Community Ecology II | Lecture 33 Flashcards
Can Species Interactions Be Organized?
Yes: Connects through the flow of energy in an Ecosystem; the food chain.
Flow Types of Energy In An Ecosystem:
Simple and Complex
Organization of the food Chain:
Food webs can be organized by trophic position.
How much Energy is Passed Down Each Trophic Level:
“Rule of 10” Only ~10% passes to next level. Therefore, ~90% loss at each trophic level.
Trophic Cascade:
Things that happen at one level can have an indirect effect on lower/higher trophic levels.
“Enemy of my enemy is my friend”
Keystone Predator:
A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its natural environment relative to its abundance.
Keystone Mutualist:
Organsims that participate in mutually beenficial interactions the loss of which would have a profound impact on the ecosystem.
Keystone Engineer:
Species that creates, signficiantly modifies, maintains, or destroys a habitat.
Communities can also change over time:
Ecological succession is the process by which the mix of species and habitats in an area change over time.
Communities can also change over time: Primary Succession:
Happens when a new patch of land is created or exposed for the first time.
Pioneer Species:
Hardy species which are the first to colonize.
Communities Can Also Change Over Time:
Secondary Succession Happens When Organisms Recolonize A Habitat After A Major Disturbance.
Climax Community: Definition
A relatively stable, long-lasting community that is the result of succession. The kind of climax community that develops is determined by climate/soil type/other abiotic factors.
Chronosequence: Definition
A set of ecological sites that share similar attributes but represent different ages.
Have to make the assumption that no other variable outside of age changes between the sites of interest.
