19.4 - Community Ecology Flashcards
Predator-Prey Cycle
The population of predators and prey correlating together and help keep each other’s population in check.
Mechanical Def.
Part of the body as a defense or weapon to discourage predator : Thorns, stinger
Physical Def.
Altering physical appearance , body/shape : Camouflage, mimicry
Chemical Def.
Toxic and substance : Poison, bad smell (Skunks)
Behavioral Def.
Reaction to confuse or avoid predators : Traveling in groups, playing dead
Mimicry
Non Harmful species copying the appearance of a harmful one
Competitive Exclusion Principle
Two species cannot share the same niche. Results in a competition where one will dominate the other and become more evolved; the other may go extinct.
Niche
Unique resources dedicated to an environmental condition
Symbiosis
Close, long-term species/relationships between different species
Mutualism
Both species benefit
Commensalism
One species benefits, the other is unaffected
Parasitism
One species is benefited while the other is harmed
Biodiversity
Variation of species - Measured by # of species and relative abundance
Species Richness
Number of different types of species living in a habitat (Greater near the equator)
Relative Abundance
Population # of a species in comparison to the overall # population (lower = more biodiversity)
Species Evenness
Distribution of species relative abundance
Foundation Species
Based of the community
Keystone Species
Most impact/important, maintains commonness of species, structure, and biodiversity
Environmental Disturbance
Natural disasters, climate change
Primary Sucession
Pioneers species settling in a new area with no soil
Secondary Sucession
Resettling in soil after an environmental disturbance (forest fire ex)
Pioneer Species
The first to populate an environment converting rock into fertile soil : Lichen (algae), moss, bacteria
Climax Community
Community is at a stable equilibrium, maintained indefinitely
Succession
Sequences in a community after a disturbance, or first development
