ES Ch 5

Front

What does r-selected mean in ecology?

Back

R-selected species are those that produce many offspring, have a high growth rate, and typically have short lifespans. Examples include most insects.

Front

What is secondary succession?

Back

Secondary succession is the process of ecological recovery that occurs after a disturbance, such as a forest fire, where soil and some organisms remain.

Front

Why do some species mimic the appearance of others?

Back

Species mimic the appearance of others primarily to trick predators into avoiding them, enhancing their chances of survival.

Front

What is logistic population growth?

Back

Logistic population growth is a model of population growth that includes carrying capacity, where growth slows as the population reaches the environment's limits.

Front

What factors govern changes in population size?

Back

The four factors that govern changes in population size are births, deaths, immigration, and emigration.

Front

What is carrying capacity?

Back

Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustainably support.

Front

What is primary succession?

Back

Primary succession is the ecological process that occurs in lifeless areas where soil has not yet formed, such as after a volcanic eruption.

Front

What is coevolution?

Back

Coevolution is the process where two or more species influence each other's evolution, often seen in predator-prey relationships.

Front

What is commensalism?

Back

Commensalism is a type of symbiotic relationship where one species benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Front

What is resource partitioning?

Back

Resource partitioning is the process by which competing species use the environment differently to reduce competition.