Honors Biology Unit 3.1 Flashcards
(23 cards)
What is a niche?
In ecology, a niche is the match of a species to a specific environmental condition. It describes how an organism or population responds to the distribution of resources and competitors and how it in turn alters those same factors.
What is the match of a species to a specific environmental condition. It describes how an organism or population responds to the distribution of resources and competitors and how it in turn alters those same factors?
Niche
What is a realized niche?
Realized niche width is a phrase relating to ecology, is defined by the actual space that an organism inhabits and the resources it can access as a result of limiting pressures from other species.
What is defined by the actual space that an organism inhabits and the resources it can access as a result of limiting pressures from other species?
Realized niche
What is a fundamental niche?
Realized niche width is a phrase relating to ecology, is defined by the actual space that an organism inhabits and the resources it can access as a result of limiting pressures from other species.
What is a phrase relating to ecology, is defined by the actual space that an organism inhabits and the resources it can access as a result of limiting pressures from other species?
Fundamental niche
What is mutualism?
Mutualism describes the ecological interaction between two or more species where each species has a net benefit. Mutualism is a common type of ecological interaction.
What describes the ecological interaction between two or more species where each species has a net benefit?
Mutualism
What is commensalism?
Commensalism is a long-term biological interaction in which members of one species gain benefits while those of the other species neither benefit or harm.
What is a long-term biological interaction in which members of one species gain benefits while those of the other species neither benefit or harmed?
Commensalism
What is parasitism
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life.
What is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life?
Parasitism
What is predation?
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation and parasitoidism.
What is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours?
Predation
What is herbivory?
A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthparts adapted to rasping or grinding.
What is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthparts adapted to rasping or grinding?
Herbivory
What is facultative?
Capable of but not restricted to a particular function or mode of life.
What is capable of but not restricted to a particular function or mode of life?
Facultative
What is obligatory?
Capable of functioning or surviving only in a particular condition or by assuming a particular behavior.
What is capable of functioning or surviving only in a particular condition or by assuming a particular behavior?
Obligatory
What is likely to happen if the niches of two species overlap a little? Overlap a lot?
Niche overlap describes the situation in which co-occurring species share parts of their niche space with each other. High niche overlap may lead to conflictual interactions (such as competition and exclusion) for some species.
How can niche partitioning increase the biodiversity of a community? What are some ways that species can partition their niches?
By allowing more than one species access to a limited resource.
Compare and contrast different interspecies interactions, give examples of each type.
The main types of interspecific interactions include competition (-/-), predation (+/-), mutualism, (+/+), commensalism (+/0), and parasitism (+/-).
