Questions and Answers
What is a biological community?
What are inter-specific interactions?
Relationships between species in a community
What type of interaction does competition represent?
a -/- interaction
What does competitive exclusion lead to?
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What is an ecological niche?
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What is resource partitioning?
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A species' ____________ is the niche potentially occupied by that species and a species' ____________ is the niche actually occupied by that species.
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What does spatial niche partitioning involve?
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What is temporal niche partitioning?
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What does predation describe?
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What is herbivory?
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Define symbiosis.
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List the three types of symbiosis.
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What distinguishes parasitism from other interactions?
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What is mutualism?
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What does commensalism involve?
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Define facilitation in ecological terms.
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What is species diversity?
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Species richness is the total number of different species in the community and relative abundance is the proportion each species represents of the total individuals in the community.
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What are the benefits of higher species diversity in communities?
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What does trophic structure refer to?
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What is the energetic hypothesis in ecology?
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Define dominant species.
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What are keystone species?
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What are ecosystem engineers?
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What is ecological succession?
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What occurs during primary succession?
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What defines secondary succession?
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Species richness is especially ___________ in the tropics and generally ___________ along an equatorial-polar gradient.
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Two main climatic factors correlated with biodiversity are ___________ and ___________.
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Define evapotranspiration.
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Study Notes
Biological Communities
- Comprised of populations from different species that interact within a specific area.
- Example: Carrier crab uses a sea urchin for protection against predators.
Inter-specific Interactions
- Relationships between different species in a community categorized as:
- Competition
- Predation
- Herbivory
- Symbiosis (parasitism, mutualism, commensalism)
- Facilitation
- Can have positive, negative, or neutral effects.
Competition
- Characterized by a -/- interaction where species vie for limited resources.
Competitive Exclusion
- Inferior species can be locally eliminated due to competition.
- Competitive exclusion principle states that two species targeting the same limited resource cannot coexist in the same area.
Ecological Niche
- Refers to the totality of a species' use of both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) resources.
- Represents an organism's ecological role in its environment.
Resource Partitioning
- Similar species can coexist in a community if their niches differ significantly.
Niche Definitions
- Fundamental niche: potential niche a species can occupy.
- Realized niche: actual niche occupied, often influenced by competition.
- Species can partition niches spatially and temporally.
Spatial Niche Partitioning
- Example: One barnacle species limits the realized niche of another, illustrating spatial competitive dynamics.
Temporal Niche Partitioning
- Example: The golden spiny mouse adapts from nocturnal to diurnal activity to coexist with the common spiny mouse.
Predation
- Defined as a +/- interaction where a predator kills and consumes prey.
Herbivory
- Characterized by a +/- interaction where herbivores consume parts of plants or algae.
Symbiosis
- Involves direct, intimate relationships between two or more species.
Types of Symbiosis
- Parasitism: One organism benefits at the expense of another (e.g., endoparasites vs. ectoparasites).
- Mutualism: Both species benefit (e.g., termites and microorganisms).
- Commensalism: One species benefits while the other is unaffected.
Facilitation
- Interaction where one species positively impacts another without direct contact (e.g., black rush improving soil for other plants).
Species Diversity
- Refers to the assortment of organisms within a community.
- Components include:
- Species richness: total diversity of species in the area.
- Relative abundance: proportion of each species relative to the total population.
Community Productivity and Stability
- Communities with higher species diversity are:
- More productive and stable.
- Better at withstanding environmental stress.
- More resistant to invasive species.
Trophic Structure
- Describes the feeding relationships among organisms within a community.
Energetic Hypothesis
- Suggests food chain length is limited by energy transfer efficiency (e.g., only a fraction of plant biomass supports herbivores).
Dominant Species
- Most numerous or biomass-dominant species in a community, potentially competitive for resources or adept at evading predators.
Keystone Species
- Certain species exert strong control over the community structure due to their ecological roles, regardless of their abundance.
Ecosystem Engineers
- Organisms that modify their environments, such as beavers creating dams impacting local ecosystems.
Ecological Succession
- Refers to the sequence of changes in communities following a disturbance.
Primary Succession
- Initiates in areas devoid of soil, such as volcanic islands or glacial retreats, progressing from simple to complex organisms.
Secondary Succession
- Occurs in areas where soil remains post-disturbance, typical after events like forest fires.
Biodiversity Gradient
- Species richness is most abundant in tropical regions and decreases along an equatorial-to-polar gradient.
Correlated Climatic Factors
- Key factors influencing biodiversity include solar energy and water availability.
Evapotranspiration
- Represents the combined processes of water evaporation from the soil and plant transpiration.
- High in warm, wet regions, low in cooler or drier areas, and correlated with species richness.
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Test your knowledge with these flashcards covering key concepts from Biology Chapter 54. This set focuses on biological communities and inter-specific interactions, highlighting essential relationships and examples in ecological contexts. Perfect for review or study sessions!