1. social organization
1.1. formation of herds as predator avoidance strategy
1.1.1. group is more watchful
1.1.2. greater group; greater survival of individuals
1.1.3. the herd scatters, confusing the predator
1.1.4. members protect the venerable
1.1.5. guidance during migration to young
1.2. formation of hunting packs
1.2.1. can chase until prey tires
1.2.2. pack shares the kill
1.3. dominant breeding pairs
1.3.1. carries over the strongest gene to the offspring
1.4. division of labor
1.4.1. tasks include collecting food, caring for young and building and maintaining the nest
2. Interactions in a community
2.1. predation: is the feeding interaction between predator and prey
2.1.1. predator: animal that hunts, captures and kills other animals for food.
2.1.2. prey: animal being hunted.
2.1.3. in a balanced habitat the prey in more than the number of predators; prey > predator
2.2. competition: is the interaction between organisms that compete for resources in the environment
2.2.1. intraspecific: competition between the same species for the same resource
2.2.2. interspecific: competition between different species for the same resource
2.2.3. competitive exclusion: one species is more successful and the other species dies out/ disappears
2.3. resource partitioning: is the interaction where different species coexist because they use same resource different
2.4. symbiosis: is a type of interaction where organisms are either directly or indirectly dependent on each other for survival
2.4.1. individuals of two or more species who live in direct and close relationship
2.4.2. mutualism (++) : both species benefit from the relationship
2.4.3. commensalism ( += ): one species benefit and the other in unaffected
2.4.4. parasitism (+ -): one species benefit and the other in harmed/ killed.
2.5. ecological succession
2.5.1. primary succession: the sequence of organisms that occupy a new habitat
2.5.2. secondary succession: the sequence of organisms that occupy a disturbed habitat
2.6. limiting factors
2.6.1. density independent: flood, fires, pesticides, climate, drought
2.6.2. density dependent: food shortage, predation, competition, invader species
3. human population
3.1. reasons for exponential growth
3.1.1. originally population growth was slow because: people died from starvation and disease; infant mortality rates were higher
3.1.2. population growth has increased exponentially because humans have reduced environmental resistance- increased carrying capacity; more food ; better health and science
3.2. ecological footprint: impact of a person or country on the local area or planet. measured by amount of land and water needed and by waste produced
3.2.1. developed countries: low population but high individual demand - bigger ecological footprint
3.2.2. developing countries: high population exploit natural resources and environment becomes degraded as demands of large population increases
3.3. effects of high population on environment:
3.3.1. large living areas are needed
3.3.2. over consumption of resources
3.4. over population:
3.4.1. plants become extinct
3.4.2. food chains are destroyed
3.4.3. degradation of environment
3.4.4. erosion
3.4.5. runoff water
3.4.6. habitats destroyed
3.4.7. unbalanced co2 and o2 levels
3.5. reduce over exploitation
3.5.1. sustained hunting
3.5.2. research
3.5.3. education
3.5.4. breeding/ seedbanks
3.5.5. nurture resources
4. population size
4.1. natality: birth rate
4.2. mortality: death rate
4.3. dispersal: movement of individuals
4.3.1. immigration: organisms joining the population
4.3.2. emigration: organisms leaving the population
4.4. population fluctuation and regulation:
4.4.1. carrying capacity: the maximum population size the environment can support for an extended period of time
4.4.2. environmental resistance: shortage of food, water, light etc.
4.4.3. annual and seasonal fluctuations: rainfall, temperature, migration.
4.5. growth patterns:
4.5.1. lag phase: population grows slowly because the organisms is getting accustomed to the new environment.
4.5.2. accelerated growth: population increases rapidly, little or no limiting factors
4.5.3. decelerating growth: caused by environmental resistance
4.5.4. equilibrium: reached carrying capacity
4.5.5. geometric (J-shaped) growth
4.5.6. logistic (S-shaped) growth
4.6. determining population size:
4.6.1. direct technique: census
4.6.2. indirect technique
4.6.2.1. sampling
4.6.2.2. mark and recapture
5. definitions
5.1. species: a group of organisms that share the same characteristics and are capable to interbreed.
5.2. population: a group of organisms of the same species which live in the same habitat so that random interbreeding takes place
5.3. community: all the plants and animals living in a defined area
5.4. ecosystem: the interactions between organisms
5.5. ecology: the study of living things and their relationships to each other and their environment
5.6. ecological niche: the functional position of an organism in its environment.
6. essay planning
6.1. planning (6)
6.1.1. decision
6.1.2. facts for / against
6.1.3. integration of facts
6.1.4. sources
6.1.5. own knowledge