Interactions Flashcards
predation description
one oragnism (predator) kills and eats another organism (prey)
cannibalism description
a subset of predation when the predator and prey are organisms of the same species
Herbivory description
an organism feeds on a photosynthetic organism (e.g. plant or algae)
the organism being fed on might not die
defense mechanism definition
mechanisms that evolved as a means of protection against predation and herbivory
types of defense mechanisms
- camouflage
- mimcry
- chemical defense
- behavioural defense
- structural defense
camouflage description
a type of protective coloration where organism mimics the patterns of its environment
mimicry description
a type of protective coloration where organisms resemble another
batesian mimicry
harmless/palatable species mimics a harmful/unpalatable one
mullerian mimicry description
harmful/unpalatable species that share a common predator mimic each other’s warning signals
Chemical defense mimicry
an organism releases noxious odours or concentrates poisons in tis body to make itself chemically unattractive
types of behavioural defense
passive, active
passive behavioural defense
hiding, freezing, playing dead
active behavioural defense
fleeing, herding, mobbing, using distraction
strcutural defense description
an external armour that is hard or thorny
symbiosis
two species having a physically close ecological association with each other
classes of symbiosis
obligate, facultative
obligate symbiosis description
organisms could not survive without each other
facultative symbiosis description
species live together by choice
types of symbiotic relationship
- mutualism
- commensalism
- amensalism
- parasitism
- competition
mutualism
two organisms interact, both benefitin
commensalism description
occurs when one organism benefits and te other neither benefits nor is harmed
amensalism description
one organism inflicts harm or inhibits on the other, while being unaffected itself without cost or benefit
a relationship that has destructive effect on one organism and no effect on the other
parasitism description
one organism (parasite), benefits by harming the other (host)
competition description
an interaction in which 2 or more populations lose access to resources
intraspecific competition definition
competition between members of the same species
interspecific competition definition
competition between members of different species
Interference competition
an organism directly alters the ability of anotehr organism to obtain the resource
exploitative competition
an indirect competition for resources
- an organism has a superior ability over another organism to gather the same resource
Competition exclusion principle
two species with identical niches can not coexist
niche definition
a species requirement for biotic and abiotic resources
resource partitioning defintion
a means of dealing with competition by using different resources within a habitat
fundamental niche definition
range of conditions and resources that a species can tolerate and use
density dependent factors
- allee effect
- competition for resources
- predation
- disease
density independent factors
- pollution
- climate change
- natural disturbances
