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Questions and Answers
What is a primary consequence of competition among animals?
What is a primary consequence of competition among animals?
How can disease impact animal populations?
How can disease impact animal populations?
What defines an obligate mutualism?
What defines an obligate mutualism?
Which of the following relationships is characterized by one partner benefiting while the other is harmed?
Which of the following relationships is characterized by one partner benefiting while the other is harmed?
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What is an example of commensalism?
What is an example of commensalism?
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Why are warm waters problematic for sea urchins?
Why are warm waters problematic for sea urchins?
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Which term best describes the relationship between plants and pollinators?
Which term best describes the relationship between plants and pollinators?
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What is the result of herbivory in an ecosystem?
What is the result of herbivory in an ecosystem?
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Which type of interaction primarily involves the consumption of prey by a predator?
Which type of interaction primarily involves the consumption of prey by a predator?
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What is a key consequence of herbivory on community composition?
What is a key consequence of herbivory on community composition?
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In which type of interaction do two species benefit at least one of the partners?
In which type of interaction do two species benefit at least one of the partners?
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Which of the following is NOT a type of interaction studied in community ecology?
Which of the following is NOT a type of interaction studied in community ecology?
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How does competition primarily affect resources in an ecosystem?
How does competition primarily affect resources in an ecosystem?
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What role do predators play in regulating herbivore populations?
What role do predators play in regulating herbivore populations?
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Which of the following describes a characteristic of symbiotic relationships?
Which of the following describes a characteristic of symbiotic relationships?
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What is one effect of competition in plant communities?
What is one effect of competition in plant communities?
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Which group best represents a guild in an ecological context?
Which group best represents a guild in an ecological context?
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Which interaction can lead to the spread of diseases among population species?
Which interaction can lead to the spread of diseases among population species?
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Which type of interaction describes a predator eating its prey?
Which type of interaction describes a predator eating its prey?
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What term best describes the relationship where one organism benefits while the other is harmed?
What term best describes the relationship where one organism benefits while the other is harmed?
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In competitive interactions, what is typically the outcome between organisms?
In competitive interactions, what is typically the outcome between organisms?
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Which statement best describes herbivory?
Which statement best describes herbivory?
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What concept describes the relationship of organisms that have co-adapted and are mutually interdependent?
What concept describes the relationship of organisms that have co-adapted and are mutually interdependent?
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In the continuum concept of communities, how are species grouped?
In the continuum concept of communities, how are species grouped?
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Which type of competition occurs when different species compete for the same resources?
Which type of competition occurs when different species compete for the same resources?
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What is the primary focus of disease interactions within a community?
What is the primary focus of disease interactions within a community?
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Which example best illustrates a symbiotic relationship?
Which example best illustrates a symbiotic relationship?
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In Clements’ community unit concept, how are communities characterized?
In Clements’ community unit concept, how are communities characterized?
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Study Notes
Community Ecology Overview
- Community Ecology is the study of how species interact within a shared environment.
- All organisms, including animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, and more, make up a community.
- Community structure and organization are influenced by the interactions and relationships between species within a community.
Competition
- Competition for resources such as food, territory, nesting locations, and more, affects species presence and abundance.
Disease
- Disease can significantly impact population size.
- Example: Warm water can induce a disease in sea urchins that can lead to an overgrazing of kelp in intertidal zones.
Symbiosis
- Symbiosis is a close and often long-term relationship between two different species.
- Obligate relationships occur when species cannot survive independently.
Mutualism
- Mutualism benefits both organisms involved in the relationship.
- Examples include plants and pollinators, where plants provide nectar for pollinators, and pollinators help disperse seeds.
Parasitism
- Parasitism benefits one organism while harming the other.
- Example: Strangler figs parasitize host trees for access to sunlight.
Commensalism
- Commensalism benefits one organism without harming the other.
- Examples include epiphytic plants, like lichens, growing on trees without negatively impacting the host tree.
Community Organization
- Environmental gradients, changes in environmental factors, often correspond to changes within a community.
- Ecotones are transition zones between communities; they can either be gradual transitions or abrupt changes.
Community Unit Concept
- The Community Unit Concept, proposed by Frederick Clements, suggests that communities are well-organized, integrated entities, with species being interdependent on each other.
Continuum Concept
- The Continuum Concept, by Henry Gleason, posits that communities are coincidental groups of species with similar environmental requirements.
Community Concepts
- Clements' concept leads to the expectation of distinct community types with sharp changes between them.
- Gleason's concept predicts continuous variation in communities, with no distinct ecotones.
- Evidence suggests that most ecologists favour Gleason's Continuum Concept, though Clements' concept remains useful for applied disciplines like forestry.
Functional Organization
- Communities are also organized by the functional role species play.
- Ecologists study communities by their trophic levels: autotrophs (producers), herbivores (primary consumers), carnivores (secondary consumers), and detritivores.
Functional Organization: Guilds
- Species that utilize similar resources, even if they aren't the same species, can constitute a guild.
- Example: Hummingbirds, bats, and insects can all be part of a "floral-visiting guild" because they feed on nectar and pollen.
Interactions
- Interactions between organisms are central to community ecology.
- These interactions directly impact species' presence and abundance.
Types of Interactions
- Types of interactions studied by ecologists include: herbivory, predation, competition, disease, and symbiosis (mutualism, parasitism, commensalism)
Herbivory
- Herbivores can significantly shape community composition.
- Example: Although present in low densities, spruce budworms can irrupt and devour spruce trees, dramatically altering the ecosystem.
Predation
- Predators influence prey population sizes and community structure.
- Example: Boreal-breeding birds eat insects and other invertebrates, keeping their populations in check.
Competition
- Competition for resources and space is ever present.
- Plants compete for light, nutrients, water, and more.
- Competition impacts community structure.
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