Chapter 15: Communities and Ecosystems

Question 1

Community

Answer 1

Assemblages of species with the potential for interactions

Question 2

Interspecific community

Answer 2

Between members of different species

Question 3

Intraspecific community

Answer 3

Between members of the same species

Question 4

Ecological niche

Answer 4

Role/use of resources in a community leads to competition for those resources

Question 5

Competition (competitive exclusion)

Answer 5

This can lead to if niches are too similar (one species out-competing)

Question 6

Mutualism (+/+)

Answer 6

The relationship that benefits both members

Question 7

Commensalism (+/0)

Answer 7

One species benefits, the other is unaffected

Question 8

Exploitation (+/-)

Answer 8

One species benefits and the other is harmed

Question 9

Predation

Answer 9

One species kills/eat another

Question 10

Exploitation leads to

Answer 10

Extensive natural selection

Question 11

Exploitations developing to

Answer 11

Cryptic coloration (camouflage) and warning coloration (anti-camouflage) and also associated with mimicry

Question 12

Exploitation: Herbivory

Answer 12

One species eats all or part of a plant (often non-fatal)

Question 13

Exploitation: Herbivory leads to extensive

Answer 13

Natural selection toward defensive mechanisms like physical (thorns, hairs, and spines, etc) and chemical (bitter/toxic compounds)

Question 14

Parasitism/Pathogens

Answer 14

A parasite/pathogen uses the host for its benefit

Question 15

Parasites include the following:

Answer 15

1) External or internal
2) Long-term or temporary
3) Bacteria, fungus, protist, animal, or plant

Question 16

Species diversity

Answer 16

Measurement of a variety of species making up the community

Question 17

Species richness plus with

Answer 17

Relative abundance

Question 18

(# different species) plus with

Answer 18

(Proportion of community)

Question 19

Species diversity typically needs to

Answer 19

Maintaining diversity to maintain the system

Question 20

Keystone species hold

Answer 20

Their communities together

Question 21

Disturbance

Answer 21

The event that changes the community (drought, flood, fire, etc.)

Question 22

Disturbance is

Answer 22

Good or bad

Question 23

Disturbance leads to

Answer 23

Successions like primary (no life, life) and secondndary (some life, more life)

Question 24

Ecosystems

Answer 24

Community + abiotic environment, like water, temperature, nutrient/mineral content

Question 25

Two critical processes of ecosystems

Answer 25

Energy flow + nutrient cycling

Question 26

Trophic interactions

Answer 26

Feeding relationships throughout the community

Question 27

Energy flow sequence of energy transfer equal to

Answer 27

Food chain

Question 28

Producers

Answer 28

Photosynthesis

Question 29

Primary consumers

Answer 29

Herbivores

Question 30

Secondary consumers

Answer 30

Carnivores eating herbivores

Question 31

Tertiary consumers

Answer 31

Carnivores eating carnivores

Question 32

Detrivores/decomposers

Answer 32

Eat/recycle wastes from all levels

Question 33

Reality food webs showing

Answer 33

All potential food chains in a community

Question 34

Food webs can be both

Answer 34

A primary and secondary consumer, or eat a variety of prey items

Question 35

Energy flow each transformation of energy equal to

Answer 35

Loss of available energy

Question 36

Energy flow loss biomass as you move up

Answer 36

The food web (as shown in ecological pyramids)

Question 37

Biological magnification

Answer 37

Being at the top is not always good

Question 38

High-level consumers accumulate much

Answer 38

Higher levels of toxins due to increasing concentrations in the food chain

Question 39

Nutrient cycling is chemicals necessary for

Answer 39

Life must be reused by cycling through a system

Question 40

Low availability (normal)

Answer 40

Restricted growth

Question 41

High availability (artificial)

Answer 41

Excessive growth

Question 42

Fertilizers, detergents, and other wastes cause

Answer 42

Algal blooms (such as red tides) and are deadly

Question 43

Large scales extraction of carbon stores (fossil fuels) support

Answer 43

Global climate change

Question 44

Biodiversity

Answer 44

The measure of variety of living things through three diversities:
1) Genetic diversity
2) Species diversity
3) Ecosystems diversity

Question 45

Biodiversity lost through

Answer 45

Habitat destruction, invasive species, overexploitation, and pollution

Question 46

Conservation biology aims to

Answer 46

Preserve and restore biodiversity

Question 47

Conservation focus on

Answer 47

Biodiversity hot spots

Question 48

Biodiversity hot spots areas with

Answer 48

Unusually high species diversity and many endemic species (only found there)

Question 49

Conservation save one

Answer 49

Species (the whales! the pandas) makes more sense to focus on saving the community or ecosystem

Question 50

Conservation increasing concentration on

Answer 50

Restoration, prevention of loss and sustainability