Species Interactions & Species Diversity

Question 1

Community

Answer 1

An assemblage of species living in close enough proximity for potential interaction; has emergent properties: species diversity, tropic structure, stability over time

Question 2

Interspecific interactions

Answer 2

Interactions between species; can be positive, negative or neutral; Competition (-/-), Exploitation (+/-), Mutualism (+/+), Commensalism (+/0)

Question 3

Competition

Answer 3

An antagonistic interaction that occurs when species compete for a resource that limits survival and reproduction; resources must be in short supply for it to occur; mechanisms: exploitative or interference

Question 4

Exploitative

Answer 4

An ecological interaction in which individuals of one species benefit by feeding on (and thereby harming) or using individuals of the other species. Exploitative interactions including predation, herbivory, and parasitism

Question 5

Interference

Answer 5

Aggressive encounters among individuals shape resource access

Question 6

Competitive exclusion

Answer 6

The concept that when populations of two similar species compete for the same limited resources, one population will use the resources more efficiently and have a reproductive advantage that will eventually lead to the elimination of the other population

Question 7

Ecological niche

Answer 7

The sums of an organism’s use of biotic and abiotic resources; it can be thought if as an organism’s ecological role

Question 8

Resource partitioning

Answer 8

Differentiation of ecological niches, enabling similar species to coexist in a community

Question 9

Fundamental niche

Answer 9

The entire set of conditions under which a species can survive and reproduce itself (potentially)

Question 10

Realized niche

Answer 10

The set of conditions actually used by given species, after interactions w/ the other species (predation and especially competition) have been taken into account

Question 11

Character displacement

Answer 11

A tendency of characteristics to be more divergent in sympathetic populations of two species than in allopathic populations of the same species

Question 12

Allopathy

Answer 12

The occurrence of populations of related organisms in separate, non-overlapping geographic areas such that members fail to encounter one another; ranges do not overlap

Question 13

Sympatry

Answer 13

The term used to describe populations, varieties, or species that occur in the same place at the same time; ranges overlap (co-occur)

Question 14

Interspecific competition can result in:

Exclusion

Resource partitioning

Character displacement

All of the above

Answer 14

All of the above

Question 15

Predation

Answer 15

An antagonistic exploitative interaction (+/-) in which one species, the predator, kills and eats the other, the prey

Question 16

Evolutionary arms race

Answer 16

An ongoing struggle between competing sets of co-evolving genes, phenotypic and behavioral traits that develop escalating adaptions and counter-adaptations against each other

Question 17

Name examples of prey defense.

Answer 17

Mechanical defense (needles on a porcupine), Chemical defense (gas released by skunk), Aposematic coloration (warning coloration by a poison dart frog), Cryptic coloration (camouflage by canyon tree frog), Startle response (eyespots produced by a butterfly/moth), Misdirection (false heads by a butterfly?), Mimicry

Question 18

Aposematic coloration

Answer 18

Anti predator adaptations where a warning signal is associated w/ the unprofitability of a prey to potential predators

Question 19

Mimicry

Answer 19

The close resemblance of an organism (the mimic) to some diff. organism (the model) such that the mimic benefits from the mistaken identity; two types; Batesian and Müllerian Mimicry

Question 20

Batesian mimicry

Answer 20

A type of mimicry in which a harmless species resembles an unpalatable or harmful species to which it is not closely related; Ex: coral snake (venomous) and milk snake (non venomous but looks like a coral snake)

Question 21

Müllerian mimicry

Answer 21

Reciprocal mimicry by two unpalatable species; Ex: cuckoo bee and yellow jacket

Question 22

What type of mimicry is this:

Nonvenomous hawkmoth larva snake and generous green parrot snake

Answer 22

Batesian mimicry

Question 23

Predator-prey interactions can affect what?

Answer 23

Population dynamics of predator and prey, characteristics of predator and prey, and the growth rates of prey due to avoidance

Question 24

Herbivory

Answer 24

An antagonistic exploitative interaction (+/-) in which an herbivore eats parts of a plant or alga; can be engaged in an evolutionary arms race

Question 25

Parasitism

Answer 25

An antagonistic exploitative interaction (+/-) where one organism, the parasite, derives nourishment from another organism, it’s host, which is harmed in the process; can be engaged in an evolutionary arms race; has three types of parasites: endoparasite, ectoparasite, and parasitoids

Question 26

Ectoparasite

Answer 26

Parasite that feeds on external surfaces of host

Question 27

Endoparasite

Answer 27

Parasite that lives inside the host

Question 28

Parasitoids

Answer 28

Parasite that lays eggs in host and will lead to death

Question 29

Mutualism

Answer 29

Common Interspecific interaction that benefits both species (+/+); Ex: Acacia trees and ants, corals, sea anemones and clownfish, turtles and cleaner fish; two types: facultative and obligate

Question 30

Facultative

Answer 30

Not necessary for survival of either species; Ex: legumes and nitrogen fixing bacteria

Question 31

Obligate

Answer 31

Necessary for survival and reproduction of one or both species; Ex: lichen=fungi + algae

Question 32

What type of mutualism are plant pollinator mutualisms?

Answer 32

Service-resource mutualisms where pollinators provide service and flowers provide resources; represents reciprocal exploitation as both species incur costs, but the benefit to each partner exceed the costs

Question 33

Commensalism

Answer 33

An interaction in which one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped (+/0); Ex: Bromeliads and trees