Reproductive strategy many young & little care Extremes : few young & much care Survivorship curve – graph that shows % survivorship of different ages in a population Age % of Population Surviving

Different reproductive strategies show different survivorship curves. Age % Surviving Type I Type II Type III

Number of organisms in a unit of area Affected by resources and behavior Population Density Population Range Area inhabited by an organism or species Determined by biotic and abiotic factors –Temp, precip, sunlight, predators, parasites, competitors

Population Distribution Clumped Defensive/cooperativ e Most common Random Not as common Uniform Negative interactions Bison Fish Song birds Black bears Penguin nests White-tailed deer Pattern of spacing – often resource based

Niche The role an organism or species plays in the ecosystem and community (Its “job”) Habitat Behavior Resources

Keystone Species – plays a critical role in the functioning of an ecosystem Video Indicator species – Sensitive to environmental changes Sea ottersBison (buffalo)Honeybees

Animal Behavior Why do animals do the things that they do?

Which of these is true for you? a)Most of the things I do are because of past experiences I have had. b)Most of the things I do are because of the personality I have. c)Most of the things that I do are because of the people around me and what they do. d)Most of the things that I do are things that I naturally do without thinking about it. Which of these is true for a wild animal?

Stimulus – Change in internal or external environment Behavior - Response to a stimulus Types of behaviors: Innate – Done by instinct, predictable, unchanging –Baby birds chirping, similar mammals walk at same age Learned – is developed or modified by experiences –Habituation – decreased response to neutral stimulus –Conditioning – association made between two “events” –Imprinting – permanent learning done during a specific time –Cognitive – problem solving, decision making, planning Basic Animal Behavior

Types of Behaviors Competitive – food, space, mates, etc –Agnostic –Dominance hierarchy (social ranking) –Territorial behavior Foraging – find food without overusing energy Biological rhythms – Cyclic behaviors done daily or seasonally Migratory - movement to increase chance of survival Hibernation & torpor – Slow metabolism & body functions Communication – help with survival and reproduction –Verbal –Non-verbal –Chemical Courtship – attracting a mate Nurturing - food, protection, skills for survival during early stages of life –“Shotgun approach” & focused approach Cooperative –Altruistic –Social living in herds, flocks, schools, packs, etc. Focus on the cause, advantages, & disadvantages