Chapter 54- Community Ecology Flashcards
crypto
hidden, concealed
cryptic coloration: a type of camouflage that make potential prey difficult to spot against its background
ecto
outer
ectoparasites: parasites that feed on the external surface of a host
endo
inner
endoparasites: parasites that live within a host
herb
grass
vora
eat
herbivory: the consumption of plant material by an herbivore
inter
between
(interspecific competition: competition for resources between plants, between animals, or between decomposers when resources are in short supply)
mutu
reciprocal
mutualism: a symbiotic relationship in which both the host and the symbiont benefit
aposematic coloration
The bright warning coloration of many animals with effective physical or chemical defenses
Batesian mimicry
A type of mimicry in which a harmless species looks like a species that is poisonous or otherwise harmful to predators
biomanipulation
An approach that applies top-down model of community or organization to alter ecosystem characteristics,
for example, ecologists can prevent algal blooms and eutrophication by altering the density of higher-level consumers in lakes instead of by using chemical treatments
biomass
The total mass of organic matter comprising a group of organisms in a particular habitat
bottom-up model
A model of community organization in which mineral nutrients influence community organization by controlling plant or phytoplankton numbers, which in turn control herbivore numbers, which control predator numbers
commensalism
A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits but the other is neither helped nor harmed
disturbance
A natural or human-caused event that changes a biological community and usually removes organisms from it. Disturbances, such as fires and storms, play a pivotal role in structuring many communities
ecological niche
The sum of a species use of the biotic and abiotic resources in its environment
ecological succession
Transition in the species composition of a community following a disturbance; establishments of a community in an area virtually barren of life
ecosystem engineer
An organism that influences community structure by causing physical causes in the environment
ectoparasites
A parasite that feeds on the external surface of a host
endoparasites
A parasite that lives within the host
energetic hypothesis
The concept that the length of a food chain is limited by the inefficiency of energy transfer along the chain
evapotranspiration
The total evaporation of water from an ecosystem, including water transpired by plants and evaporated form a landscape, usually measured in mm and estimated for a year
facilitation
An interaction in which one species has a positive effect on the survival and reproduction of another species without the intimate association of a symbiosis
food chain
The pathway along which food energy is transferred from trophic level to trophic level, beginners with producers
food web
The interconnected feeding relationships in an ecosystem
host
The larger participant in a symbiotic relationship, often providing a home and food source for the smaller symbiont
intermediate disturbance hypothesis
The concept that moderate levels of disturbance can foster greater species diversity than low or high levels of disturbance
interspecific competition
Competition for resources between individuals of two or more species when resource are in short supply
interspecific interaction
A relationship between individuals of two or more species in a community
invasive species
A species, often introduced by humans, that takes hold outside its native range
keystone species
A species that is not necessarily abundant in a community yet exerts strong control of community structure by the nature of its ecological role or niche
mutualism
A symbiotic relationship in which both participants benefit
nonequilibrium model
A model that maintains that communities change constantly after being buffeted by disturbances
parasite
An organism that feeds on the cell contents, tissues, or body fluids of another species (the host) while in or on the host organism. Parasites harm but don’t usually kill their host.
parasitism
A symbiotic relationship in which one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of another, the host, by living either within or on the host
pathogen
An organism, virus, viroid, or prion that causes disease
relative abundance
The proportional abundance of different species in a community
resource partitioning
The division of environmental resources by coexisting species such that the niche of each species differs by one or more significant from the niches of all coexisting species
symbiosis
An ecological relationship between organisms of two different species that live together in direct and intimate contact
top-down model
A model of community organization in which predation influences community organization by controlling herbivore numbers, which controls plants or phytoplankton numbers, which controls nutrient levels; also called trophic cascade model
trophic structure
The different feeding relationships in an ecosystem, which determine the route of energy flow and the patter of chemical cycling
vector
An organism that transmits pathogens from one host to another
zoonotic pathogens
A disease-causing agent that is transmitted to humans from other animals
