locomotor performance
Maximum running speed of an individual measured during chase trials
magnetic properties
male-biased dispersal
Pattern where male mammals tend to travel farther than females in exploratory excursions and disperse more than females
marginal value theorem
Theory stating that foragers will leave a patch after the quality of the patch drops below the average quality of the overall habitat
mass gain
Proportional increase in body mass during the active growing season, calculated as August 15 body mass divided by June 1 body mass
mass ratio hypothesis
Species with greater primary production exert the main controls for the functioning of ecosystems due to greater aboveground abundance of biomass or leaf area that promotes resource uptake
mass-specific excretion rate
the rate of nutrient excretion per unit body mass of an organism
maximum likelihood estimation
Statistical method that estimates parameters by maximizing the likelihood function of observed data
mean Doppler velocity
metal pollution
Environmental contamination by heavy metals from mining activities affecting freshwater ecosystems
metal-oxide precipitation
microbial biomass
Total amount of living microbial tissue in soil measured as carbon and nitrogen content
microsatellite DNA analysis
Molecular technique using highly polymorphic DNA markers to assess genetic relationships among individuals
mobile genetic elements
DNA sequences that can move or be transferred between different positions within genomes or between genomes
molecular evolution rate
Rate of nonsynonymous substitutions per nonsynonymous site normalized by synonymous substitutions per synonymous site (dN/dS)
mountain lakes
multicollinearity
Statistical phenomenon where predictor variables are correlated, potentially masking individual effects in regression analysis
multiple-use management
multipredator hypothesis
Assumes that antipredator adaptations evolve together and thus prey may respond to extinct predators as long as they have experience with other predators.
multiscale measurements
Measurements spanning multiple spatial and temporal scales within a watershed
natural attenuation
nesting traits
Life history characteristics related to where and how bees construct their nests, categorized as above-ground or below-ground
noble gas recharge temperature
non-additive effects
Combined impact of multiple predators differs from the sum of their individual effects, can be greater or less than additive
nonlinear process interactions
nutritional ecology
Study of how organisms obtain and use nutrients and how nutrition affects fitness
ontogeny
An individual's development from egg to adult
optimal foraging theory
Theory stating that pollinator visitation rates are higher in areas of higher floral density while in sparse populations pollinators switch between plants less frequently
optimal outcrossing distance
Distance range that maximizes pollen fertilization success and offspring survival
ovule usurpation
Loss of ovules to unfit heterospecific pollen that successfully reaches and occupies ovules but fails to produce viable offspring
oxygen ingress
partial least squares regression
Statistical modeling approach using spectral reflectance measurements to extrapolate functional trait values
perturbations
photoreductive dissolution
physical protection
pioneer species
Species best suited for the environment that make up most of the vegetation in early successional stages
plant disease
Percentage of leaf area affected by pathogen symptoms including powdery mildew, rust, and other fungal diseases
positive feedback loop
Mechanism where state and behavior mutually reinforce each other, measured as positive correlation between individual intercept and slope in random regression models.
post-fire recovery period
Period required for sagebrush to recover to pre-fire conditions after burning
posterior predictive distribution
principal component analysis
Statistical method used to identify the structuring factors driving life-history variation and to detect slow-fast continuum patterns
queen signal
Chemical compounds overproduced by queens compared to workers that potentially regulate worker reproduction
reactive oxygen species
Oxygen-containing reactive molecules with considerable environmental importance due to their high reactivity in mediating redox transformations
repeatability
The proportion of variance in a trait that is explained by individual identity, indicating consistency of individual differences over time and across situations
resource allocation
The distribution of limited resources among competing physiological functions such as growth, reproduction, and defense
resource density
The abundance or availability of resources in a given area
