Chapter 54: Community Ecology Flashcards

1
Q

Community

A

A group of populations of different species living close enough to interact

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2
Q

Interspecific Interactions

A

A relationship between individuals of two or more species in a community

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3
Q

Interspecific Competition

A
  • -/- interaction

- Individuals of different species compete for a resource that limits their growth and survival

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4
Q

Competitive Exclusion

A
  • 2 species competing for the same limiting resources cannot coexist permanently in the same place
  • Slight reproductive advantage will eventually lead to local elimination of the inferior competition
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5
Q

Ecological Niche

A

Sum of a species’ use of biotic and abiotic resources in its environment

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6
Q

Resource Partitioning

A

The differentiation of niches that enables similar species to coexist in a community

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7
Q

Character Displacement

A

Tendency for characteristics to diverge more in sympatric than in allopatric populations of two species

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8
Q

Predation

A
  • +/- interaction

- One species (predator) kills and eats the other (prey)

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9
Q

Aposematic Coloration

A
  • Bright warning coloration
  • Adaptive (predators often avoid)
  • Animals with effective chemical defenses will exhibit this
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10
Q

Cryptic Coloration

A
  • Camouflage

- Makes prey difficult to see

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11
Q

Batesian Mimicry

A

Palatable / harmless species mimics an unpalatable / harmful one

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12
Q

Müllerian Mimicry

A

Two or more unpalatable species resemble each other

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13
Q

Herbivory

A
    • / -

- Organism eats part of a plant / agla

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14
Q

Symbiosis

A

Relationship between individuals of two or more species that live in direct and intimate contact with each other

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15
Q

Parasitism

A
  • +/-

- One organism (parasite) derives its nourishment from another organism (host)

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16
Q

Parasite

A
  • An organism that feeds on the cell contents, tissues, or body fluids of another species while in or on the host organism
  • Harm but usually do not kill the host
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17
Q

Host

A
  • The larger participant in a symbiotic relationship

- Often provides a home and food for the smaller symbiont

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18
Q

Endoparasites

A

Parasites that feed on the external surface of a host

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19
Q

Mutualism

A
  • Interspecific reaction that benefits both species

- +/+

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20
Q

Commensalism

A
  • Interaction between species that benefits one species but neither harms nor helps the other
  • +/0
21
Q

Facilitation

A
  • Interaction where species can have positive effects on survival / reproduction of other species
    • / +
  • Not necessarily living in the direct and intimate contact of a symbiosis
22
Q

Species Diversity

A
  • Variety of different kinds of organisms that make up a community
  • 2 components:
    - Species richness
    - Relative abundance
23
Q

Species Richness

A

Number of different species in the community

24
Q

Relative Abundance

A

Proportion each species represents of all individuals in the community

25
Q

Shannon Diversity (H)

A

Widely used index to compare diversity based on species richness and relative abundance

26
Q

Biomass

A

Total mass of all organisms in a habitat

27
Q

Invasive Species

A

Organisms that become established outside their native range

28
Q

Trophic Structure

A
  • The different feeding relationships in an ecosystem

- Determine the route of energy flow and the pattern of chemical cycling

29
Q

Food Chain

A

The pathway along which food energy is transferred from one trophic level to trophic level, beginning with producers

30
Q

Food Web

A

Food chains linked together

31
Q

Energetic Hypothesis

A
  • Suggests that the length of a food chain is limited by the inefficiency of energy transfer along the chain
  • 10% is stored in the organic matter of each trophic level
32
Q

Dominant Species

A

Species in a community that are the most abundant or that collectively have the highest biomass

33
Q

Keystone Species

A

A species that is not necessarily abundant in a community yet exerts strong control on community structure by the nature of its ecological role or niche

34
Q

Ecosystem Engineers

A
  • Foundation species

- Species that dramatically alter their environment

35
Q

Bottom-Up Model

A
  • V–>H
  • Postulates an unidirectional influence from lower to higher trophic levels
  • N –> V –> H –> P
36
Q

Top-Down Model

A
  • Predation mainly controls community organization

- P to H to V to N

37
Q

Biomanipulation

A

An approach that applies the top-down model of community organization to alter ecosystem characteristics

38
Q

Disturbance

A

An event (i.e. storm, human activity) that changes a community by removing organisms from it or altering resource availability

39
Q

Nonequilibrium Model

A

Describes most communities as constantly changing after a disturbance

40
Q

Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis

A

States that moderate levels of disturbance foster greater species diversity than do high or low levels of disturbance

41
Q

Ecological Succession

A
  • Transition in the species composition of a community following disturbance
  • Establishment of a community in an area virtually barren of life
42
Q

Primary Succession

A

Ecological succession beginning in a virtually lifeless area where soil has not yet formed

43
Q

Secondary Succession

A

Occurs when an existing community has been cleared by some disturbance that leaves the soil intact

44
Q

Evapotranspiration

A
  • The evaporation of water from soil and plants

- A function of solar radiation, temperature, and water availability

45
Q

Species-Area Curve

A

All other factors being equal, the larger the geographic area of a community, the more species it has

46
Q

Pathogens

A

Disease-causing microorganisms, viruses, viroids, or prions

47
Q

Zoonotic Pathogens

A

Pathogens transferred to humans from other animals, either through direct contact with an infected animal or by means of an intermediate species

48
Q

Vector

A
  • Intermediate species that spreads a zoonotic pathogen

- Often parasites