22 Questions
What is the outcome of character displacement in the presence of a limiting resource?
Increased differences between closely-related species
Which of the following is a prediction of the competition model in the absence of character displacement?
Exclusion of one species by the other
What is the purpose of calculating the resource-use-overlap index for each pair of species?
To determine the degree of niche overlap
What does the null model represent in the context of resource partitioning?
The expected resource-use-overlap index by chance
What is the result of resource partitioning among coexisting species?
Decreased competition for resources
What is the term for a group of species that exploit the same resource in a similar way?
Guild
What is the main reason why understanding assembly rules is crucial in the current era?
To understand the impact of human activities on ecosystems
Which principle states that two species cannot coexist if they have the same niche?
Competitive Exclusion Principle
What is the term for a group of species populations that exploit the same class of resources in a similar way?
Guild
What is the primary focus of testing assembly rules hypotheses?
Understanding the determinants of species co-occurrence
In the context of assembly rules, what is the main goal of understanding resource partitioning?
To understand how species coexist despite competition
What is the term for a group of species populations that occur together in a habitat, regardless of taxonomic relatedness?
Assemblage
What is the term for the ability of two species to coexist in the same habitat?
Coexistence
What is the concept that explains how species divide resources to reduce competition?
Resource Partitioning
What is the main force structuring the species composition of islands according to a 1975 study of species composition patterns of birds on Bismarck Archipelago?
Competition
What is the consequence of two species being too similar according to the Limiting Similarity principle?
Competition and exclusion of one species
What is the purpose of formulating hypotheses on generalized assembly rules?
To test whether species compositions follow certain rules or are random
What is the term for a group of species populations that share similar ecological roles in the ecosystem?
Functional group
What is the result of character displacement and resource partitioning according to the Limiting Similarity principle?
Exploitation of different resources
What is the term for the idea that coexisting species must differ in certain aspects to exploit different resources?
Limiting Similarity
What is the purpose of using null models in testing assembly rules hypotheses?
To test whether species compositions follow certain rules or are random
What is the term for a set of species that exploit the same resource in a different way?
Guild
Study Notes
Limiting Similarity
- Coexisting species must differ in certain aspects to exploit different resources, ensuring that each species occupies a distinct ecological niche. This is because similar species competing for the same resources would lead to a reduction in population sizes, making them more vulnerable to extinction.
- Similarity cannot exceed a certain "limiting similarity" (e.g. MacArthur and Levins 1967), beyond which competition would become too intense, and one species would eventually outcompete the other, leading to competitive exclusion.
- If species are too similar, selection leads to character displacement, where one species undergoes adaptive changes to differentiate itself from its competitor. Alternatively, competition can lead to the exclusion of one species, as the superior competitor monopolizes the shared resources.
- This concept is essential in understanding the coexistence and diversity of species within ecosystems, highlighting the importance of ecological differentiation in maintaining biodiversity.
Calculating resource-use-overlap index for species pairs, predicting morphological patterns and competition.
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