3.1 Flashcards
niche
The role and position a species has in its environment, including how it obtains resources, interacts with other organisms, and responds to abiotic factors.
Realized Niche vs. Fundamental Niche
The fundamental niche is the full range of conditions and resources a species could theoretically use without competition. The realized niche is the actual range a species occupies due to competition and other biotic factors.
Mutualism
A type of symbiotic relationship where both species involved benefit. Example: Bees and flowering plants.
Commensalism
A symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed. Example: Barnacles on a whale.
Parasitism
A relationship where one organism (the parasite) benefits at the expense of the other (the host). Example: Ticks feeding on mammals.
Predation
An interaction where one organism (the predator) kills and eats another organism (the prey). Example: Lions hunting zebras.
Herbivory
The consumption of plant material by an animal. Example: Deer eating grass.
Facultative vs. Obligatory Mutualism
Facultative mutualism is when species benefit from each other but can survive without the interaction.
Obligatory mutualism is when species are so interdependent that they cannot survive without the interaction.
What is likely to happen if the niches of two species overlap a little?
If niches overlap slightly, the species may coexist with some competition but might adjust their resource use through niche partitioning to reduce direct competition.
What is likely to happen if the niches of two species overlap a lot?
If niches overlap significantly, strong competition will occur, and one species may outcompete the other, leading to competitive exclusion or niche differentiation.
How can niche partitioning increase the biodiversity of a community?
Niche partitioning reduces competition between species by allowing them to exploit different resources or use the same resources in different ways. This increases species diversity by enabling more species to coexist within the same habitat.
What are some ways that species can partition their niches?
Species can partition their niches by dividing resources by:
Time (e.g., different feeding times)
Space (e.g., different areas of a habitat)
Resource type (e.g., using different food sources).
Compare and contrast mutualism and commensalism. Give examples of each.
In mutualism, both species benefit (e.g., bees and flowers).
In commensalism, one species benefits, and the other is unaffected (e.g., barnacles on a whale).
Compare and contrast parasitism and predation. Give examples of each.
In parasitism, the parasite benefits by living on or in the host, typically without killing it (e.g., fleas on dogs).
In predation, the predator kills and consumes its prey (e.g., wolves hunting deer).
Compare and contrast herbivory and predation. Give examples of each.
Herbivory involves animals eating plants (e.g., cows eating grass), while predation involves one animal killing and consuming another (e.g., hawks hunting mice). Herbivory usually doesn’t kill the plant, while predation results in the prey’s death.
