APES Module 1

community ecology

study of interactions among species

symbiosis

species interation

biotic

living things: organic matter

abiotic

nonliving: temp., climate

biosphere

zone of life

competition

limited resources for individuals

competitive exclusion principle

two species competing for the same resource cannot coexist

resource partitioning

two species evolve to divide a resource though behavior or morphology in order to avoid competition

predation

one animal kills another to consume their energy

parasitoid

lays eggs inside prey and consumes it from the inside

morphological defenses

techniques to avoid predation (camoufalge, sharp spines, or chemical defense)

native species

species that evolve to their ecosystem over time

exotic/alien species

out of the historical range and can impact native species

invasive species

spread quickly and cause harm to the native ecosystem.

ecology

the scientific study of relationships between organisms and their environment

species

same kind, genetically similar enough to breed in nature and produce fertile offspring

biological community

all populations living and interacting in a particular area