Community Ecology: Predation and Herbivory (chapter 14)

These flashcards cover key concepts related to community ecology, particularly focusing on predation and herbivory.

Community Ecology

A biological community consists of interacting species, usually living within a defined area.

Species Interactions

The fate of a particular population may be tightly linked to the other species that share its habitat.

Fitness Benefits

A relationship between two species that provides a fitness benefit to members of one species.

Coevolution

Occurs when two or more species evolve together because of their interactions.

Herbivory

The consumption of plant tissues by herbivores.

Parasitism

The consumption of small amounts of tissues from another organism, or host, by a parasite.

Predation

The killing and consumption of most or all of another individual by a predator.

Micropredator

A predator that takes resources from one or multiple prey but does not necessarily kill them.

Parasitoid

An organism that infects just one host per life stage and always kills its host.

Mimicry

The close resemblance of one species to another, which can provide a survival advantage.

Functional Responses

The relationship between the density of prey and a predator’s rate of food consumption.

Defensive Strategies

Adaptations that prey utilize to avoid predation, including camouflage, mimicry, and chemical defenses.

Alarming Calling

A behavior where prey warn relatives that predators are approaching.

Aposematism

Warning coloration that keeps potential predators away, indicating that the organism is poisonous or harmful.

Counter Adaptations

Evolutionary changes in predators that occur in response to prey defenses.

Herbivore Defenses

Plant strategies that deter herbivores, including structural defenses like spines and chemical defenses like toxins.