Science

University of Phoenix Material

Week 2 Application Worksheet

Complete the worksheet according to the following guidelines:

In the space provided, write each term’s definition as used in ecology. You must define the term in your own words; do not simply copy the definition from a textbook.

In the space provided after each term’s definition, provide an explanation that illustrates the importance of the concept, method, relationship, or study to which the term refers. In your explanation, you may wish to consider the following:

How has it influenced ecology?

Why is it important to understand the appropriate application of the term or concept?

Save the completed worksheet as a Microsoft® Word document with your name in the file name.

Click the Assignment Files tab to submit your assignment.

Submitted by: [Stacey Levesque]

Term

Definition in your own words

Use the term in a sentence as it applies to ecology or environmental adaptations.

Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and how they convert light into energy that they are able to use later on as a fuel source.

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert light energy into chemical energy for use in growth and cellular repair. The ability of plants to capture light energy, carry out photosynthesis and grow is affected by many environmental factors including temperature, water and nutrient supply. There are adaptations to photosynthesis that allow plants to tolerate extreme environmental conditions. "Ultimately, the overall net photosynthetic rate of ecosystems has a major impact on the global carbon"budget.These impacts may be significantly altered by global warming and subsequent climate change." (http://www.els.net/WileyCDA/ElsArticle/refId-a0003198.html)

Differentiation

The term niche differentiation, refers to the process by which competing species use the environment differently in a way that helps them to coexist.

The term niche differentiation, refers to the process by which competing species use the environment differently in a way that helps them to coexist. For example, different species of lizards that live in the same "area". The are different but may share the same food, like insects. The lizards avoid having competition with one another by living in different locations. Species who live in different areas compete less for food and different resources, which helps reduce the competition between the species. When species live in similar areas they compete strongly against one another for food and other resources.

Homeothermy

Homeothermy regulates and maintains a regular internal body temperature regardless of outside influence.

Homeothermy is a term used to help regulate and maintain the internal body temperature despite what is going on outside of the body. Some homeotherms are able to maintain their constant body temperatures through different behavioral mechanisms. For example reptiles use this strategy, they are able to maintain near constant activity temperatures that are often within a degree or two of their lethal critical temperatures.

Omnivores

An omnivore is a animal or human that eats both plants and animals.

An omnivore is an animal that eats both plants and meat. Omnivores lack the ways of carnivores and herbivores, searching widely for food sources, and are better able to withstand changes within their ecological niche. (https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/omnivore.htm)

Hibernation

Hibernation is a period of time when an animal or plant spends the winter in a dormant state, or when an animal (bears) spend the winter in a dormant state until spring time.

Hibernation is a great way for animals that would have difficulty when it comes to finding food during the winter months. In hibernation it allows the animal's body temperature to drop down to just above freezing and slows the metabolism to where it's easy for them to live off of the stored fat they have stored in their bodies.

Seasonal Breeders

A seasonal breeder are animals species that mate only during certain times of the year (mating during the fall season and having their offspring in the spring).

Evolution has adjusted the timing of the breeding seasons. With that being said I believe this has happened to reduce the number of young that is produced. In the temperate, subarctic, and arctic zones, the overriding factor is the availability of food. Food is important, not only for the young babies, but also for the breeding adults. For females they need an abundance of food for the producing eggs, and for the males, they need extra energy to defend their territories against predators.

Population Density

Population density is a measurement of the population in a certain area.

Populations are groups of individuals belonging to the same species that live in the same area at the same time. Population density is the measurement of the number of organisms that make up the population in that certain area. The changes in the environment can affect how the population interacts with its physical environment and with other species. When scientists track