Concepts

Predation behavior where individuals consume members of their own species, particularly common in A. m. nebulosum populations targeting first year hatchlings

Daily mass gain during critical post-emergence development period in juvenile mammals

The contribution of animals to ecosystem nutrient fluxes through excretion, with supply determined by animal biomass, excretion rates, and time spent in the ecosystem

Temporary pond hydroperiod reduction that triggers behavioral and physiological responses in aquatic organisms

The range of climate conditions that a species can tolerate, estimated from ecological niche models

The nutritional value of algae as food for aquatic consumers, typically measured by nutrient content

The emission of visible light by organisms following the absorption of shorter wavelengths of light

Caddisfly larvae ability to construct protective cases from environmental debris using silk-like string

Selective consumption behavior of invertebrates feeding on different types of organic detritus

The flow of energy through ecological systems, measured as invertebrate biomass transfer from terrestrial to aquatic environments

Addition of new individuals to insect populations through successful reproduction and development

A measure of niche overlap calculated as SI = 1 - (1/2) Σᵢ |pᵢₖ - pⱼₖ| where values approach 1 when resource use curves coincide perfectly and approach 0 when they don't overlap

Co-occurrence patterns between species that reflect ecological interactions beyond shared environmental responses

Categorization of invertebrates based on feeding mechanisms: collector-gatherers, grazers, predators, shredders, and suspension-feeders

Species-specific selection for particular combinations of physical habitat characteristics like water depth, current velocity, and substrate size

Temporal variation in precipitation patterns expressed as coefficient of variation in monthly precipitation over 5 years

The proportionality relationship between partial pressure of a gas in air and its aqueous concentration used to measure dissolved CO2

Use of passive integrated transponder tags for remote detection and tracking of individual animals without need for recapture

Mechanisms used by individuals to convey different cues to others, including color, vocal cues, body language, and biofluorescence

Behavior where caddisfly larvae consume material from their own or others' protective cases

Organic matter particles larger than 1 mm, including intact leaves and larger detrital fragments

A measure comparing the proportion of prey in predator diet to proportion in environment to detect selection or avoidance

Combined impact of multiple predators differs from the sum of their individual effects, can be greater or less than additive

Mechanism where state and behavior mutually reinforce each other, measured as positive correlation between individual intercept and slope in random regression models.

Statistical method used to identify the structuring factors driving life-history variation and to detect slow-fast continuum patterns

Input of terrestrial invertebrates into aquatic food webs providing energy to aquatic predators

The increase in mortality with age, showing broad variation at the intraspecific level

When organisms switch from their primary food to secondary food sources under conditions of high competition or resource limitation

Standard measure of organic biomass determined by ashing samples to remove inorganic material

Paedomorphosis becomes the preferred life strategy when growing conditions such as prey abundance, water temperature, and population density are poor, so individuals opt to cut losses and become sexua...

The sequential development of microbial communities on substrates following disturbance

Population response where decreases in fitness due to other factors are offset by increases in another demographic parameter

Consumption of dead organic matter by organisms, particularly caddisfly larvae feeding on detritus

Functional guild of macroinvertebrates that break down dead organic material, contributing to nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems

Differential prey use based on habitat type, with fairy shrimp comprising majority of diet in temporary ponds

Degree of environmental stress affecting survival and reproduction, differing between elevational sites

Competition through depletion of shared resources without direct interaction

Asymmetric intraguild predation (IGP) between caddisflies where larger, faster-growing species prey on smaller competitors

The production of organic compounds by autotrophic organisms, measured here through chlorophyll-a concentration

Differences between sexes in fluorescent patterns, as identified in Plethodon metcalfi

Spatial and temporal variation in water temperatures that can support diverse aquatic species and provide thermal refugia