Ecological Interactions and Community Dynamics

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to ecological interactions and community dynamics as discussed in the lecture.

Herbivory

An interaction where herbivores eat plants, benefiting from it while plants suffer.

Cellulose

A carbohydrate structure that makes up the cell walls of plants, difficult for some organisms to digest without help.

Parasitism

An exploitative interaction where one organism (the parasite) derives nourishment from a host, causing harm to it.

Endoparasites

Parasites that live inside their host's body to obtain nourishment.

Ectoparasites

Parasites that live on the exterior of a host.

Mutualism

A positive interaction where both species benefit from the relationship.

Commensalism

A neutral interaction where one organism benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Richness

The number of different species present in a community.

Relative abundance

The proportion each species represents compared to the overall community.

Shannon diversity index

A measure used to quantify the diversity in a community, taking into account both richness and evenness of species.

Food chain

A linear representation of the energy transfer from one trophic level to the next.

Trophic structure

The feeding relationships between organisms in a community.

Dominant species

The species with the highest abundance or biomass in a community.

Keystone species

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance.

Ecosystem engineer

An organism that creates, modifies, or maintains a habitat, significantly influencing the community structure.

Bottom-up control

An ecological approach focusing on the primary producers to regulate community structure.

Top-down control

An ecological approach focusing on top predators to regulate community structure.

Intermediate disturbance hypothesis

The theory suggesting that moderate levels of disturbance can foster greater species diversity.

Primary succession

The development of a biological community in an area with no soil or organisms, starting from bare substrate.

Secondary succession

The recovery of a biological community in an area where soil remains intact after a disturbance.

Herbivory

An interaction where herbivores eat plants, benefiting from it while plants suffer.

Cellulose

A carbohydrate structure that makes up the cell walls of plants, difficult for some organisms to digest without help.

Parasitism

An exploitative interaction where one organism (the parasite) derives nourishment from a host, causing harm to it.

Endoparasites

Parasites that live inside their host's body to obtain nourishment.

Ectoparasites

Parasites that live on the exterior of a host.

Mutualism

A positive interaction where both species benefit from the relationship.

Commensalism

A neutral interaction where one organism benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Richness

The number of different species present in a community.

Relative abundance

The proportion each species represents compared to the overall community.

Shannon diversity index

A measure used to quantify the diversity in a community, taking into account both richness and evenness of species.

Food chain

A linear representation of the energy transfer from one trophic level to the next.

Trophic structure

The feeding relationships between organisms in a community.

Dominant species

The species with the highest abundance or biomass in a community.

Keystone species

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance.

Ecosystem engineer

An organism that creates, modifies, or maintains a habitat, significantly influencing the community structure.

Bottom-up control

An ecological approach focusing on the primary producers to regulate community structure.

Top-down control

An ecological approach focusing on top predators to regulate community structure.

Intermediate disturbance hypothesis

The theory suggesting that moderate levels of disturbance can foster greater species diversity.

Primary succession

The development of a biological community in an area with no soil or organisms, starting from bare substrate.

Secondary succession

The recovery of a biological community in an area where soil remains intact after a disturbance.

Predation

An exploitative interaction where one organism (the predator) kills and eats another organism (the prey).

Competition

An interaction where two or more species require the same limited resources, leading to a negative impact on at least one.

Competitive Exclusion Principle

States that two species competing for the same limited resources cannot coexist if other ecological factors are constant.

Resource Partitioning

The differentiation of niches that enables similar species to coexist in a community.

Food Web

A complex network of feeding relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem, representing multiple food chains.

Ecological Niche

The specific role a species plays in its community, including its habitat, resource use, and interactions with other species.

Climax Community

A stable, mature community that undergoes little or no change in species composition over time, representing the final stage of ecological succession.