Communities

Question 1

Communities

Answer 1

• most communities have dominant species around which community is centered

Question 2

ecological niche

Answer 2

• resources needed for a species to survive
• includes: prey, shelter, breeding period
• it’s the result of many competitions
• can’t be shared (only 1 species)

Question 3

Community Succession

Answer 3

• def: periodic change in the assemblage of species in a community

Question 4

pioneer community (1st organisms to arrive)

Answer 4

• generalists (can get by w/ whatever resource is there)
• change the environments

Question 5

intermediate community

Answer 5

• fewer generalists
• more specialists
• change the environment (building the soil → grass)
• shifts to another intermediate community w/ same features
• change the environment: grassland → shrubland → small tree

Question 6

climax community

Answer 6

• very few generalists
• mostly specialists
• doesn’t change the environment
• e.g. forest – only destroyed by natural event
• However, when destroyed, environment won’t revert to pioneer but one of the intermediate