Podcast
Questions and Answers
How does the introduction of large top predator fishes affect the abundance of the aquatic plant community in a system with strong top-down control?
How does the introduction of large top predator fishes affect the abundance of the aquatic plant community in a system with strong top-down control?
- Increase nutrient levels, thus promoting aquatic plants
- Decrease the abundance of aquatic plants (correct)
- Increase the abundance of aquatic plants
- Have no effect on aquatic plants
What is a common challenge faced by restoration projects aimed at recovering ecological communities?
What is a common challenge faced by restoration projects aimed at recovering ecological communities?
- They have no impact on the ecosystem
- They often lead to species invasions
- They are always successful with enough funding
- They are expensive and many fail (correct)
Why might fox-free islands appear greener in the Aleutian Islands case study?
Why might fox-free islands appear greener in the Aleutian Islands case study?
- Reduced soil erosion
- Increased water availability
- Less competition among plant species
- Higher populations of flora without herbivory (correct)
What concept describes the phenomenon where indirect effects create misleading ecological patterns?
What concept describes the phenomenon where indirect effects create misleading ecological patterns?
In the context of biomanipulation, what type of control involves altering the abundance of top consumers to influence lower trophic levels?
In the context of biomanipulation, what type of control involves altering the abundance of top consumers to influence lower trophic levels?
What kind of ecological change can species invasions lead to?
What kind of ecological change can species invasions lead to?
What might happen to vegetation if a new squirrel species, which shares a predator, is introduced into the ecosystem?
What might happen to vegetation if a new squirrel species, which shares a predator, is introduced into the ecosystem?
What are the direct effects in a trophic cascade?
What are the direct effects in a trophic cascade?
What is a key characteristic of a trophic cascade?
What is a key characteristic of a trophic cascade?
In a food web, which of the following describes direct effects?
In a food web, which of the following describes direct effects?
Which model suggests that populations are regulated by the availability of energy and nutrients?
Which model suggests that populations are regulated by the availability of energy and nutrients?
What does the term 'apparent competition' refer to?
What does the term 'apparent competition' refer to?
How do arrows in food webs function?
How do arrows in food webs function?
Why might an increase in zebra food be a viable option for managing zebra populations?
Why might an increase in zebra food be a viable option for managing zebra populations?
What is indicated by 'top-down' population regulation?
What is indicated by 'top-down' population regulation?
What is described by the term 'trophic structure'?
What is described by the term 'trophic structure'?
Flashcards
Food Chain
Food Chain
A linear sequence of organisms where each feeds on the one below it, showing the flow of energy.
Food Web
Food Web
A network of interconnected food chains, showing complex feeding relationships in a community.
Trophic Cascade
Trophic Cascade
A series of changes in abundance of organisms at different trophic levels, triggered by a change in predator numbers.
Direct Effect
Direct Effect
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Indirect Effect
Indirect Effect
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Apparent Competition
Apparent Competition
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Bottom-up control
Bottom-up control
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Top-down control
Top-down control
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Biomanipulation
Biomanipulation
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Restoration project
Restoration project
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Species introduction
Species introduction
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Aquatic plant community
Aquatic plant community
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Study Notes
Community Ecology II: Direct and Indirect Effects in Food Webs
- Food webs depict complex feeding relationships within an ecosystem
- Trophic structure describes who eats whom, transferring energy and nutrients
- Direct effects – immediate effects between two species in a food web
- Indirect effects – delayed impacts between two species in a food web
- Apparent competition – a phenomenon where two species are seemingly competing for resources but are indirectly affected through a predator-prey relationship
- Top-down control – the abundance of species in a food web regulated by higher trophic levels (e.g., predators); predators control prey populations
- Bottom-up control – the abundance of species in a food web regulated by lower trophic levels (e.g., producers); producers control populations at higher trophic levels
- Restoration projects aim to recover ecological communities and their functions by methods like planting seeds or saplings.
- Restoration projects are often expensive and can fail; this highlights the complexity of food webs
- Real-world food webs often change due to species introductions, invasions, extinctions, and nutrient/resource level shifts.
- Introduced species, like foxes in the Aleutian Islands, may lead to changes in abundance of other species (e.g., seabirds and vegetation).
- The removal of top-level predators, can have a positive effect on vegetation abundance in some systems, like in the Yellowstone National Park with the reintroduction of wolves increasing the populations of other species.
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