lec 11- competition

Question 1

what are the two types of competition?

Answer 1

interspecific competition- between species
intraspecific competition- within a species

Question 2

what are the two types of competition classified by the nature of interaction?

Answer 2

resource (exploitative) competition- when organisms use common resources that are in short supply (ex. desert rodents, ants)
interference competition- organisms seeking a resource harm one another in the process (ex. competing ants)

Question 3

what is allelopathy?

Answer 3

it is when plants release chemicals so other plants cant grow

Question 4

what is apparent competition?

Answer 4

it is when two species have a negative effect on one another through a shared common enemy

Question 5

why do eucalyptus trees promote fire?

Answer 5

they promote fire so they can kill the seedlings of potential competitors, the eucalyptus trees are relatively unharmed by these fires, similar to allelopathy

Question 6

what were Tansley’s conclusions after he planted two species in neutral and acidic soil?

Answer 6

1. species presence/absence could be due to competition
2. environmental conditions can affect competition
3. present species distributions could indicate competition from the past
4. closely related species often experience intense competition

Question 7

what are the two categories of resources?

Answer 7

nonrenewable- space once occupied, it is not replenished until the organism leaves
renewable- nutrients, food, continuously replenished

Question 8

what are the three types of renewable resources?

Answer 8

-externally supplied (rainfall, sunlight)
-regenerated directly within the ecosystem (predator-prey)
-regenerated indirectly within ecosystem (nutrient recycling by consumers)

Question 9

what is the competitive exclusion hypothesis?

Answer 9

2 species cannot coexist indefinitely on the same limiting resource, or coexist in the same niche

Question 10

what is a fundamental and realized niche?

Answer 10

fundamental niche- infinite possibilities, impossible to measure
realized niche- the observed resource use of a species in the presence of competition

Question 11

explain the three types of predator functional response graphs?

Answer 11

type 1- uncommon due to constant prey and no tiredness of predator
type 2- limited by handling time and digestion
type 3- limited by prey refuge and searching for prey and attacking, as well as handling and digesting