Community Ecology

Question 1

Community

Answer 1

Group or association of populations of two or more different species occupying the same geographical area at the same time

Question 2

Competition (-/-)
example

Answer 2

occurs when species compete for a resource in short supply
ex. lioness competes with hyenas for its kill

Question 3

Predation (+/-)
example

Answer 3

Interaction where one species (the predator) kills and eats the other (the prey)

Question 4

Herbivory (+/-)

Answer 4

interaction in which an herbivore eats parts of a plant or alga

Question 5

Symbiosis

Answer 5

relationship where two or more species live in direct and intimate contact with one another
includes parasitism, mutualism, commensalism

Question 6

Mutualism (+/+)
example

Answer 6

interspecific interaction that benefits both species
ex. mycorrhiza, lichen, E. coli, sea anemones, bees and many species or flowering plants

Question 7

Parasitism (+/-)
example

Answer 7

One organism, the parasite, derives nourishment from another organism, its host, which is harmed in the process
ex. fleas or mosquitos , aphids, tapeworms, european cuckoos

Question 8

Commensalism (+/0)
example

Answer 8

one species benefits and the other is apparently unaffected
ex. egrets and cattle interact, remoras and sharks

Question 9

Cryptic Coloration (camouflage)
example

Answer 9

makes prey difficult to spot since they blend in with their surroundings
prey displays defensive adaptations (morphological and physiological)
ex. canyon tree frog, chameleon

Question 10

Aposematic Coloration
example

Answer 10

animals with effective chemical defense often exhibit bright warning coloration
show strong color contrast with background unlike cryptic patterns
patterns of black and white, black and red, or black and yellow
predators that ignore this coloration will experience unpleasant taste or presence of toxic chemicals
ex. velvet ant, poison dart frog

Question 11

Batesian mimicry
example

Answer 11

harmless organism imitates the appearance of those that are dangerous in hopes that they will be mistaken for them by predators and be left alone
ex. caterpillar of the hawkmoth possesses the rather unique ability to inflate its abdomen in response to the external stimulus of a predator, green parrot snake

Question 12

Mullerian mimicry
example

Answer 12

two or more unpalatable or harmful species that have the same predators resemble each others closely similar warning systems, such as the same pattern of bright colors
ex. viceroy butterfly, cuckoo bee and yellow jacket wasp

Question 13

Aggressive mimicry
example

Answer 13

allows the predator to approach and sometimes attract its prey
ex. anglerfish, frogmouth catfish, assassin bug preys on spiders

Question 14

Trophic structure

Answer 14

feeding relationships between organisms in a community

Question 15

Food chain

Answer 15

linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients pass as one organism eats another

Question 16

Food web

Answer 16

branching food chain with complex trophic interactions

Question 17

Total energy passed from one level of a food chain to the next

Answer 17

The total energy passed from one level to the next is only 10% of the energy received from the previous organism (the remaining 90% of the energy is lost in the form of heat)

Question 18

Endoparasites

Answer 18

live within the body of their host

Question 19

Ectoparasites

Answer 19

live on the external surface of a host

Question 20

Tertiary Consumers

Answer 20

Organisms that eat the secondary consumers

Question 20

Quaternary Consumers

Answer 20

Carnivores that eat tertiary consumers

Question 20

Apex consumers

Answer 20

Organisms at the very top