Community Ecology Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What defines a community in ecological terms?

A community is defined as an assemblage of populations of various species living close enough for potential interaction.

Explain the concept of competitive exclusion.

Competitive exclusion is the local elimination of a competing species when two species compete for the same limiting resource.

What is the difference between a fundamental niche and a realized niche?

The fundamental niche is the potential environment where a species can survive without competition, while the realized niche is the actual niche occupied influenced by community interactions.

What is resource partitioning and why is it significant?

Resource partitioning is the differentiation of ecological niches that allows similar species to coexist in a community. Signup and view all the answers

How does character displacement occur in sympatric populations?

Character displacement leads to more divergent characteristics in sympatric populations than in allopatric populations, allowing species to exploit different resources. Signup and view all the answers

What defines predation in ecological interactions?

Predation is the interaction where one species, the predator, kills and eats another species, the prey. Signup and view all the answers

How does camouflage benefit prey species?

Camouflage allows prey species to blend into their environment, making them less visible to predators. Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between Batesian and Mullerian mimicry?

Batesian mimicry involves a harmless species mimicking a harmful one, while Mullerian mimicry involves two harmful species mimicking each other. Signup and view all the answers

What is mutualism and provide an example?

Mutualism is an interaction where both species benefit, such as the relationship between bees and flowering plants. Signup and view all the answers

Define the term 'commensalism' in ecological interactions.

Commensalism is when one species benefits while the other is neither harmed nor helped. Signup and view all the answers

What role does herbivory play in ecological communities?

Herbivory is an interaction where herbivores eat parts of plants or algae, influencing plant diversity and species composition. Signup and view all the answers

What are the two components of species diversity?

The two components of species diversity are species richness and relative abundance. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the concept of facilitation in ecology.

Facilitation is when one species has positive effects on another species without direct and intimate contact. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Community Ecology

Community: An assemblage of populations of various species living close enough for potential interaction. Affected by environmental conditions, including invasive species.

Interspecific Interactions

Interspecific Interactions: Relationships between species in a community. Examples include: competition, predation, herbivory, and symbiosis. Categorized by their effect on the involved species (e.g., positive, negative, or neutral).
Competition: (Negative/Negative) Occurs when two+ species compete for a limited resource. Potentially leads to competitive exclusion (local elimination of a competing species) – a concept proposed by Georgy Gause.

Ecological Niche

Ecological Niche: An organism's ecological role or function.
Fundamental Niche: The potential niche a species could occupy without competition.
Realized Niche: The actual niche a species occupies due to interactions with other species. Realized niche is influenced by community interactions.

Resource Partitioning

Resource Partitioning: Differentiation of ecological niches, allowing similar species to coexist. Example: Anolis lizard species differentiate their perching locations (sun vs. shade). Acomys rusatus and Mus spretus exhibit temporal partitioning by active times of day.

Character Displacement

Character Displacement: Sympatric populations of species exhibit more divergent characteristics than allopatric populations of the same species. Example: beak size variation in Galapagos finches.

Predation

Predation: (Positive/Negative) One species (predator) kills and eats another (prey).
Camouflage/Cryptic Coloration: Prey adaptation where they blend into their environment, avoiding predators. Example: Canyon tree frogs.
Aposematic Coloration: Warning coloration in prey to signal danger. Example: Poison dart frogs.
Batesian Mimicry: A harmless species mimics a harmful one. Example: Hawkmoth larva mimicking a snake.
Mullerian Mimicry: Two unpalatable (harmful) species mimic each other.

Herbivory

Herbivory: (Positive/Negative) Interaction where an herbivore consumes plant or algal parts. Influences plant diversity and species composition.

Symbiosis

Symbiosis: Close, long-term relationships between two+ species.
- Parasitism: (Positive/Negative) One organism (parasite) benefits at the expense of another (host).
Endoparasites: Live inside the host.
Ectoparasites: Live on the host's surface.
- Mutualism: (Positive/Positive) Win-win relationship benefiting both species.
Obligate Mutualism: One species cannot survive without the other (e.g., ants and acacia trees).
Facultative Mutualism: Both species can survive independently but benefit from the interaction (e.g., bees and flowering plants)
- Commensalism: (Positive/Neutral) One species benefits, the other is unaffected. Difficult to prove in nature. (e.g., barnacles and whales)

Facilitation

Facilitation: One species positively affects another without direct contact.

Species Diversity

Species Diversity: Variety of organisms in a community.
- Species Richness: Total number of different species.
- Relative Abundance: Proportion of each species in the community.
Shannon Diversity Index: An index to compare species diversity in communities. High diversity relates to higher community productivity, greater stability, and greater resistance to environmental stressors/invasive species.

Trophic Structure

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Description

Test your understanding of community ecology concepts, including interspecific interactions, ecological niches, and the effects of competitive relationships. Explore how species interact within their environments and the implications of these interactions for biodiversity.