multiple hierarchy stratification theory
A theoretical view operating on the premise that each person has a specific status or position within society, with different levels of socioeconomic status having different challenges with leisure co...
natal habitat effects
The influence of early life environment on later life history decisions
neighbor-stranger discrimination
The ability to recognize who is singing important for territorial defense and mate attraction
neighborhood composition
Spatial arrangement and characteristics of conspecific individuals within pollination range affecting reproductive success
neighborhood effects
The influence of nearby conspecifics on an individual's fitness components, mediated by local density and composition
nest tree selection
The process by which Red-naped Sapsuckers choose trees for nesting sites
nesting substrate
Substrate that females use for nest construction (comb-building cavity, preexisting/constructed hole, constructed cell, soil)
nipple index
Scoring system (3-6) for mammary gland development based on nipple visibility and prominence as indicator of reproductive activity
nutritional state
The dietary status and nutritional condition of an organism that can influence its behavioral decisions
occupancy modeling
Statistical approaches to estimate site occupancy probability accounting for detection probability
oligolectic
open system dynamics
Population dynamics in systems characterized by high levels of dispersal and recruitment from external sources
opportunity cost
Cost of remaining in refuge measured as lost foraging opportunities or other beneficial activities
optimal allocation theory
Theory predicting that parents should allocate investment amongst their progeny according to an optimum at which their own (i.e., the parents') fitness is maximized
optimal cluster size hypothesis
The hypothesis that there is an optimal egg cluster size that maximizes fitness by balancing benefits and costs of aggregation
ovarian diapause
Reproductive strategy where females delay egg development and deposit eggs in terrestrial habitats during autumn after entering diapause
ovary development
overpopulation
Population density exceeding the carrying capacity of available resources, leading to reduced individual condition
pace-of-life hypothesis
Hypothesis proposing that individuals vary in life-history strategies covarying with suites of morphological, physiological and behavioural characteristics, where fast-growing individuals should be mo...
pace-of-life syndrome
Hypothesis positing that a series of behavioural and physiological axes of variation correlates with the individual slow-fast continuum
palatability
The acceptability of food items based on taste, texture, and chemical composition
parasite aggregation
Non-random distribution of parasites among hosts with most hosts having few parasites
parental care trade-offs
The conflicting pressures parent birds face between maintaining optimal nest conditions and foraging to meet metabolic needs
parental desertion model
Theoretical framework predicting when parents will abandon offspring based on costs and benefits of continued care versus seeking additional mating opportunities
partial life-cycle model
Age-structured demographic model where fertility is approximated by an average fertility parameter and age-specific survival from α until death
patchy virus distribution
Non-uniform spatial distribution of virus occurrence across host populations
pathogen spillover
Phenomenon leading to increase in pathogen prevalence and intensity in wild bee populations when commercial bees escape and infect wild populations
pathosystem
The ecological system comprising a pathogen, its host, and their environment
per capita growth rate
periodic solutions
Oscillatory population dynamics that repeat over time cycles rather than approaching stable equilibrium
persistence
number of behaviors directed at test apparatus
persistence
The proportion of time an individual spent interacting with the puzzle box during a trial
persistence of protected eggs
Relationships between egg and juvenile densities are strongest for species where eggs are protected from predation, parasitism, or physical factors that cause mortality or by female or male behavior t...
personality-dependent dispersal
The tendency to disperse is associated with boldness, sociability, and/or aggressiveness behavioral traits
physiological-efficiency hypothesis
play behavior
Apparently functionless behavior that is costly and exposes animals to various risks including predation, but must have substantial benefits
plumage badges
population density effects
Influence of intraspecific density on individual case construction and behavioral responses
population fluctuations
Decade-long changes in population size observed in tiger salamander populations
population transience
Higher frequency of movement into and out of habitat patches, as indicated by more abandoned middens in smaller patches
positioning periodicity
predatory sequence
The sequence of steps predators must complete: encounter prey, identify them as suitable, approach and attack, prevent escape, and consume
preoviposition mortality
Death of female insects before they have completed egg laying, resulting in loss of reproductive potential
prepatent period
prior experience
proportion escaped from seed predation
pseudoflower formation
Developmental hijacking where infected plants produce bright yellow flower-like clusters that mimic co-occurring blooms to attract pollinators for pathogen reproduction
puddling behavior
A form of supplemental feeding for nectivorous Lepidoptera to acquire necessary mineral nutrients, primarily sodium, that are otherwise absent from their nectar diets
push-pull strategy
Pest management approach that repels pests from desired resources while attracting them to manageable locations
