Ecological Communities Flashcards
What is an ecological community?
A group of interacting species living in the same place
What is the difference between species richness and species diversity?
Species richness is the total number of species occupying a habitat while diversity is the species richness and abundance of species.
What are the measures of diversity in a community?
Species richness
Diversity
Relative abundance
The proportion of the community that each species occupies is known as:
Relative abundance
If 90% of the individuals belong to 1 species:
High diversity
Low diversity
Low diversity
If each species contributes 1% of the individuals:
High diversity
Low diversity
High diversity
Types of interactions between species:
Competition
Symbiosis
Consumer-resource interactions
When two or more species vie for the same limited resource:
Competition
When species live in or on another:
Symbiosis
Types of symbiosis:
Parasitism
Mutualism
Commensalism
Types of consumer-resource interactions:
Herbivory
Predation
Competition within the same species is:
Intraspecific
Competition between species is:
Interspecific
What is mutualism?
When both partners have improved fitness (pollination)
What is commensalism?
When one species benefits and the other is not affected (Spanish moss and oak trees)
What is parasitism?
When on species benefits at the expense of the other (mistletoe)
Parasites are found in all kingdoms?
True
False
True
Animal that consumes plants:
Herbivore
Animal that eats other animals:
Predator
What is a keystone species?
A species that has a pivotal role in the community
Makes up a small portion of community by weight
Influence on community diversity is large
What is succession?
Gradual change over time in community’s species composition
Types of succession:
Primary
Secondary
Type of succession where a community begins in an area without soil
Primary
Type of succession where a disturbance has destroyed an existing community but left soil intact
Secondary
