COMMUNITY ECOLOGY L25

Question 1

community

Answer 1

• association of populations of different species that live and interact in the same place at the same time

Question 2

community ecology

Answer 2

• study of interactions that determine distribution and abundance of individuals and populations

Question 3

resource

Answer 3

• anything from environment hat meets needs of a species

Question 4

ecological niche

Answer 4

• role of a species within structure and function of community

Question 5

competition

Answer 5

• two or more individuals attempt to use the same resource
• use by one decreases availability for others
• lose/lose
• determines number of species in a community and the size of each population
• requires overlapping niches

Question 6

intraspecific competition

Answer 6

• competition between members of same species/population

Question 7

interspecific competition

Answer 7

• competition between members of different species

Question 8

complete overlap

Answer 8

• two species with identical ecological niches cannot coexist
• competing for same limited resources
• win/lose

Question 9

partial overlap

Answer 9

• can coexist if there are non overlapping parts of niches

Question 10

competitive exclusion

Answer 10

• one species excludes other from part of fundamental niche

- can happen within species

Question 11

resource partitioning

Answer 11

• differentiation of niches that allows similar species to coexist

Question 12

character displacement

Answer 12

• when competing species have different traits where they overlap

Question 13

predation

Answer 13

• consumption of one species by another
• predator eats prey
• win/lose

Question 14

cryptic coloration

Answer 14

• camouflage, blend into environment

Question 15

aposematic coloration

Answer 15

• warning coloration

- advertises bad taste or toxicity

Question 16

mimicry

Answer 16

• the visual similarity of one species to another which protects one or both

Question 17

batesian mimicry

Answer 17

• defenseless species looks like dangerous species

- model density (dangerous) must be higher than mimic

Question 18

mullerian mimicry

Answer 18

• different species resemble each other
• all have real defenses
• advantageous to all

Question 19

herbivory

Answer 19

• organism eats part of plant or alga
• win/lose
• can’t escape but often have defenses

Question 20

symbiosis

Answer 20

• intimate, long-term relationship between 2 or more species

- usually involves one species living

Question 21

parasitism

Answer 21

• win/lose

- host isn’t killed because parasite needs it

Question 22

mutualism

Answer 22

• win/win

Question 23

commensalism

Answer 23

• win/neutral

Question 24

species richness

Answer 24

• number of different species within a community

Question 25

relative abundance

Answer 25

• proportion of all individuals in community that each species represents
• same richness

Question 26

trophic structure

Answer 26

• feeding relationships between organisms in a community

- who eats whom

Question 27

food web

Answer 27

• food chains that are linked

- one species can exist at more than one trophic level

Question 28

energetic hypothesis

Answer 28

• length limited by inefficiency of energy transfer

Question 29

dominant species

Answer 29

• highest abundance or biomass

- not critical to community structure

Question 30

keystone species

Answer 30

• often not abundant
• strong influence on community structure
• critical ecological role

Question 31

primary succession

Answer 31

• change in species composition over time in habitat not previously inhabited

Question 32

secondary succession

Answer 32

• change in species composition over time in previously inhabited habitat