ENVS 200

Date ​- December 15th, 2016

Time​ - 12:30 pm

Room​ - DC 1350, 1351

Cumulative​ - Yes (“It will cover all classes, labs, and textbook readings, but will emphasize

material introduced after the midterm exam”, (Larson, 2016, p.3))

*​ - Likely on the exam

Breakdown of Exam

40​ ​Multiple Choice worth 1 point each

5 out of 6 Short Answer worth 4 points each

15 True/False worth 1 point each

15 Fill-in-the-Blanks/Label worth 1 point each (3 parts - labelling, word bank, no word bank)

Lab Material

Bird evolution - ex, crossbills, owl eye sockets, woodpecker, duck and hummingbird beaks

Scientific names - Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species (King Phillip came

over for great sex) ​(Note - Taxonomists don’t use the 5 kingdom (animalia, fungi, plantae,

monera and protista) because it sucks major ass. They start at the Domain level. We seem to

use the Kingdoms in this class though, so, whatever).

Taxonomy (Binomial nomenclature) - ​Genus species​,​ ​Who described it. Ex, ​Acer rubrum​, L. (L

for Linnaeus, who developed taxonomy)

Scientific drawings*
Dichotomous key

Point centered quarter method, other sample methods, plot and plotless

Describe characteristics of distinct tree communities

The scientific method

Measure of dominance and, density and frequency (absolute and relative) and what they mean

Soil tests, pH, N, P, K, colour, texture (sand, silt, clay)

Soil connection to environmental conditions

Soil horizons - A (organic matter) & B (mineral layer)

Limiting and contributing factors of success in a restoration effort

pH - plants like 5 - 8.5. Soil can range from 3 - 9

Draw and label soil pit

Source of regional drinking water

Urban stormwater management

Origins of a moraine

Role of an aquifer

Watershed and delineation

Habitat fragmentation

Wildland - urban interface

Managing biodiversity in an urban environment

Identify the role of human encroachment on protected areas & explain the role of buffers and

corridors

Lotic water - fast, high O​2​, rippling, high sediment load

Lentic water - slow, low O​2​, low sediment load, vertical stratification, varying amounts of light

Reasons for creating Laurel lake - water control, biodiversity

Silver lake (by Waterloo park) issues - polluted, bad smell (rotting organic matter), variable

water levels - Remedial measures - Riparian vegetation and a waterfall to increase O​2

Categorize levels of conductivity, turbidity, nitrates, phosphates and total suspended solids

(TSS) and their importance

Advantages/disadvantages of Traveling-Kick-and-Sweep method

Total suspended solids - weight of suspended particles, weighed

Turbidity - transparency of water, tested with a laser

Different wetlands - swamp, marsh, bog & fen

Glacial features - isostasy, kettle lakes, kames and eskers

How plants respond to gradients in env. Factors

Ericaceous vegetation

Vocabulary

Chapter 2

Taxonomy 29 - Giving names to organisms

Systematics 29 - Organizing and classifying organisms

Natural selection 30 - The process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend
to survive and produce more offspring

Evolution 31 - The change, over time, in the heritable characteristics of a population or species

Heritable variation 31 - The proportion of variation in a trait due to the effects of genetic factors.

Fitness 31 - The success of individuals in the process of natural selection

Adaptation (lecture) - Process by which an animal or plant species becomes fitted to its
environment; it is the result of natural selection acting upon heritable variation

Common Garden 32 - An experiment in which low and high elevation plants were grown
together to eliminate the influence of contrasting environments.Those from the low elevation site
had better water use efficiency showing that local adaptation was apparent
Hybridization 33 - The production of offspring sharing the characteristics of two parents

Reciprocal transplant 34 - A test to see whether organisms have evolved to become specialized
to life in their local environment

Reproductive isolation 40 - Reproductive isolation refers to the situation where different species
may live in the same area, but properties of individuals prevent them from interbreeding. The
things which stop species or groups of organisms reproducing sexually are called isolating
mechanisms.

Industrial melanism 37 - A phenomenon in which black or blackish forms of species have come
to dominate populations in industrial areas. A form of evolution to help protect against predators

Coevolve 39 - The process by which members of two (or more) species contribute reciprocally
to the forces of natural selection that they exert on each other, e.g. parasites and their hosts.

Mutualism 39 - Mutualism is the way two organisms of different species exist in a relationship in
which each individual benefits from the activity of the other

Species/Speciation 39 - A group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of

exchanging genes or interbreeding/The formation of new and distinct species in the course of
evolution.

Pre-zygotic isolation 40 - Prezygotic isolation prevents the fertilization of eggs

Post-zygotic isolation 40 - Prevents the formation of fertile offspring.

Allopatric speciation 40 - Speciation that occurs when biological populations of the same
species become vicariant, or isolated from each other to an extent that prevents or interferes
with genetic interchange
Sympatric Speciation - ​The process through which new species evolve from a single ancestral
species while inhabiting the same geographic region.
Endemic 42 - Having their habitat in a specified district or area, or the presence of a disease at
relatively low levels, all the time.
Tectonic plate 49 - Tectonic plates are pieces of Earth's crust and uppermost mantle, together
referred to as the lithosphere
Analogous 49 - ​Similar in superficial form or function but have different origin
Homologous 49 - Derived from an equivalent structure in a common ancestry
Convergent evolution 49 - The process by which organisms of different evolutionary lineages
come to have similar form or behavior.
Chapter 3

Conditions 58
Physicochemical features of the environment such as its temperature, humidity, pH, or in
aquatic environments, salinity
Resources 58, 68
Are consumed by organisms in the course of their growth and reproduction
Response curve 59
Response curves illustrating the effects of a range of environmental conditions
Thermophile 61
Specialized fungi, bacteria, and archaea can survive at very high temperatures (over 60C)
Chilling injury 61
At body temperatures a few degrees above zero Celsius, organisms may be forced into
extended periods of inactivity, and the cell membranes of sensitive species may begin to break
down.
Photoperiod 61
The most widely used external signal is the length of the period of daylight within the daily cycle
Diapause 61
A state of arrested development or growth, accompanied by greatly decreased metabolism,
often correlated with the seasons, usually applied only to insects.
Acclimatization 62
The habituation of an organism’s physiological response to environmental conditions (usually
applied to natural environments).
Ex: Exposure to relatively low temperatures may lead to an increased rate of metabolism at
such temperatures and/or to an increased tolerance of even lower temperatures
Ectotherm 64
An organism in which the body temperature relies on sources of heat outside itself.
Ex: plants, algae, bacteria, and archaea, most species of animals, invertebrates, amphibians,
reptiles, and most fisho

Phenology 65
The study of periodic biological events; in practice, often applied to periodic phenomena
themselves, such as the lifetime pattern in an organism of growth, development and
reproduction in relation to the seasons.
Endotherm 66
An organism which is able to generate heat within itself to raise its body temperature
significantly.
Ex: mainly birds and mammals
Acidophile 68
A type of microbial specialists which thrive in environments that are highly acidic
Ex: Thiobacillus ferroxidans, is found in the waste from industrial metal-leaching processes and
tolerates the extreme acidity of pH 1.0. At the other end of the pH spectrum, some
cyanobacteria in highly alkaline soda lakes can grow at pH 13.
Strategy 68

Photoinhibition 69
Photoinhibition is light-induced reduction in the photosynthetic capacity of a plant, alga, or
cyanobacterium
Ex: At high intensities of solar radiation the rate of fixation of carbon decreases with increasing
radiation intensity
Sun/shade leaves 69
Many trees, especially, produce different types of leaf in positions exposed to full sunlight (‘sun
leaves’) and in places lower in the canopy where they are shaded (‘shade leaves’).
Ex: Sun leaves are thicker, with more densely packed chloroplasts (which process the incoming
radiation) within cells and more cell layers. The more flimsy shade leaves intercept diffused and
filtered radiation low in the canopy but may nonetheless supplement the main photosynthetic
activity of the sun leaves high in the canopy.
Avoider 72
Have a short lifespan: their photosynthetic activity is concentrated during periods when water is
relatively available. For the remainder of the year, they remain dormant as seeds, a stage that
requires neither photosynthesis nor transpiration.
Ex: desert annuals, annual weeds, and most crop plants
Tolerator 72
They tolerate drought and low-water conditions, but of course their highest rate of
photosynthesis is slower. These plants have sacrificed their ability to achieve rapid
photosynthesis when water is abundant but gained the insurance of being able to
photosynthesize throughout the seasons.
Ex: Plants in seasonally dry tropical regions
Deciduous 72
A tree or shrub that sheds its leaves annually
C3 pathway 73
Their first product of photosynthesis is a sugar containing three carbon atoms, wasteful of water,
reach max rates of photosynthesis at low intensities of radiation and are less successful in arid
areas
C4 pathway 73
Produces 4 carbon sugar as the initial product, efficient with the use of CO2 and water
CAM 74 (crassulacean acid metabolism)
Very efficient at photosynthesis. CAM plants open their stomata at night and absorb carbon
dioxide and fix it as malic acid. They close their stomata during the day and release the carbon
dioxide internally for photosynthesis.
Autotroph 79
An organism that is independent of outside sources for organic food materials and
manufactures its own organic material from inorganic sources.
Ex: Green plants, algae, cyanobacteria, and other photosynthetic bacteria
Primary producer 79
Organisms in an ecosystem that produce biomass from inorganic compounds
Ex: assemble carbon dioxide, water, and nutrients into complex molecules (carbohydrates, fats,
proteins, nucleotides,
Heterotroph 79
An organism with a requirement for energy-rich organic molecules (animals, fungi, and most
bacteria).
Chemo-autotrophic 79
An organism that depends on inorganic chemicals for its energy and principally on carbon
dioxide for its carbon.
Decomposer 80
Feed on already dead plants and animals
Parasite 80
Feed on one or a very few host plants or animals while they are alive but do now usually kill
their hosts at least immediately
Predator 80
Eat prey organisms typically killing them
Grazer 80
Consume parts of many prey organisms, but do not (usually) kill their prey, at least not
immediately.
Generalist 80
Feed on a wide variety of foods, although they very often have clear preferences and a rank
order of what they will choose when there are alternatives available
Specialist 80
Can thrive only in a narrow range of environmental conditions or has a limited diet.
Defenses 83
Serve to reduce the chance of an encounter with a consumer and/or increase the chance of
survival in such encounters
Ex: The spiny leaves of holly are not eaten by larvae of the oak eggar moth, but if the spines are
removed, the leaves are eaten quite readily.
Secondary chemicals 83
Play no role in normal plant biochemical pathways but do deter herbivory
Constitutive chemicals 84
Quantitative chemicals (so-called because they are most effective at relatively high
concentrations), which make the tissues that contain them, such as mature oak leaves,
relatively indigestible
Called constitutive chemicals because they tend to be produced even in the absence of
herbivore attack
Inducible chemicals 84
Toxic or qualitative chemicals, which are poisonous even in small quantities but can be
produced relatively rapidly
produced only in response to damage itself, and hence with lower fixed costs to the plants
Crypsis 85
Matches its background, or possesses a pattern that disrupts its outline, or resembles an
inedible feature of its environment
Ex: green colouration of grasshoppers and caterpillars
Aposematism 85
The use of bright colouration to advertise that an organism is dangerous or unpalatable.
Ex:caterpillars of Cinnabar moths.
Mimics 85
The resemblance of an organism (the mimic) either to another organism or to a nonliving object
(the model), presumably conferring a benefit on the mimic in natural selection.
Ex: the palatable viceroy butterfly mimics the distasteful monarch, and a blue jay that has
learned to avoid monarchs will also avoid viceroys
Intraspecific competition 86
Competition between individuals of the same species.
Exploitation competition 86
Competition in which any adverse effects on an organism are brought about by reductions in
resource levels caused by other, competing organisms
Interference competition 86
Competition between two organisms in which one physically excludes the other from a portion
of habitat and hence from the resources that could be exploited there.
Vital rate 86

Density (in)dependence 86
The tendency for the death rate in a population to increase, or the birth or growth rate to
decrease, as the density of the population increases.
Niche 88
The limits, for all important environmental features, within which individuals of a species can
survive, grow, and reproduce.
Habitat 88

Strictly the place where a microorganism, plant, or animal lives but is not its niche

n​-dimensional hypervolume 88

n is the number of dimensions that make up the niche,​ ​the simplified three-dimensional version
nonetheless captures the idea of the ecological niche of a species

Chapter 4
Hadley Cell 93
a large-scale atmospheric convection cell in which air rises at the equator and sinks at medium
latitudes, typically about 30° north or south. Moves air away from the equator.
Polar Cell 93
MOVE heat TOWARD the poles
Ferrel Cell 93
Created by the interaction of Hadley and polar cells
Coriolis Effect 93
Surface winds are diverted to the right in the northern hemisphere (clockwise) and to the left
(counter clockwise) in the southern hemisphere. Diverts winds to the east and west. Affect
ocean streams
Rainshadow 95
a region having little rainfall because it is sheltered from prevailing rain-bearing winds by a
range of hills. Moisture is lost on one side so air on the next side is super dry
Global Conveyor Belt 96
The ​global​ ocean ​conveyor belt​ is a constantly moving system of deep-ocean circulation
driven by temperature and salinity. The great ocean ​conveyor​ moves water around the globe.
The ocean is not a still body of water.
Biome 97
biome​. (bī'ōm') A large community of plants and animals that occupies a distinct region.
Terrestrial ​biomes​, typically defined by their climate and dominant vegetation, include
grassland, tundra, desert, tropical rainforest, and deciduous and coniferous forests.
Epiphyte 99
epiphytes, which are plants that grow on other plants, rooted on the damp upper branches. The
epiphytes depend on the sparse resources of mineral nutrients they extract from crevices and
pockets of humus on the tree branches.
Species richness 101
Species richness​ is the number of different ​species​ represented in an ecological community,
landscape or region. ​Species richness​ is simply a count of ​species​, and it does not take into
account the abundances of the ​species​ or their relative abundance distributions. Happens a lot
in tropical areas.
Savanna 104
A ​savanna​ is a rolling grassland scattered with shrubs and isolated trees, which can be found
between a tropical rainforest and desert biome. Not enough rain falls on a ​savanna​ to support
forests. ​Savannas​ are also known as tropical grasslands. High decomposition rates.
Grassland/Prairie 105
A ​grassland​ is a region where the average annual precipitation is great enough to support
grasses, and in some areas a few trees. The precipitation is so eratic that drought and fire
prevent large forests from growing. Grasses can survive fires because they grow from the
bottom instead of the top.
Desert 105
A ​desert​ is a barren area of land where little precipitation occurs and consequently living
conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected
surface of the ground to the processes of denudation. About one third of the land surface of the
world is arid or semi-arid
Temperate forest 106
Temperate forests​ correspond to ​forest​ concentration formed in the northern and southern
hemisphere, or in ​temperate​ regions. Main characteristics include: wide leaves, large and tall
trees , large wild canopy and non seasonal vegetation.
Succession 106
Ecological succession​ is the process of change in the species structure of an ​ecological
community over time. The time scale can be decades (for example, after a wildfire), or even
millions of years after a mass extinction. Starts with fast growing species that eventually get
dominated by slow growing ones.
Boreal forest 106
The ​boreal forest​ (also known as the taiga, a russian word ​meaning​ swampy moist ​forest​) is
found in a nearly continuous belt across North America and Eurasia. Most of Canada and
Russia are covered by coniferous trees that make up this biome.​ Much of the areas now
occupied by boreal forests (as well as much of the northern temperate forests) were occupied
by the ice sheet during the last ice age, which started to withdraw only 20,000 years ago.
Permafrost 107
Permafrost is a major environmental constraint in boreal spruce forests. The water in the soil
remains frozen throughout the year, creating permanent drought except when the sun warms
the very surface. The root system of spruce can develop in only the superficial soil layer, from
which the trees derive all their water during the short growing season. This makes low diversity
communities which is ideal for pest outbreak.
Tundra 107
Tundra​ is a type of biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short
growing seasons.
Watershed 108
an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas.
Riparian 110
of or relating to wetlands adjacent to rivers and streams. Like trees next to water stream.
Waterloo has riparian buffers.
Floodplain 111
Area of land that waterboys can flood and become part of that water. Amazon in only few km
wide during low flow periods but expands onto forested floodplain in and becomes over 50km.
Phytoplankton 112
Plankton consisting of microscopic plants. Prominent in deep lakes because no light can access
lower parts.
Zooplankton 112
plankton consisting of small animals and the immature stages of larger animals.
Eat phytoplankton.
Thermocline 112
In many lakes during the summer, below the surface layer lies a transitional zone, the
thermocline, in which temperature rapidly decreases. The thermocline acts as a barrier for
exchange between the surface layer and the deeper, colder water. Often, little if any light
penetrates as deeply as this lower layer, as the light is absorbed and scattered by the water and
particles in the surface layer. Without light, no photosynthesis occurs in the lower layer. Dead
organic matter from the surface layer will sink through the thermocline and decompose in the
lower layer.
Swamp 113
A ​swamp​ is a ​wetland​ that is forested.​[1]​ Many swamps occur along large rivers where they are
critically dependent upon natural water level fluctuations.​ an area of low-lying, uncultivated
ground where water collects; a bog or marsh. Part of a wetland. Between terrestrial and aquatic
ecosystems.
Marsh 113
Marshes and fens are dominated by grasses and/or sedges. Also part of wetlands. ​an area of
low-lying land that is flooded in wet seasons or at high tide, and typically remains waterlogged at
all times.
Fen 113
Same shit as marsh. ​a low and marshy or frequently flooded area of land.
Bog 113
wet muddy ground too soft to support a heavy body. DOMINATED BY MOSSES.
Photic zone 113
Area in water where the light reaches
Symbiont 115
either of two organisms that live in symbiosis with one another.
Gyre 115
a circular pattern of currents in an ocean basin. 2 clockwise gyres in northern hemisphere. 3
moving counter clockwise in the southern hemisphere. Subtropical gyre has low nutrient levels
and very high light intensity
Upwelling 116
a rising of seawater, magma, or other liquid. Lots of nutrients in these areas. Caused by strong
prevailing winds that blow parallel to coastlines, but die to the Coriolis effect, the water moves at
a 90 degree angle to the prevailing winds. Happens when narrow continental shelf.
Continental shelf 117
the area of seabed around a large landmass where the sea is relatively shallow compared with
the open ocean. The continental shelf is geologically part of the continental crust. Large
amounts of phytoplankton.
Intertidal zone 118
These ecosystems serve as nursery grounds for many species of fish and invertebrates and
provide critical habitat for other species
The intertidal zone is the part of the shoreline that is submerged at high tide but exposed to air
at low tide. The extent of this zone depends on the height of tides and the slope of the shore.
Area that is underwater at high tide and above water at low tide.
Littoral zone 118
The ​littoral zone​ is the near shore area where sunlight penetrates all the way to the sediment
and allows aquatic plants (macrophytes) to grow. Light levels of about 1% or less of surface
values usually define this depth.
Coral bleaching 119
Warmer water temperatures can result in ​coral bleaching​. When water is too warm,​corals​ will
expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues causing the ​coral​ to turn completely white.
This is called ​coral bleaching​.
Estuary 119
Where river meets sea. Has a very high variation in salinity. Salt wedge, when the denser saline
water sinks below a layer of freshwater.

Chapter 5
Population 124 - ​A group of individuals of one species in an area, though the size and nature of
the area is defined, often arbitrarily, for the purposes of the study being undertaken.

Unitary 126 - Organisms such as birds and reptiles that have simple organism characteristics,
for example, 2 eyes. Plants (modular organisms), on the other hand, have many leaves, or even
stalks.

Determinate 126 - The predictable life cycle of unitary organisms is described as “determinate”.

Modular/Module 126 - Organisms such as plants and corals which grow haphazardly, one
module (unit) at a time. For example, a bacteria colony that keeps expanding.

Indeterminate 126 - The growth of modular organisms is described as “indeterminate”.

Zygote 126 - Single-celled “seed” or fertilized egg, or weird microbial shit

Genet 126 - Genetic individual, an organism from its creation to the demise of its last module.

Mark-recapture 127 - Estimate of population size generated by capturing a sample of individuals

from an area, marking them, and then capturing another sample shortly after. This can be used
to predict the population size. (If you captured 12% of the marked population day 2, then that
means that you captured roughly 12% of the total population).

Annual 128 - A plant that lives for one year or less

Perennial 128 - A plant that lives for more than two years

Biennial 128 - A plant that lives for two years, flowering, seeding and dying in the second

Iteroparous 128 - Organisms that breed repeatedly, rather than dying of stress while attempting
to reproduce.

Semelparous 128 - Organisms which have only a single reproductive episode

Seed bank 128 - Dormant seeds buried in the soil

Cohort 133 - A roman military unit smaller than a Legion. In ecology, it’s all individuals of a
population born within a particular period.

Cohort life table 133 - Records survivorship of members of the cohort over time.

Static life table 133 - Record of the numbers of survivors of different ages

Age-specific fecundity schedule 134 - Record of births by specific age groups of a population
Basic reproductive rate (R0) 136 - Measure of how much a population increased or decreased
during a specific generation

Survivorship curve 136 - Plots of log(​l​x)​ values against cohort age

Age structure 137 - Similar to a cohort life table, but show the ages of individuals captured at
one time, meaning that if there was a change in a pattern, it would not be known

Aggregated pattern 138 - Organisms live in dense clusters (ex, bees)

Random pattern 138 - Organisms live in a random spread (ex, snow leopards)

Regular pattern 138 - Organisms live at regular intervals (ex, trees in an orchard)

Dispersal 138 - The way individuals spread away from one another

Migration 138 - Mass directional movement of large numbers of a species from one location to
another

Density 139 - Number of individuals divided by size of the habitat in question

Inbreeding 141 - Breeding between closely related individuals

Carrying capacity (K) 142 - When births = deaths in a population

Exponential growth 145 - Motherfuckers, y’all better know this. It’s X​2​ , where the y-axis is
population size.

Intrinsic rate of increase (r) 145 - Exponential population growth. It’s what you’d see with no
intraspecific competition.

Logistic growth 145 - Population growth begins as exponential, but begins to slow and then
approach K slowly. Makes a ​S​ shape over time, kind of.

Net recruitment 147 - # of births - # of deaths over a period of time

Trade-off 148 - Gain of one thing at the expense of another (ex, better drought resistance at the
expense of

Cost of reproduction 148 - Resources and energy are diverted to reproduction at the cost of the
organism’s own growth or fitness. (Alternatively, growth is achieved at the cost of reproduction).

r species 148 - Rapidly expanding and reproducing species, often short lived organisms, ex.
jellyfish
Opportunistic species 148 - r species that take advantage of openings to explode in numbers.
Common examples are colonizing species and invasive species. Ex, fireweed after a fire.

K species 148 - Slowly reproducing species that have to expend energy in intraspecific
competition, ex. tigers

Chapter 6

Interspecific competition 155 - Competition with individuals or populations of another species for
resources which reduces fecundity

Fundamental niche 158 - Conditions that allow a species to live, grow and reproduce when in
isolation from competing species

Realized niche 158 - Combination of conditions that allow a species to grow, reproduce, yadda
yadda, in the presence of competing other species

Niche differentiation 159 - Differentiation in realized niches (ex. Darwin/Galapagos finches)

Differential resource utilization 159 - Competing species coexist by using slightly different
resources in slightly different ways

Competitive exclusion principle 160 - Also known as the Gause principle

1. If 2 species coexist, there is niche differentiation

2. If there is no differentiation, one will outcompete the other

Trade-off 166 - Benefit of one ability at the expense of another, ex. Colonization vs competition

Ghost of Competition Past 169 - Evolutionary traits that reduce competition between species
exist because of a historical competition that led to evolution ​(I think)
-> Isn’t this the example of the giant sloth and avocado? When species A which species
B used to rely on (coevolution) goes extinct, but species B carries on anyway through whatever
means? AKA ​evolutionary anachronism
- Michelle Y.

^ yes that’s right. The short clip that we watched on the sloth was also titled that - Gillian G.S

Character displacement 170 - A morphological response to competition from another species

Ecological release 170 - Absence of competing species

Niche complementarity 174 - ​ ​niche differentiation in a community of species involves several

niche dimensions
 -Tendency for coexisting species that occupy similar position along one niche
dimension

Guild 174, 183 (better defn) - A group of species that exploit the class of resource in the
same/similar ways

Null model 180 - How a population is predicted to perform in the absence of interspecific
competition (provided ecological release)

Chapter 7

Predator 186 - Eats other organisms, ex. eagle, pigeon

Prey 186 - Is eaten by other organisms, ex. grass, pigeon

True predator 186 - Kills and eats several or many organisms over the course of its life. Prey
dies shortly after being attacked by a true predator, ex. eagle, tiger, seed eating pigeon

Grazer 186 - Attacks many organisms and eats part of them over the course of its life, usually
does not kill them, ex. sheep, leeches

Parasite 186 - Attacks one or very few organisms and eats part of them during their lifetime,
usually does not kill them, ex. tapeworm, mistletoe

Host 186 - Organism attacked by a parasite

Parasitoid 187 - Similar to parasites, but kill their host.

Compensation 191 - Plant retaliation to predation that is beneficial, such as stimulated growth

Consumption 191 - Eating another or part of another organism

Sit-and-wait 195 - Predators that wait for their prey to come to them, ex. spiders, barnacles

Transmission 196 - How parasites spread to new prey

Optimal foraging 197 - How a predator maximizes energy gains while minimizing losses. This
can be high energy expenditure, high reward or low energy, low reward

Handling time 197 - How long/how much effort it takes to consume a prey/food. Porcupines
have a long handling time, while soft berries have a short handling time

Search time 197 - How long it takes a predator to find its prey. Leaves have a short search time,
sea turtles have a long search time
Generalist 197 - Species that consume a wide range of foods

Specialist 198 - Species that focus on a few foods

Mutual interference 207 - Reduction in consumption rate/individual caused by increase in

predator density

(Metapopulation 209 – See Ch. 9) - The patchy dispersal of a population of organisms

Disturbance 212 - Any sort of shit that messes with the living shit, like flooding or wolves eating
faces n’ shit, or fires burning the F*** out of everything

Predator-mediated coexistence 212 - When a predator promotes the coexistence of one or

multiple species that would otherwise be outcompeted. For example, if one organism is the shit
at eating grass, but also sucks at not getting eviscerated, then the organisms who do a shit job
of eating grass, but a good job of not being eviscerated survive

^(missing the predator part of the ex)

Chapter 8 (section 8.3, pp. 232-9)

Symbiosis 232 - Two organisms that are physically intertwined, such as N-fixing bacteria in root
nodules. Parasites are usually excluded from this definition, even though the technically fit into
this definition.

Symbiont 232 - Occupies a habitat provided by a host. Parasites are usually excluded from this
definition, even though the technically fit into this definition.

Host 232 - Provider of the habitat. Includes hosts of parasites.

Mutualism 232 - Two (or more) organisms interact in a manner that benefits both.

Pollination 232 - Assisted plant reproduction.

Mycorrhiza 232 - Fungi that have a mutualistic relationship with plant roots, generally N-fixation.

Pollen 235 - Plant sperm

Nectar 235 - Sugary lure created by plants to attract pollinators

Nectary 235 - Nectar producing plant “organ”

Gut microbiota 236 - Microorganisms occupying parts of animal alimentary canals

Chapter 9 (Message Vanessa for clarification/corrections)

(Regulation 248) -​ Optional​, tendency of population to stay at a certain level (decreases when
too high, rises when too low)
- no population is free of regulation

(Determination 249) - ​Optional​, reflects effects of factors that affect population, whether
dependent/independent of density

(k-value analysis 250) - ​Optional​, determines relation between regulation and determination
- the higher the k value, higher the mortality rate for each phase of the life cycle (k = killing)

Metapopulation 255 - consists of series of sub populations, linked by migration

- metapopulations can be stable while their sub populations are not

Patch 255 - relatively homogenous area that differs from its surroundings

Disturbance 259 - an event of folding or faulting that affects a relatively large area

Gap 259 - area of natural disturbance or event leading to the extinction of many different
species (gaps are ripe for colonization)

Founder-controlled community 259 - community controlled by large number of good colonists

and equal competitors who can hold the spot until they die

Priority effect 260 - species that arrives first is able to hold its spot, despite equal competitors

Dominance-controlled comm. 261 - community in which some species are profoundly stronger
and more competitive at colonization

Community succession 262 - pattern of colonization and extinction in communities, categorized

by primary and secondary succession

Climax stage 262 - presumed end of successional sequence, community that has reached a
steady state

Primary succession 262 - the colonization of a gap not previously influenced by a community
(ie. lava, melted glacier area)

Secondary succession 262 - the further colonization of a region where species are
partially/completed removed, but seeds/spores still remain in community

typical sequence of colonization: annual weeds → herbaceous perennials → shrubs → early

successional trees → late successional trees.
Chronosequence 262 - shows ecological succession over time-dependent developments (ie.
dune ridges in Lake Michigan, shows trees ranging from ages 30 - 440, show succession →
forest transition)

Food web 269 - complex of interrelated food chains, demonstrates how energy is transferred in
a community

Trophic level 269 - different levels of the food web, shows energy transfer (ie. primary producer
→ herbivore → predator)

Direct effect 269 - ie. predator on herbivorous prey

Indirect effect 269 - other predators of the prey dominate, leave no food for secondary predator

Trophic cascade 270 - predator reduces abundance of prey, prey’s abundance of resources
increases (ie. the prey’s prey pop increases)

Top-down control 272 - food web controlled by top of trophic level (ie. predator eats lots of prey,
affects primary producers)

Bottom-up control 272 - food web controlled by the bottom of the trophic level (usually starting
from nutrient or primary producers), (ie. poor soil quality, plants unable to grow, herbivore gets
no food, predator gets none as well)

Meta-analysis 273 - structured analyses of large numbers of data sets to recognize consistent
trends (ie. resilient communities)

Stability 274 - ability to remain unchanged in the face of a disturbance, two types
- fragile stability, unchanged by small disturbance but strongly altered by large disturbance
-robust stability, unchanged by large disturbances

Keystone species 274 - a species whose removal would have significant effects on the
community (possible on any trophic level)

*Model food webs are characterized by species richness, connectance and interaction strength

(Connectance 276) - ​Optional​, fraction of all possible pairs of species that directly interact

(Interaction strength 276) - ​Optional​, the rate at which species interact with others in the
community

(Compartmentalization 276) – ​Optional​, species that mostly interact with other subspecies, but
not with entire community
Chapter 10 (Message Vanessa for clarification/corrections)

Species richness 283 - number of species that exist in a community

Diversity index 283 - measure that combines species richness and the evenness of distribution
of species

Rank-abundance diagram 283 - a graphical plot of differential abundances of species in a

community ie. Shannon H diversity index,

Niche breadth 283 - length of portion of resource continuum used by species

Niche overlap 283 - when two (or more) species use the same resources

Shannon diversity index (H) 284 - determines the proportion of individuals (or biomass) that the
species contributes to the total sample, H = -{PilnPi

Species evenness 284 - the abundance of each species in respect to the total population (ie. if
one species dominates)

Productivity hypothesis 285 - importance of climate in determining productivity at the lowest

trophic level

Saturation 285 - act, process, or result of saturating (being completely full of a

substance/organisms)

Energy hypothesis 286 - direct role of energy (ie. env temp) on organisms in a community

Eutrophication 286 - anoxia due to oversaturation of nutrients in water

Paradox of enrichment 286 - severe eutrophication leads to lower species richness (one
possible resolution = high productivity = high rates of pop growth, competitive exclusion takes
place)

Particulate organic matter 287 - material of plant or animal origin suspended in water

288 - local scale (community), differences among communities in a region, whole regional scale
of communities respectively

Potential evapotranspiration 289 - amount of water transferred from saturated surface

Harsh environment 295 - Environments dominated by abiotic factors (low richness and spatial
heterogeneity)

Benthic 295 - bottom dwelling species

Intermediate disturbance hyp. 296 - Species richness is highest when disturbance is not too
high or too low ( many disturbances = most plants early successional, rare disturbances =
competitive exclusion principle)

Species-area relationship 298 - As island area decreases, species richness decreases. Larger
areas encompass more different types of habitats

Equilibrium theory of island biogeography 299 - MacArthur & Wilson suggested balance
between immigration and extinction varies with island size/ how populations are isolated.
Immigration rate = 0 when all species types are from the source pool of that island

Source pool 300 - the area where different species emigrate from,

Turnover 301 - the result of some species becoming locally extinct and others immigrating

Chapter 11 (message Raquel/ Alex for clarification)

Standing crop 310- ​bodies of living organisms within a unit area constitute a standing crop of
biomass

Biomass 310- mass of organisms per unit area of ground/water, usually in units of energy
(joules per square meter), dry organic matter (grams per square meter) or mass of carbon
(grams carbon per square meter)

Primary productivity 310-​o​ r​ ate which biomass is produced per unit are or volume through
photosynthesis

-Expressed in energy, dry organic matter, mass of carbon

Gross primary productivity 310- ​total fixation of energy by photosynthesis. Portion is respired
away by primary producer organisms [autotrophs] and lost from the ecosystem as
Respiratory heat (R​auto​)9

Net primary productivity 310- ​ d

​ ifference between GPP and respiration of all organisms in an

ecosystem ​[R​total​]

-​Measures net rate of accumulation or loss of organic matter, energy, or organic

carbon from ecosystem and equivalent to rate of NPP – respiration of all
heterotrophic organism ​[R​het​]

Secondary productivity 310- ​rate of production of biomass by heterotrophs

Net ecosystem productivity 310- ​Terrestrial sink is simply balance between NPP and
heterotrophic respiration, summed up for all terrestrial ecosystems
Live consumer system 311- ​Portion of primary production consumed by herbivores, then they
are eaten by carnivores

Decomposer system 311- ​decomposition of dead organic matter

Decomposer 311- ​bacteria and fungi

Detritivore 311- ​animals that consume dead matter

Liebig’s Law of the Minimum 315- ​ s​ tates that the growth of a plant is limited primarily by
one nutrient that is relatively short supply – relative, needs of the plant

-Found out nitrogen is more important to agricultural crop growth

Colimitation 315- ​both nitrogen and phosphorus are limiting to production

Stoichiometry 319- ​relationship between the abundances of elements in organisms

Eutrophication 321- ​process of excess nutrient enrichment ​à​ cannot support animal life and
loss of biodiversity

Positive feedback 322-

Transfer efficiencies 327- ​ ​efficiency with which energy is passed through various steps in
trophic structure of a community

Consumption efficiency 327- (CE) ​ ​percentage of total productivity available at one trophic
level that is consumed by the trophic level above

-​Percentage of joules or organic carbon produced per unit time and are as NPP
finds way into guts of herbivores

Assimilation efficiency 327- (AE) ​percentage of food energy taken into the guts of consumer
in trophic level that is assimilated across the gut wall and becomes available for
incorporation into growth or to do work

Production efficiency 327- (PE) ​percentage of assimilated energy incorporated into new
biomass, remainder is entirely lost to community as respiratory heat

-Varies across taxonomic class of organisms concerned

Trophic transfer efficiency 327- ​o​ f​ rom one trophic level to the next is CE x AE x PE

-​Represents the percentage of energy at one trophic level transferred to next

Immobilization 330- ​when inorganic element is incorporated into organic form, often during
primary production.
Mineralization 330- Conversion of elements from organic to inorganic compounds

Decomposition 330-​gradual disintegration of dead organic matter and brought about by both
physical and biological agencies

Microbivore 330- Minute organisms that act as detritivores

​Aquatic detritivores are usually classified according to their feeding mode

1. Shredder 331-​detritivores that feed on coarse particulate organic matter.

2. Collector-filterer 331- ​I.e.; trees leaves fallen into a river larvae of blackflies in rivers,
consume the fine particulate organic matter that otherwise would be carried
downstream

Cellulase 332- Enzyme required to break down cellulose in leaves. Most organisms use
cellulases from bacteria, fungi or protozoa. (Note - protozoa are bacteria. It probably means
Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes.)

Nitrogen cycle 333- Continuing transformation of nitrogen being assimilated into biomass and
be mineralized into ammonium.

Nitrogen fixation 333- ​converts into organic nitrogen in biomass of primary producers, fed
upon animals and decomposed by bacteria, becoming organic nitrogen in heterotrophs

-Mineralize nitrogen to ammonium ​à​ ammonium assimilated by primary producers or

nitrified to nitrate

-Nitrate is assimilated by primary producers or denitrified back to N​2

Nitrification 333- ​bacteria convert ammonium to nitrate.

-Bacteria mediating nitrification are autotrophs, using the resulting energy of the
nitrogen conversion to fix carbon dioxide into organic biomass

Denitrification 333- ​occurs in environments largely divided of oxygen and type of respiration
in which bacteria use nitrate instead of oxygen as an electron acceptor

Closed system 334-No transfer of nutrients and energy into and out of the ecosystem

Open system 334- Lots of transfer of nutrients and energy into and out of the ecosystem (think
Panema).

Weathering 335- Eroding of bedrock and soil by physical and chemical processes.

Deposition 335- Atmospheric deposition is the net flux of materials from the atmosphere to the
ecosystem.
Chapter 12 ​(Msg Alex Cressman if you need clarification)

Biogeochemistry 344 - biotic controls on environmental chemistry and the geochemical control
of the structure and function of ecosystems (Stuff like the K, N and C cycles).

Source-sink 349 - Carbon is emitted from various sources and absorbed through sinks - mostly
oceans and terrestrial biomass.

Radiative forcing 355 - The imbalance between incoming solar and outgoing infrared radiation

Residence time 355 - How long a compound remains in the atmosphere

Methanogenesis 356 - Production of Methane by archaea in the absence of O​2​.

Fracking 358 - Hydraulic fracturing of shale rock to extract natural gas.

Chapter 13 ​(Msg Alex Cressman if you need clarification)

Conservation 371 - The science of preserving biodiversity

Biodiversity 372 - Species richness, can include community and genetic diversity

Restoration 372 - Rebuilding or creation of habitats, ecosystems, communities, etc

Demographic uncertainty 375 - Random variations in a population, such as too few female
births, can weaken a population.

Environmental uncertainty 375 - An unpredictable environmental event, like a late frost, that can
weaken a population.

Allele 376 - A gene, often used to describe a characteristic or rare one.

Effective population size 376 - N​e​ size of the ideal population in which the the actual population
is equivalent in genetic terms. Sex ratio is 1:1, number of offspring among parents is random
and the population size is constant.

Homozygous 377 - Matching pair of alleles (ex, two O blood type alleles give a person O blood,
any other combination gives another blood type).

Heterozygous 377 - Unmatched pair of alleles (ex, an A and an O type allele, when combined,
give a person type A blood).

Inbreeding depression 377 - Reduced fitness in offspring as a result of consanguineous mating.

Overexploitation 378 - A population that is being harvested at an unsustainable rate.

Introduced species 383 - A species brought into a new area by humans.

Invasive species 383 - An introduced species that has a negative effect on native species.

Extinction vortex 386 - A population that is reduced to too small of a population to recover
enters an extinction vortex, as subsequent generations become less fit due to inbreeding
depression, until eventually the species or population goes extinct.

Minimum viable population 390 - The smallest number of individuals required for a group to
have a 95% chance of persisting for 100 years.

Population viability analysis 390 - Model used to estimate how large of a population is required
to survive given certain conditions.

Charismatic species 393 - Pretty, well known species that the public likes, like pandas and
elephants.

Protected area 393 - “A clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and
managed through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long term conservation of
nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.”

Marine protected area 395 - Like national parks, but all or mostly water

No-take zone 395 - Protected marine reserves off-limits to fishing

Coral bleaching 397 - Ejection of photosynthetic algae from coral due to stress, causing coral to
turn white. Caused by warming water, ocean acidification or pollution. (And calcium breakdown
from carbon particulates)

Complementarity selection 400 - Process of protecting conservation areas, beginning with the
best, then protecting what the first site lacks, then protecting what the first 2 lact, etc

Irreplaceability 400 - Likelihood of the protection of a site being needed to meet conservation
goals, or the likelihood that a goal will not be met without it.

Ecosystem services 401 - Benefits provided to people by (healthy) ecosystems

Provisioning services 401 - Direct benefits, like food, water, medicine and pollination

Cultural services 401 - Spiritual or aesthetic services, religion and education77

Supporting Services 401 - Pollution filtration, flood regulation and C sequestration

Regulating services 401 - Nutrient cycling, primary production and soil formation
Chapter 14 ​(Msg Alex Cressman if you need clarification)

Demographic transition 411 - Switch from high birth, high death rates to low birth and death
rates.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) 415 - Atmospheric ozone depleting aerosol compound banned by

the Montreal Protocol in 1987.

Emerging infectious disease 418 - Diseases that are new or expanding beyond their traditional
range, ex. AIDS an d SARS.

Zoonoses 418 - Infections that circulate naturally in non-human vertebrate hosts but can be
transmitted to humans, ex. ebola from bats.

Pest 421 - A species considered undesirable because it negatively impacts us or our crops.

Economic injury level 421 - The point at which the damage caused by a pest exceeds the cost
of suppressing it.

Eradicate 421 - Intentional human elimination of a population.

Monoculture 422 - A single crop planted in a field/series of fields

Pesticide 422 - Chemical compound used to control pests by killing, suppressing or driving them
away.

Herbicide 422 - Plant targeting pesticide

Insecticide 422 - Insect targeting pesticide

Fungicide 422 - Fungus targeting pesticide

Biomagnification 422 - Accumulation of pesticide compounds in upper trophic levels that

organisms can not eliminate from their bodies, poisoning them.

Target pest resurgence 424 - When a pest species natural predators are eliminated/reduced by
bioaccumulation, so the pest surges in population when it finds an unsprayed area.

Resistance 425 - A pest’s ability to shrug off the effect of a pesticide. Genes for surviving the
pesticide spread rapidly as those organisms have an evolutionary advantage.

Biological control 426 - Using a pest’s natural enemies for population suppression.

Integrated pest management 428 -Combination of physical (keep pests away), cultural (crop
rotation), biological and chemical control to manage pest populations.
Desertification 430 - Arid or semi-arid land converted to desert by poor agricultural practices.

Salinization 430 - Creation of salt deserts due to irrigating arid or semi-arid cropland.

Biofuels 431 - Energy developed from biomass (charcoal, ethanol, etc.)

Aquaculture 434, 437 - Farming of fish, shellfish and algae.

Maximum sustainable yield 434 - Maximum number of fish that can be harvested without
damaging the fish stock.

Chapter 12

Biogeochemistry- science that looks at how biota control the chemistry of the environment and
the geochemical control of the structure and function of ecosystems

Source/sink- site of storage of an element/mechanism for loss of a material

Radiative Forcing- imbalance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing infrared ration
(watts per square metre)

Residence Time- amount of time a substance will stay in a system

Methanogenesis- production of methane by bacteria in absence of oxygen

Fracking- high-volume fracturing of rock

Chapter 13

Conservation - The science concerned with increasing the probability that the Earth’s
biodiversity will persist in the future; the actions we take to slow down or reverse these losses of
species and biodiversity

Biodiversity - The species richness (number of species), and genetic diversity of a defined
geographic region

Restoration - The act of returning an ecosystem to a former state; can be passive or active;
directly focused on biodiversity ​Note: this is the 200 definition, he seemed to talk about this
more than restoring ecosystem function

Demographic Uncertainty - Random variations in the number of individuals that are born male
and female, or in the number that happen to die or reproduce in a given year, or in the genetic
quality of the individuals in terms of survival/reproductive capacities
Environmental Uncertainty - Unpredictable changes in environmental factors, whether disasters
(floods, storms, or droughts of magnitude that occur rarely) or relatively minor events
(year-to-year variation in avg. temp. or rainfall); a small population i more likely to be reduced by
adverse conditions

Allele - Any or several forms of a gene that are responsible for hereditary variation

Effective Population Size - The size of the ideal population to which the actual population is
equivalent in genetic terms; “ideal” means a 1:1 sex ratio, number of offspring among parents is
random, and the population size remains constant (represented by ​Ne​)

Homozygous - Alleles provided by mother and father are identical (bad, probably related)

Heterozygous - Alleles provided by mother and father are different (good)

Inbreeding Depression - The result of individuals that breed with close relatives, who are more
likely to produce offspring with harmful alleles from both parents, causing deleterious effects

Overexploitation - When populations are harvested at an unsustainable rate, given their natural
rates of mortality and capacities for reproduction

Introduced Species - I’ll let ya figure that out for yourself