Chapter 54: Community Ecology I Flashcards
Community
Group of species living close enough to interact with each toher
Physical boundaries of a community are defined…?
- By the ecologist to match their research questions
Community ecology (def.)
Study of how interactions between species affect structure and organization of communities
Interspecific interactions
Interactions between individuals of different species
Competition
- / -
- Individuals of different species that compete for a resource that limits their growth or survival
- Resource must be in short supply
Predation
- / -
- One species kills and eat s the other species
- Most species are adapted for capturing prey
Mutualism
- / +
- Both species benefit
Commensalism
- / 0
Infraspecific interactions
- Interactions between a species
Community ecologists focus on what sort of interactions?
- Focus on interspecific interactions
Competitive exclusion principle
- Two species competing for the same limiting resources cannot coexist in the same place
- In constant conditions, superior competitor will out-compete the inferior competitor
Niche
- Biotic and abiotic factors a species uses (plus ecological role)
Niche partitioning
- Niches located in different areas
- Ex: Plant root systems
Fundamental niche
- Niche that species could POTENTIALLY occupy
Realized niche
- Niche that species actually occupies
Intertidal barnacle experiment summary?
- Balanus (lower tide) were removed
- Cthamalus (colonized higher tide) began to colonize low tide as well
Manners in which predators are adapted to capturing prey?
- Sense of smell
- Vision
- Muscles
- hahahahaha what the fuck
Prey adaptations
- Mimicry
- Physical defense
- Behavioral defenses
- Herbivore defenses
Symbiosis and types of interactions
- When two or more species live in direct or intimate contact
1) Parasitism: +/- One species derives nourishment from host
2) Mutualism: +/+ Both species benefit
3) Commensalism: One species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped
