource                      

Liebig’s law of the minimum (misspelled in notes – Lieberg’s)

Interference competition                               Character displacement

Exploitation competition                               Ecological equivalent

Gause                                                               Allelopathy

Competition coefficient                                 Asymmetry

Competitive exclusion principle                       Ecological release

Saturated / unfilled environment                  K – strategist / selection

r – strategist / selection                                  

 

Competition examples given in class:

MacArthur’s warblers (evidence of previous competition?)

Balanus and Chthamalus (barnacles)

 

Know these competition equations and understand what the variables mean:

These equations are modified logistic growth equations, how are they modified?

 

A.    DN1 / Dt = r1N1 [ (K1 – N1 – a12N2) / K1]

 

B.      DN2 / Dt = r2N2 [ (K2 – N2 – a21N1) / K2]

 

Concepts:

What is the competitive exclusion principle and its effects?  Describe the experimental design of early competition studies (Gause’s experiments). Which type of competition, inter- or intraspecific is stronger and why? How do inter- and intraspecific competition affect the niche?  What are the characteristics of K- and r-strategists, and under which environmental conditions would the different characteristics be beneficial to the populations?  Is one strategy better than the other?  What is character displacement and why does it occur? What is ecological release and provide an example that we discussed in class.  What is asymmetry of competition?

 

PREDATION

 

Terms:

Predator                                   Parasite                                    Carnivore

Herbivore                                 Ectoparasite                             Endoparasite

Lotka-Volterra                         Joint equilibrium                    isocline

Rosenzweig and MacArthur             Functional response

Numerical response                       Habitat complexity                    refuge

Search image

 

Know these predation equations and understand what the variables mean:

These equations are modified logistic growth equations, how are they modified?

 

DR / Dt = rR – cRP

 

DP/ Dt = acRP – dP

 

Concepts:

What are the differences between predation on animals vs. plants (book)?  What are the differences between parasites and predators (book)?  Be able to identify or draw the Lotka-Volterra and Rosenzweig and MacArthur models of predator prey systems; at what level does either species reach equilibrium (stable population size)?  At what level do both species reach equilibrium (joint equilibrium)?  What is functional response?  What are three types of functional response curves (why do they differ)?  How do predator and prey populations oscillate around each other in a simple system?  How does predator efficiency affect the joint equilibrium between predator and prey in the Rosenzweig and MacArthur model?  What type of oscillations can be expected with the various predator efficiencies?  What were the examples of lab experiments with predator prey systems given in class?  

 

EVOLUTIONARY RESPONSES and COEVOLUTION

 

Terms:

Coevolution                              Symbiosis                    Obligate mutualism

Facultative mutualism                     Allopatric                    Sympatric

Lichens

 

Concepts:

What is meant by coevolution?  Does everything coevolve?  What are some examples of coevolutionary responses?