Community Ecology Flashcards
Competition
Two or more organisms of the same trophic level fighting over the same resource
Parasitism
Organism A benefiting off from Organism B, while Organism B is being harmed
Commensalism
Organism A benefiting from Organism B without causing any harm or benefit to them (neutral)
Mutualism
Both Organism A and Organism B benefit from each other
Intraspecific Competition
Competition within a species
Interspecific Competition
Competition between species
Predator & Prey Adaptations
- Acute Senses
- Adaptations to help catch/subdue prey
- Fast and Agile
- Lures or Traps
- Distraction Display
- Behavioral Defenses
- Camouflage
- Warning Colors
What is Mimicry?
2 different species resembling each other to gain biological advantages for survival
Predator-Prey Co-evolution
When one organism evolves advantages, the other organism evolves to keep their advantage and that cycle repeats
Plant Defenses Against Herbivores
- Chemicals
- Toxins
- Spines and Thorns
Types or Parasitism
- endoparasites: lives inside of the organism
- ectoparasites: lives outside of the organism
Types of Mutualism
- Facultative Mutualism: organisms that can live without their partner
- Obligate Mutualism: organisms that can not live without their partner
Dominant Species
Most abundant or have the highest biomass
Foundation Species
Physical changes in the environment that affects the community’s structure
Keystone Species
Strong control on community by their ecological niche
