Ecology Flashcards
Ecology
Study of how organisms interact with one another and their environment
Interspecific Competition
Occurs when two species use some of the same resources, often forces one or both to shift away from use of shared resources, both survive but would be better off alone
Competitive Exclusion Principle
No two species can occupy the same niche indefinitely, more efficient species will eliminate the other
Resource Partitioning
Often evolution will subdivide habitat or niche because of competition
Character Displacement
Species with overlapping ranges evolve differences that reduce competition where they overlap but not where they don’t
Symbiosis
Ecological relationship between two species living in direct contact
Parasitism
One species benefits at an others expense
Endoparasites
Tapeworms and malaria live inside their host
Ectoparasites
Mosquitos, lampreys, ticks, fleas, lice, bedbugs, feed on external surface of host
Mutualism
Both symbionts benefit, example is pollinators
Commensalism
One species benefits without harming another
Coevolution
A reciprocally induced evolutional change between two or more species
Intracellular symbionts
Include mitochondria and chloroplasts in eukaryotes
Intraorganismal
Symbionts include N2- fixing bacteria in higher plants, cellulose digesting bacteria in stomachs of ruminants
Interorganismal
Symbionts include ants/plants. Example is bulls horn acacia
