Community Ecology Pt2

Question 1

Community

Answer 1

an assemblage of populations living close enough together for potential interactions

Question 2

Richness

Answer 2

Number of species in a community (species diversity)

Question 3

Abundance

Answer 3

how many individuals are in each of those species

Question 4

Ecologist Robert Whittaker had two hypotheses about species interactions:

Answer 4

Individualistic: species are independently distributed an it is just chance that they have similar abiotic requirements
Interactive: communities are groups if particular species that are interdependent & occur together

Question 5

Species Interactions - Interspecific

Answer 5

Interactions between populations or species within a community

Question 6

Predation

Answer 6

the preying of one animal on others (+/-)

Question 7

Competition

Answer 7

the interaction of individuals that vie for a common resource that is in limited supply (-/-)

Question 8

Commensalism

Answer 8

One species benefits and the other is not harmed (+/O)

Question 9

Mutualism

Answer 9

Both organisms benefit (+/+)

Question 10

Cryptic Coloration

Answer 10

Blend in! These Organisms blend into their environment so it decreases the chance they will be found

Question 11

Aposematic Coloring

Answer 11

Bright coloration warns others that they can do some damage if attacked

Question 12

Batesian Mimicry

Answer 12

A harmless species looks like a harmful species. Predators will think they are the “bad” kind and not eat them

Question 13

Mullerian Mimicry

Answer 13

Two species that are BOTH harmful look like each other

Question 14

Two types of competition

Answer 14

1. Interference and 2. Exploitative

Question 15

Interference Competition

Answer 15

Actual fighting over a resource

Question 16

Exploitative Competition

Answer 16

Consumption or use of similar resources

Question 17

Competitive Exclusion Principle

Answer 17

Lotka & Volterra claimed: 2 species with similar needs for the SAME limiting resources CAN NOT coexist in the same place
ex: paramecium & Gause’s experiment

Question 18

Resource Partitioning

Answer 18

Sympatric species (live in the same area but cannot successfully mate) consume slightly different foods or use other resources in a slightly different way
ex: bird species using different areas of the tree

Question 19

Character displacement

Answer 19

sympatric species tend o diverge in those characteristics that overlap
ex: Darwin’s finches & beak size (different sized food so they can coexist)

Question 20

Ecological succession:

Answer 20

transition in species composition overtime

Question 21

Primary

Answer 21

Begin in a lifeless area without soil
ex: volcanic activity or retreating glacier

Question 22

Secondary

Answer 22

An existing community has been cleared by some disturbance that leaves the soil intact
ex: flood