Behavioral Ecology Concepts Flashcards
7 cards from real Ecology practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Behavioral Ecology Concepts flashcards as text
In the marginal value theorem, an optimal forager should leave a patch when:
Answer: The instantaneous rate of gain drops to the average rate across the habitat
The marginal value theorem predicts that foragers maximize long-term energy intake by leaving a depleting patch when its marginal return rate equals the overall habitat average.
Leks are arenas where males aggregate to display to females. The 'hotspot' hypothesis explains lek formation by proposing that males cluster:
Answer: At sites where female traffic is naturally highest
The hotspot hypothesis posits that males gather at locations where females routinely travel, because displaying where females already pass increases encounter rates.
What does the term 'phenotypic plasticity' mean in the context of animal behavior?
Answer: The ability of one genotype to produce different behaviors in different environments
Phenotypic plasticity allows a single genotype to express different behavioral phenotypes depending on environmental conditions, without genetic change.
Which type of mimicry occurs when a harmless species resembles a harmful one to deter predators?
Answer: Batesian mimicry
Batesian mimicry is when a palatable or harmless mimic gains protection by resembling an unpalatable or dangerous model species.
An organism exhibits 'conditional strategy' when it:
Answer: Switches tactics based on its own condition or environmental cues
Conditional strategies allow individuals to adopt the best available tactic given their current status, body size, or environmental context.
Mobbing behavior, in which prey animals collectively harass a predator, is most likely maintained by:
Answer: Kin selection and dilution of individual risk in groups
Mobbing is maintained by inclusive fitness benefits (many mobbers are relatives) and the dilution effect reducing each individual's risk of attack.
In game theory applied to behavioral ecology, a 'dove' strategy that always retreats from conflicts would be evolutionarily stable when:
Answer: Resources are superabundant and not worth contesting
When resources have low value relative to contest costs, avoiding escalation is adaptive and dove strategies can persist, especially in energy-rich environments.