Community Interaction

These flashcards cover the essential vocabulary and concepts discussed in the community ecology lecture, focusing on interactions, mutualism, predation, parasitism, and evolutionary dynamics.

Community

A group of interacting species living in a designated area.

Interaction

The key term defining relationships among members of a community.

Mutualism

An interaction where the outcome is positive for both species.

Facultative Mutualism

Optional mutualism existing only when convenient for the species involved.

Obligate Mutualism

Essential mutualism necessary for survival or providing large fitness benefits.

Predation

An interaction where one species (the predator) benefits and the other (the prey) is harmed.

Functional Response

The relationship determining how a predator selects patches based on prey availability.

Lotka-Volterra Model

A mathematical model describing predator-prey interactions including population growth and carrying capacity.

Density Dependence

Regulation of population growth through intra-specific competition, stabilizing dynamics.

Crypsis

Camouflage adaptations that make it difficult for predators to locate prey.

Aposematic Coloration

Bright colors in toxic species that warn predators of their toxicity.

Batesian Mimicry

When a non-poisonous species evolves to resemble a poisonous species.

Mullerian Mimicry

When two poisonous species evolve to resemble each other, reinforcing predator avoidance.

Plant-Herbivore Interaction

A more complex relationship where the plant is not killed by herbivory, allowing for various defenses.

Parasitoid

An organism that uses a host for incubation and nutrition of its young, eventually killing the host.

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is harmed, often not resulting in the host's death.

Ectoparasite

A parasite that lives on the exterior of the host.

Endoparasite

A parasite that lives inside the host.

Red Queen Hypothesis

The concept that coevolved species must continuously evolve to maintain their fitness relative to each other.

Evolutionary Arms Race

The ongoing adaptations between predators and prey or between parasites and hosts.

Adaptation

Any trait that increases the fitness of a species in response to environmental pressures.

Parasite Manipulation

How some parasites change their hosts' behavior to enhance their own fitness.