Unit 8: Topic 5, 6, and 7 - Community Ecology, Biodiversity, and Disruptions

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28 Terms

1

community

  • a group of populations of different species living closely and capable of interacting

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2

habitat

  • a place or part of an ecosystem occupied by an organism

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3

ecological niche

  • the role and position a species has in its environment

    • fundamental niche: the niche potentially occupied by the species if there were no limiting factors (predators, competitors, etc)

    • realized niched: the portion of the fundamental niche the species actually occupies

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4

interspecific interactions

  • interactions of individuals from one species with individuals of another species

    • competition

    • predation

    • herbivory

    • symbiosis (parasitism, mutualism, commensalism)

    • facilitation

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5

competition

      • / - relationship where individuals of different species compete for limited resources

    • competitive exclusion principle

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6

competitive exclusion principle

  • two species competing for the same resource cannot coexist permanently

    • the competitor with even a slightly better advantage will eliminate the inferior competitor

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7

niche partitioning

  • natural selection drives competing species into different patterns of resource use, or different niches

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8

predation

    • / - relationship where one species (predator) kills and eats the other species (prey)

    • adaptations of both predators and prey have been refined by natural selection

      • cryptic coloration: camouflage

      • Batesian mimicry: harmless species mimics a harmful one

      • mullein mimicry: two or more bad-tasting species resemble each other

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9

herbivory

    • / - relationship where one organism eats part of a plant or alga

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10

symbiosis

  • when 2 or more species live in direct contact with one another

    • parasitism

    • mutualism

    • commensalism

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11

parasitism

    • / -

  • when one organism (parasite) derives nourishment from another (host)

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12

mutualism

    • / +

  • when both organisms benefit from the relationship

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13

commensalism

    • / 0

  • when one organism benefits and the other is neither harmed nor benefitted

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14

facilitation

    • / + OR 0 / +

  • when one species has a positive effect on the survival and reproduction of another without intimate association of symbiosis

    • common in plant species (i.e. some plants make soil more hospitable for other plant species)

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15

species diversity

  • aka biodiversity

  • the variety of different organisms within a community

    • species richness: the number of different species

    • relative abundance: the proportion each species represents of all individuals in the community

NOTE: biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity; the greater the biodiversity in an ecosystem, the more resilient it is

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16

Simpson’s diversity index

  • calculate diversity based on species richness and relative abundance

  • high diversity index means high biodiversity

  • low diversity index means low biodiversity

<ul><li><p>calculate diversity based on species richness and relative abundance</p></li><li><p>high diversity index means high biodiversity</p></li><li><p>low diversity index means low biodiversity</p></li></ul>
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17

invasive species

  • organisms that become established outside of their native range/ecosystem, usually by human activity

    • ex: a ship brining produce from another country may have insects in the crates holding the produce

  • causes harm to the environment

  • grow and reproduce quickly

  • the intentional or unintentional introduction of an ________________ can allow the species to exploit a new niche that is free of predators and competitors

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18

keystone species

  • not usually abundant, but other species in an ecosystem rely on them because of their important ecological niches

    • ex: coral

      • Coral reefs serve as a _______________ because many other organisms rely upon it as a source of food and protection

    • ex: honey bees

      • bees are a ______________ because they serve as pollinators

  • contribute to maintaining the diversity of the ecosystem

    • if ______________ were to be removed from an ecosystem it would have a rippling effect

      • often ecosystems collapse

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19

disturbance

  • an event that changes a community by removing organisms from it or altering resource availability

    • fires, droughts, human activities, etc.

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20

ecological succession

  • the gradual process by which the species composition of a community changes and develops over time after a disturbance

  • primary succession

  • secondary succession

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21

primary succession

  • a series of changes on an entirely new (previously lifeless) habitat that has not been colonized

    • ex: gradual growth of plants

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22

secondary succession

  • a series of changes that clears an existing community, but leaves the soil intact

    • ex: wild fire

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23

human disturbances

  • human activity is the strongest disturbance to an ecosystem

    • the main threats to biodiversity are:

      • habitat loss

      • invasive species

      • overharvesting

      • global change

  • have lead to a significant increase in the number of endangered species

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24

habitat loss

  • single greatest threat to biodiversity

    • agricultural development and urbanization

      • clear cutting, cattle grazing, farmland

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25

overharvesting

  • organisms are harvested faster than their population can rebound

    • harvesting of ivory in elephants (now banned)

    • overfishing

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26

global change

  • alteration to climate, atmospheric chemistry, and ecological systems that reduce the capacity of Earth to sustain life

    • air/water pollution

      • acid rain

    • CO2 emissions

    • ocean acidification

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27

biogeographical factors

  • large scale factors that contribute to a range of diversity observed

    • latitude: species are more diverse in tropics than at the poles due to climate

    • area: larger areas are more diverse because they offer greater diversity of habitats

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28

pathogens

  • disease causing organisms and viruses

    • have the most effect on new habitats or ecosystems with less biodiversity

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