Community Ecology

Question 1

when can competition occur?

Answer 1

when resources are LIMITED

Question 2

what does every species need?

Answer 2

• food
• water
• space
• shelter

Question 3

define biotic

Answer 3

LIVING (frog, plant, mushroom)

Question 4

define ABIOTIC

Answer 4

nonliving (mountains, sun, waves)

Question 5

define community

Answer 5

a GROUP OF POPULATIONS of different species that live in the SAME PLACE at the same time

Question 6

describe community ecologists

Answer 6

scientists who study how POPULATIONS OR SPECIES INTERACT and how communities CHANGE

Question 7

food webs can be divided into what?

Answer 7

tropic levels

Question 8

define tropic levels

Answer 8

RANKS in the feeding HIERARCHY

Question 9

describe producers

Answer 9

plants & algae/phytoplankton

Question 10

describe primary consumers

Answer 10

HERBIVORES —> animals that eat plants

insects, rodents, rabbits, deer

Question 11

describe secondary consumers

Answer 11

OMNIVORES OR CARNIVORES —> prey on herbivores

birds, lizards, snakes

Question 12

describe tertiary consumers

Answer 12

MOSTLY CARNIVOROUS TOP PREDATORS

hawks, wolves

Question 13

describe detritivores and decomposers

Answer 13

• eating nonliving organic matter
• RECYCLE nutrients
• feed on every trophic level

Question 14

most energy is used for what?

Answer 14

RESPIRATION

Question 15

each trophic level has just ___ of the energy level BELOW

Answer 15

10%

Question 16

define keystone species

Answer 16

have especially GREAT IMPACTS on other community members and on the community identity

Question 17

what happens if a keystone species is removed from an environment?

Answer 17

the communities change GREATLY

Question 18

define trophic cascade

Answer 18

changes in lower trophic levels after a change in the KEYSTONE SPECIES (TERTIARY CONSUMER)
- changes at TOP trophic levels can have SIGNIFICANT effects one or two lvls below)

Question 19

what is an indictator species?

Answer 19

a species that indicates the health of the community and ecosystem around them

Question 20

describe restoration ecology

Answer 20

returning ecological communities to pre-industrialized state

Question 21

what does a meandering shape do?

Answer 21

slows down water and creates extra fish habitats.

flooding allows for extra growth and channel is shallow