chapter 41: species interactions Flashcards
what is a biological community?
an assemblage of populations of various species living close enough for potential interaction
what are interspecific interactions?
relationships between species in a community
what can interspecific interactions affect?
the survival and reproduction of each species, and the effect can be summarized as positive (+), negative (-), or no effect (0)
when do interspecific interactions occur?
when species compete for a resource that limits their growth
what can strong competition lead to?
competitive exclusion, local elimination of a competing species
what is the competitive exclusion principle?
two species competing for the same limiting resources cannot coexist in the same place
what is an ecological niche?
the specific set of biotic and abiotic resources used by an organism. can also be thought as an organisms role.
what is evident in the concept of the ecological niche?
evolution
how can similar species coexist in the same place?
ecologically similar species can coexist in a community if there are one of more significant differences in their niches
what is resource partioning?
differentiation of ecological niches, enabling similar species to coexist in a community
what is selective pressure?
any reason for organisms with certain phenotypes to have either a survival benefit or disadvantage
what is a species fundamental niche?
the niche potentially occupied by that species. this can differ from the species realized niche
what is a species realized niche?
the niche actually occupied by that species
what is the type of interaction in predation?
+ for predator and - for prey
what is predation?
refers to an interaction in which one species, the predator, kills and eats the other, the prey. predator-prey interactions can provide a strong selective pressure which results in the evolution of many unique advantages
what are some feeding adaptations predators have?
claws, teeth, stingers, and posion
what are adaptations?
they are not things that animals/ plants can decide to do. adaptations can only exist if they naturally come about because of a mutation
what behavioural defence adaptations do prey have?
hiding, fleeing, forming herds/ schools, and active self-defence
what morphological and physiological defence adaptations do animals have?
cryptic colouration/ camouflage - makes prey hard to find
what is coevolution?
the evolution of 2 or more species which reciprocally affect each other, sometimes creating a mutualistic relationship between the species.
explain the relationship between predator and prey population.
inverse and it flip flops back and forth
what type of interaction is herbivory?
+/- interaction
what is herbivory?
refers to an interaction in which a herbivore eats part of a plant or alga
what adaptations do herbivores have?
in addition to behavioural adaptations, some herbivores may have chemical sensors or specialized teeth or digestive systems
what are some plant defences?
chemical toxins and protective structures
what is symbiosis?
a relationship where 2+ species living in direct and intimate contact with one another/ come across each other a lot - may or may not have an effect on each other
what are the types of symbiosis?
1) parasitism
2) mutualism
3) commensalism
what type of interaction is parasitism?
+/ - interaction