ecology COMMUNITY vocab

Question 1

community

Answer 1

group of populations of different species living close enough to interact

Question 2

infraspecific competition

Answer 2

among individuals of the same species (intent, important in natural selection)

Question 3

interspecific competition/interactions

Answer 3

among individuals of different species

Question 4

competition

Answer 4

(-/-); two or more spices compete for a resource in short supplu

Question 5

predation

Answer 5

(+/-) one species, predator, kills and eats the prey

Question 6

herbivory

Answer 6

(+/-) an herbivore eats part of plant or alga; plant defense inflicted chemical toxins and protective structures

Question 7

symbiosis

Answer 7

living together, close interaction between organisms of different species for extended period of time (mutualism, commensalism, parasitism)

Question 8

parasitism

Answer 8

(+/-) parasite derivers nourishment from a host, which is harmed

Question 9

mutualism

Answer 9

(+/+) both species benefit

Question 10

commensalism

Answer 10

(+/0) one species benefits, other is unaffected

Question 11

competitive exclusion principle

Answer 11

two species cannot coexist in a community if their niches are identical; one with the slight reproductive advantage will eliminate the other

Question 12

resource partitioning

Answer 12

differences in niches that enable similar species to coexist

Question 13

ecological niche

Answer 13

sum total of an organism’s use or abiotic/biotic resources in the environment

Question 14

late loss survivorship curves

Answer 14

convex curve; low infant death rates; most survive to old age

Question 15

constant loss survivorship curve

Answer 15

individuals have constant death rate; equal change of doing at anytime

Question 16

early loss survivorship curve

Answer 16

concave curve; large numbers of offspring receiving little prenatal care are produced; high death rate

Question 17

defensive adaptations of predation

Answer 17

cryptic coloration; warning coloration; bayesian mimics; mullein mimicry; herbivory

Question 18

bastesian mimicry

Answer 18

harmless species mimic color or harmful species

Question 19

mullein mimicy

Answer 19

2 bad tasting species resemble each other to be avoided

Question 20

biodiversity

Answer 20

variety of habitats, living communities, ecological processes in an ecosystemsspe

Question 21

species richness

Answer 21

number of different species in community

Question 22

relative abundance

Answer 22

proportion each species represents of all individuals in the community

Question 23

simpson’s diversity index

Answer 23

high D value (close to 1) = greater biodiversity, more resistant to change (1 - sum of (n/N^2)

Question 24

invasive species

Answer 24

organisms that become established outside their native range; tolerate wide range of conditions, may introduce things not native to a habitat, complete and flourish against native species

Question 25

communities with higher diversity are

Answer 25

more productive/stable, able to produce biomass, more consistent, more resistant to invasive species, better able to withstand/recover from environmental stress

Question 26

trophic structures

Answer 26

determined by feeding relationships between humans

Question 27

food chain

Answer 27

transfer of food energy from plants --> herbivores --> carnivores --> decomposers

Question 28

dominant species

Answer 28

highest biomass or most abundant

Question 29

keystone species

Answer 29

exert control on community structure by their important ecological niches; role is out of proportion to its abundance in community, removal alters community

Question 30

ecological succession

Answer 30

transitions in spices composition in a certain area over ecological time

Question 31

primary succession

Answer 31

plants and animals invade where soil has not yet formed, no trace of previous community (from scratch); takes longer

Question 32

secondary succession

Answer 32

occurs when new community develops after an existing ecosystem is disturbed; occurs more rapidly, first species usually plants

Question 33

lattitude and area

Answer 33

spices more diverse in tropics than poles; larger areas more diverse

Question 34

latitudinal gradients

Answer 34

differences from different climates based on latittude

Question 35

key factors affecting gradient of species richness when moving from equator toward poles

Answer 35

evolutionary history; climate (sunlight and percipitation)

Question 36

evapotranspiration

Answer 36

evaporation of water from soil and plants together; functioning of solar radiation, temperature, water availability

Question 37

biogeographic lands

Answer 37

natural labs for studying species diversity; larger island = greater immigration, lower extinction; far from mainland; immigration decreases, extinction increases