Lecture 10 - RH

Question 1

Give an example of mutualism:

Answer 1

The symbiosis between corals and algae

Question 2

Give an example of commensalism:

Answer 2

Shrimp live in a burrow and a crab living in that burrow

Question 3

What is interference competition?

Answer 3

Preventing a competitor from accessing a resource

Question 4

What is symmetrical competition?

Answer 4

Magnitude of impact on each species is the same

Question 5

What is asymmetrical competition?

Answer 5

Magnitude of impact on each species is different so one species is dominant

Question 6

What does an alpha 12 number less than 1 indicate?

Answer 6

species 2 has less effect on species 1 than species 1 as on itself

Question 7

What are the possible outcomes of competition?

Answer 7

Predictable exclusion of one species

Exclusion dependent on initial densities

Stable coexistence

Question 8

Why was the equilibrium for coexistence found to be lower than the intersection of the 2 isoclines?

Answer 8

Because the carrying capacity is non-linear and thus the lines intersect at a lower point due to the curvature of the isocline graphs

Question 9

What causes interspecific competition to be strong?

Answer 9

Overlapping of niches

Question 10

Why is there a lag where prey grow unchecked?

Answer 10

Numerical response of predator (takes time for predators to reproduce)

Functional response of predator (feeding rate vs food abundance)

Question 11

Why do prey rebound rather than go extinct?

Answer 11

Reduced predation pressure causes their populations to grow when predators are rare.

Predators eat less of the food when less food is available