Ecology: Parasites, Competition, and Community Dynamics

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to ecology, focusing on parasitism, competition, community dynamics, and associated theories.

Parasitism

A relationship where one organism feeds on another without typically killing it outright.

Predation

An interaction involving a predator killing and consuming its prey.

Kleptoparasitism

A form of parasitism where one species steals resources from another.

Microparasites

Parasites too small to be seen with the naked eye.

Macroparasites

Parasites large enough to be seen with the naked eye.

Parasitoids

Organisms similar to microparasites that ultimately sterilize, kill, and sometimes consume their host.

Ectoparasites

Parasites that live on the outside of the host.

Endoparasites

Parasites that live inside the host.

Holoparasites

Plants that lack chlorophyll and are completely dependent on the host plant for water and nutrients.

Hemiparasites

Plants that photosynthesize but lack a root system to draw up water.

Definitive host

The host in which parasites exhibit sexual reproduction.

Intermediate host

The host species containing non-reproducing forms of the parasite.

Schistosomiasis

A major global health issue affecting over 200 million people, particularly in developing countries.

Plasmodium

A single-celled parasite that causes malaria and has a complex life cycle involving mosquitoes and vertebrates.

Brood parasitism

A type of kleptoparasitism where individuals manipulate others to raise their young.

Innate immunity

The body's defenses present at birth, which include physical barriers and cellular responses.

Acquired immunity

Immunity developed after exposure to a parasite, resulting in a targeted response.

Amensalism

A biological interaction where one organism harms another without benefiting itself.

Apparent competition

When two species share a natural enemy but do not compete for the same resource.

Competitive exclusion principle

The concept that complete competitors cannot coexist in the same niche.

Biological control

Using natural enemies like predators and parasites to control pest populations.

Trophic cascade

Effects resulting from top-down control, percolating from predators to herbivores to plants.

Succession

The gradual and continuous change in species composition and community structure over time following a disturbance.

Facilitation

A process in succession where one species benefits another by altering the environment.

Restoration ecology

The repair or replacement of biological habitats and populations that have been degraded.

Island biogeography theory

The concept that the number of species on an island is determined by immigration and extinction rates.