Biology Chapter 14 Study Guide Flashcards

Symbiosis

• Symbiosis is a close ecological relationship between two or more organisms of different species.
• There are three major types of symbiosis: mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism.

Types of Symbiosis

• Mutualism: Both species benefit; examples include Nile crocodiles and Egyptian plovers, and bees with flowers.
• Parasitism: One species benefits at the expense of the host; an example is a baraconid wasp laying eggs in a caterpillar.
• Commensalism: One species benefits while the host is not affected; an example is demodicid mites consuming dead skin around human eyelashes.

Population Dispersion

• Population dispersion refers to how individuals are spread across an area.
• Three types of population dispersion: clumped, random, and uniform.

Types of Population Dispersion

• Clumped: Individuals gather in groups for mating, protection, or resource access.
• Random: No specific pattern in the spread of individuals.
• Uniform: Individuals are evenly spaced due to competition for resources.

Population Growth

• Population growth rate is influenced by resource availability.
• Two types of population growth: exponential growth and logistic growth.

Types of Population Growth

• Exponential Growth: Rapid population increase when resources are abundant.
• Population Crash: Sudden decrease in population size, often due to resource depletion.
• Logistic Growth: Growth that slows as it approaches the environment's carrying capacity after initial rapid growth.

Ecological Niche

• An ecological niche represents the special place a species occupies, incorporating all necessary physical, chemical, and biological factors for survival.

Habitat

• A habitat encompasses all biotic and abiotic factors needed for an organism's life, derived from the Latin for "it inhabits."

Examples of Habitat and Niche

• Deers inhabit forests (habitat) and their niche includes plant food, water, temperature, and social structure for reproduction.

Competition Types

• Competitive Exclusion: Two species occupying the same niche cannot coexist.
• Ecological Equivalents: Organisms share similar niches in different geographical areas.

Interspecific vs. Intraspecific Competition

• Interspecific Competition: Different species compete for the same limited resource.
• Intraspecific Competition: Members of the same species compete for resources, such as territory.

Predatory-Prey Relationships

• Brown bears can compete with squirrels for food while also preying on them.

Advantages of Symbiosis

• Remora fish benefit by attaching to sharks, gaining food and aiding in parasite removal, exemplifying mutualism.

Population Density Changes

• Adding goldfish to a tank results in exponential growth as population density nearly doubles.

Survivorship Curves

• Survivorship curves illustrate the number of survivors over time from a set of births, categorized into three types based on reproductive strategies.

Types of Survivorship Curves

• Type 1: Low infant mortality, high survival into old age; e.g., humans and large mammals.
• Type 2: Equal chance of living or dying across ages; e.g., small mammals and birds.
• Type 3: High birth rates, high infant mortality; e.g., fish and plants.

Population Dynamics

• A population experiencing immigration may face competition for resources or disease spread leading to a return to original size.

Risks of Exponential Growth

• Exponential growth leads to potential crashes if resources cannot match the rapid population increase, risking starvation, as seen with coyotes and rabbits.

Carrying Capacity

• Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals that an environment’s resources can sustainably support.

Environmental Changes and Carrying Capacity

• Prolonged harsh winters can decrease carrying capacity by reducing food availability.

Limiting Factors in Dense Populations

• Competition for food: e.g., overlapping diets between deer species.
• Predation: insufficient prey in an area affecting predator populations.
• Disease spread: higher transmission rates in overcrowded communities.

Explore key concepts from Chapter 14 in Biology through this study guide featuring flashcards. Learn about symbiosis and its types, including mutualism and parasitism, while enhancing your understanding of ecological relationships. Ideal for revising important terms and definitions.