Bio Final: ECOLOGY: COMMUNITY STRUCTURE AND SPECIES INTERACTIONS

Question 1

Types of species

Answer 1

native and non-native/exotic/alien

Question 2

native species

Answer 2

normally occurs in a particular ecosystem. Endemic: restricted to a specific locality
ex) giant sequia tree (largest) coast redwood tree (tallest) bristle cone pine (oldest)

Question 3

non-native/exotic/alien species

Answer 3

introduced into ecosystem, usually by humans. Feral, global amphibian declines

Question 4

feral

Answer 4

domestic species becoming wild, ex) goats, burros, dogs, cats, aust brushtail opossum in new zealand

Question 5

global amphibian declines

Answer 5

asian longhorn beetle, new england trees (lumber, male, syrup, tourism)

Question 6

indicator species (bioindicators)

Answer 6

species that serve as early warnings of damage to a community or ecosystem health (range of tolerance) Ex) amphibians, trout, birds, orchids, dung beetles
-macroinvertebrates

Question 7

macroinvertebrates

Answer 7

aquatic invertebrates (insects, crustaceans, snails, worms)= their abundance and diversity have been used as an indicator of ecosystem health and of local biodiversity

Question 8

Keystone species

Answer 8

role of species more important than abundance= structure and function of ecosystem.
-pollinators, decomposers, predators vs prey, dispersion of plant seeds, habitat modification and soil improvement

Question 9

Pollinator (keystone)

Answer 9

insects/birds

Question 10

decomposers (keystone)

Answer 10

fungi/bacteria/dung beetles

Question 11

predator vs prey (keystone)

Answer 11

sea otter vs sea urchins

Question 12

dispersion of plant seeds (keystone)

Answer 12

birds (phainopeple: mistletoe)/galapagos tortoise, ants

Question 13

habitat modification (keystone)

Answer 13

elephants

Question 14

soil improvement (keystone)

Answer 14

earthworms, burrowing mammals

Question 15

types of species interactions

Answer 15

• symbiosis
• interspecific competition
• intraspecific competition
• predation
• parasitism
• mutualism
• commensalism

Question 16

symbiosis

Answer 16

a close association between two different types of organisms in a ecosystem

Question 17

interspecific competition

Answer 17

competition between different species for resources (food, space, sunlight, soil, water)

Question 18

survival strategies for interspecific competition

Answer 18

1) migrate 2) shift habits or behavior= resource partitioning (ex. shorebirds bill size/shape) darwin finches (bill shape) dung beetles (dung type, size, odor, and spatial frequency, soils) 3) population decline 4) extinction

Question 19

intraspecific competition

Answer 19

competition between the same species for resources and mates

Question 20

predation

Answer 20

predator vs prey a) remaining prey have greater access to resources b) improves gene pool
“arms race”

Question 21

predator strategies

Answer 21

1) mobility: pursuit (cheetah vs impala)
2) ambush: camoufaluge/ sit and wait (rattlesnake vs kangaroo rat
3) cooperation: work together as a group to capture prey (wolves, lions, dolphins, sea snakes, fish)

Question 22

prey survival strategies

Answer 22

1) mobility= escape
2) protective covering (shells, thick bark, spines, quills)
3) chemical deterrent: poisonous, irritating (nettles, beetles), foul smell (skunk) bad taste (butterflies/host plant) 4) warning coloration (aposomatic): poison dart frogs, coral snake, skunk, butterflies (mimicry)

Question 23

behavioral strategies

Answer 23

mimicry (caterpillar looks like snake, bird feces)

-mullerian and batesian

Question 24

mullerian

Answer 24

when two or more poisonous species are prey for a predator and the similar color patterns are not attributed to being related

Question 25

batesian

Answer 25

when a harmless species mimics the color pattern of a dangerous species

Question 26

looks bigger (behavioral strategies)

Answer 26

spreading wings, puffing up

Question 27

group protection (behavioral strategies)

Answer 27

schools of fish, herds of antelope, flocks of birds

Question 28

behavior: play dead (behavioral strategies)

Answer 28

opossum, hognose snake

Question 29

autonomy (behavioral strategies)

Answer 29

tail loss in lizards

Question 30

aggressive (behavioral strategies)

Answer 30

luring (males towards females) fireflies (light flashing) katydid (sound imitation)

Question 31

imitation (behavioral strategies)

Answer 31

zone tailed hawk resembles turkey vulture- breaks from formation to ambush prey

Question 32

reproductive (behavioral strategies)

Answer 32

flower mimics female of insect species=male insect copulates with it, subordinate males mimic females and sneak into harem and mate

Question 33

parasitism

Answer 33

one species (parasite) feeds on part of another organism (host). parasite benefits host is harmed (rarely killed); parasitic organism is usually smaller than the host. 3 million species of parasites

Question 34

examples of parasitism

Answer 34

mistletoe, insect galls (oaks, creosote), tapeworms, arthropods (ticks, lice, fleas) protozoa (malaria, giardia) pinworm, roundworm, liver flukes

Question 35

parasite

Answer 35

endoparasite: internal ectoparasite: external

Question 36

brood parasitism

Answer 36

birds (cowbird, cuckoo)- lays eggs in nest of other bird (california gnatcatcher)

Question 37

mutualism

Answer 37

species interactions where both species benefit

Question 38

pollination (mutualism)

Answer 38

plants

Question 39

nitrogen fixation (mutualism)

Answer 39

plant vs fungi: mycorrhizal fungi

Question 40

protection (mutualism)

Answer 40

anemone vs clown fish

Question 41

food supply (mutualism)

Answer 41

oxpecker bird vs giraffe, rhino, cape buffalo, pilot fish and sharks

Question 42

lichens (mutualism)

Answer 42

-fungi and photosynthetic algae: corals and photosynthetic algae and yuccas and yucca moths (pollinator/larval food source) plant/mammal/fungi

Question 43

plant/mammal/fungi [lichens (mutualism)]

Answer 43

forest trees depend on mycorrhizal fungi for efficient nutrient uptake, while the fungi rely on the tree for carbohydrates -mycorrhizal fungi also depend on fungi-consuming mammals (flying squirrels) for spore dispersal, which inoculated distant soil patches, disturbed sites and newly formed tree roots

Question 44

commensalism

Answer 44

one species benefits the other is not harmed or helped (epiphytes: orchids, bromeliads) shade plants, cleaner fish (sharks, whales)