populations: community interactions

Question 1

What is predation?

Answer 1

-Predation is a feeding interaction where a predator hunts and eats the prey.
-Predators hunt prey, while prey are hunted by predators.

Question 2

What are some adaptations of predators?

Answer 2

-Hunting in packs
-Agility and speed
-Enhanced senses (sight and smell)
-Special dentition and claws
-Camouflage
-Additionally, predator eye placement helps them focus on prey.

Question 3

What adaptations do prey have to avoid predators?

Answer 3

-Herding behavior
-Camouflage
-Warning coloration
-Poisonous secretions
-Wide peripheral vision
-Prey also have eye placements that enhance their ability to detect threats from a wider field of view.

Question 4

What is herding and how does it help prey?

Answer 4

-Herding is when prey form larger groups for protection.
-There is greater safety in numbers, as many eyes can detect danger and protect one another.
-It requires high cooperation between individuals.

Question 5

What are hunting packs and how do they benefit predators?

Answer 5

-Hunting packs involve predators working together as a team, also known as cooperative hunting. —Examples include wild dogs, lions, and hyenas. This strategy increases the success of hunts.

Question 6

How do predator-prey relationships affect population numbers?

Answer 6

-Predator-prey relationships result in fluctuations in population numbers. -Predators control prey populations, and prey availability determines predator numbers.
-If prey numbers drop, predator numbers follow. This is an example of a density-dependent factor.

Question 7

What does a predator-prey graph show?

Answer 7

-A predator-prey graph shows the interaction between predators and prey, where prey numbers are usually higher than predator numbers.
-There is often a slight lag in the predator population’s response to changes in prey numbers.

Question 8

What is competition in an ecosystem?

Answer 8

-Competition occurs when individuals compete for the same limited resources. There are two types:

-Intraspecific competition: Competition between individuals of the same species.
-Interspecific competition: Competition between individuals of different species

Question 9

Can you give examples of competition?

Answer 9

-barnacles and mussels competing for space on rocky shores (interspecific).
-Gannets competing for nesting space (intraspecific).
-Hyenas and lionesses competing for food (interspecific).
-Trees in a forest canopy competing for light (interspecific).

Question 10

What is a niche in ecology?

Answer 10

-A niche is the specific ecological role of a species within a habitat or ecosystem, including its behavior, resource use, and competition.

Question 11

What is competitive exclusion?

Answer 11

-Competitive exclusion occurs when two species compete for the same resource.
-One species will have a competitive advantage and eventually displace the other.
-This is also known as Gause’s law.

Question 12

What is resource partitioning?

Answer 12

-resource partitioning allows multiple species to coexist in the same habitat by occupying different specialized niches.

-For example, birds may feed on insects during the day, while bats feed at night.

Question 13

What is the difference between specialists and generalists?

Answer 13

-Specialists are species with specific adaptations for a particular niche, while generalists have adaptations allowing them to survive in a variety of niches.
-Specialists may thrive in stable environments, while
-generalists can adapt to changing conditions.

Question 14

Can you give examples of specialists and generalists?

Answer 14

-Wildebeest are specialist grazers, feeding only on grass,
-while impala are generalists, capable of grazing and browsing on shrubs.

Question 15

What is symbiosis?

Answer 15

-Symbiosis is a close, long-term interaction between two different species.
-It can be classified into three types: mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.

Question 16

What is mutualism?

Answer 16

-Mutualism is a symbiotic relationship where both species benefit.

-An example is the relationship between flowers and pollinators like bees, where the bees get food and the flowers receive pollination.

Question 17

What is commensalism?

Answer 17

-Commensalism is a symbiotic relationship where one species benefits, and the other is unaffected.

-For example, birds nesting in trees benefit from shelter without harming the tree.

Question 18

What is parasitism?

Answer 18

-Parasitism is a symbiotic relationship where one species (the parasite) benefits while the other (the host) is harmed.

-For example, aphids suck sap from plants, harming the plant while benefiting themselves.

Question 19

What is social organization in animals?

Answer 19

-Social organization refers to the group structures that animals form to survive.
-This can include herds, packs, or colonies, where animals cooperate for hunting, protection, or task-sharing.

Question 20

How do herds and swarms help protect against predators?

Answer 20

-Herds and swarms protect animals by offering greater safety in numbers.
-The many eyes and ears of the group can detect predators, and the group can confuse predators by scattering or overwhelming them.

Question 21

How do packs contribute to successful hunting?

Answer 21

-Packs of predators, such as wild dogs and lions, hunt cooperatively. This increases their chances of successfully capturing prey.

Question 22

What are eusocial animals?

Answer 22

-Eusocial animals, like bees and ants, live in highly organized colonies where different members perform specialized tasks such as foraging, protecting the nest, or caring for the young.

Question 23

What is ecological succession?

Answer 23

-process by which ecosystems change over time.
-It includes two types: primary succession, where life colonizes an area with no previous life, and secondary succession, where life recolonizes an area after a disturbance.

Question 24

What are pioneer species?

Answer 24

-Pioneer species are the first organisms to establish themselves in a new or disturbed area.
-They help create conditions for more complex communities to develop.

Question 25

What is a climax community?

Answer 25

-A climax community is the final, stable community that develops in an ecosystem after succession.
-It varies depending on the biome, such as forests or thickets.