Use the following data and data from Appendix D to

Biology 1050 Spring 2016 Dr. Whelan Ecology I. Overview of Ecology A. Define ecology. ­ Scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their environment. B. Is ecology the same thing as environmentalism If not, describe the relationship between ecology and environmentalism. ­ Ecology should NOT be confused with environmentalism. Ecology is the scientific interaction between organisms and their environment. C. What are the 2 major components of the environment ­ Abiotic components ­ Biotic components a. What are abiotic components List an example. ­ b. What are biotic components List an example. ­ D. Methods for studying ecology a. What methods are fundamental to ecology ­ b. Do ecologists also use experiments Explain. ­ E. What are the 4 increasingly broad levels of ecology (from smallest level to largest level) ­ Ecosystem Ecology ­ Community Ecology ­ Population Ecology ­ Organismal Ecology (smallest level) II. Organismal ecology A. Describe organismal ecology. ­ Studies adaptations organisms use to survive in their abiotic environments. B. What is a habitat ­ Place where an organism normally lives. C. What influences the distribution of organisms (where animals live) ­ Often determined by abiotic factors. D. What are the 3 types of adaptations that allow organisms to adjust to changes in their environment 1 Biology 1050 Spring 2016 Dr. Whelan a. Describe physiological responses and define acclimation. 1) Physiological responses: ­ Short­term (hair standing up, etc.) ­ Longer­term responses are called acclimation ­ can take days or weeks b. Describe anatomical responses. 2) Anatomical responses: ­ Change in body shape or structure. c. Describe behavioral responses. 3) Behavioral responses: ­ Most animals move to a new location. III. Population Ecology A. Describe the focus of population ecology. Population ecology focuses on factors that influence a population’s: ­ Size ­ Growth rate ­ Density B. What is the dispersion pattern of a population The dispersion pattern of a population is the way individuals are spaced within the population’s geographical range a. What are the 3 main patterns of dispersion 1. Clumped 2. Uniform 3. Random b. When does each pattern occur 1. Individuals concentrated in resource­rich areas 2. Occurs when individuals are territorial 3. Occurs when no factor is bringing individuals together or pushing them apart (no social behavior) C. Population Growth a. What causes populations to increase in size Populations increase due to births and immigration. b. What causes populations to decrease in size Populations decrease due to deaths and emigration. c. What causes population growth 2 Biology 1050 Spring 2016 Dr. Whelan Population grows when births and immigration outnumber deaths and emigration. D. Population Growth Models a. What are the 2 main ways to model population growth There are 2 main ways to model population growth ­ Exponential growth model: growth under ideal conditions ­ Logistic growth model: growth with limits b. What is a population growth rate Population growth rate is the increase in a country's population during a period of time, usually one year, expressed as a percentage of the population at the start of that period. It reflects the number of births and deaths during a period and the number of people migrating to and from a country. c. Describe the exponential growth model. ­ The larger the population, the faster it grows ­ J­shaped growth curve d. Describe the logistic growth model. ­ Environmental factors will cause a population’s growth to level off ­ S­shaped growth curve e. What is the carrying capacity Population size at which growth is zero = the population’s carrying capacity. f. Is there only one carrying capacity or does it vary ­ Carrying capacity varies depending on species and habitat g. At carrying capacity, the population is as __Large__ as it can get in its current environment. E. Limits on Population Growth a. Why does the growth rate slow as a population reaches its carrying capacity The growth rate slows as it reaches the carrying capacity because of density dependent factors. b. What are density­dependent factors Include food supplies, habitat for living and breeding, parasite and disease risk, and predation risk. F. Draw an exponential growth curve and a logistic growth curve. Make sure to label the axes and the carrying capacity. 3 Biology 1050 Spring 2016 Dr. Whelan Exponential Logistic G. What are density­independent factors Factors that limit population size. Include natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and fires. a. What impact do density­independent factors have on population growth In an environment in which a “bad luck” event repeatedly occurs, a population can be in a perpetual state of exponential growth with periodic massive mortality events. b. Do density­independent factors explain why the growth rate slows as it reaches the carrying capacity Population growth slows as reaches the carrying capacity in logistic growth because of density­ independent factors. 4