Interspecific Competition

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary and concepts related to interspecific competition in ecology, including definitions and explanations of important terms.

Interspecific competition

A relationship that adversely affects the populations of two or more species.

Intraspecific competition

Competition among individuals of the same species.

Exploitation Competition

A type of interspecific competition where individuals of one species inhibit others by consuming shared resources.

Interference Competition

A type of interspecific competition where individuals directly interfere with one another's ability to acquire resources.

Consumption competition

Occurs when one species inhibits another by consuming a shared resource.

Preemptive competition

Occurs primarily among sessile organisms when one individual occupies space and prevents others from establishing.

Overgrowth competition

Occurs when one organism grows over another, inhibiting resource access.

Chemical interaction

Occurs when chemicals produced by one species inhibit or kill another species.

Allelopathy

The release of chemicals by plants that inhibit the growth of other plants.

Territorial competition

Results from the behavioral exclusion of others from a defended area.

Encounter competition

Negative effects during non-territorial meetings between species.

Lotka-Volterra model

Mathematical expressions describing species competition for shared resources.

Competition coefficient (a or b)

Quantifies the per capita effect of one species on another in competition.

Zero-growth isocline

Represents the population sizes at which growth rates are zero.

Competitive exclusion principle

States that complete competitors cannot coexist.

Fundamental niche

The ecological niche of a species in the absence of interactions with other species.

Realized niche

The portion of the fundamental niche that a species actually exploits.

Competitive release

Expansion of a species' niche when a competitor is removed.

Niche differentiation

Coexistence of competitors that utilize resources differently.

Resource partitioning

Patterns that result from differences among species in accessing resources.

Character displacement

Morphological, behavioral, or physiological changes in species due to competition.

Environmental factors

Factors influencing species interactions that vary in time and space.

Limiting resource

A resource that restricts the growth, abundance, or distribution of a population.

Density-independent limitation

Population growth limitation due to factors such as climate.

Disturbance

A temporary change in environmental conditions that causes a pronounced change in an ecosystem.

Co-evolution

The process where two or more species influence each other's evolutionary path.

Diatoms

Microalgae found in oceans, waterways, and soils that play an important role in the ecosystem.

Stream fishes

Fish species that live in moving water and exhibit drift-feeding behavior.

Wetland vegetation

Plant species that have adaptations for surviving in wet conditions.

Population growth rate

The rate at which the number of individuals in a population increases.

Species interactions

Relationships between different species that can be positive, negative, or neutral.

Physiological processes

Processes related to the function and activities of living organisms.

Antibiosis

An interaction between organisms in which one is harmed, often through chemical means.

Ecological dynamics

The study of how ecosystems change over time and space.

Habitat destruction

The process by which natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species.

Symbiosis

A close and often long-term interaction between two different biological species.

Sustainable practices

Methods of using resources that meet current needs while preserving resources for future generations.

Mutualism

A type of symbiotic relationship where both species benefit.

Parasitism

A relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another.

Commensalism

A type of symbiosis where one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Food web

A complex network of feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem.

Trophic levels

The hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Ecosystem stability

The ability of an ecosystem to maintain its structure and function over time.

Homogeneous environments

Environments with uniform conditions that may promote competition.

Niche overlap

The extent to which two species compete for the same resources.

Biological control

The use of natural predators to manage pest populations.

Invasive species

Non-native species that disrupt ecosystems and cause harm.

Adaptation

The process by which a species becomes better suited to its environment.

Extinction

The end of an organism or group of organisms.

Ecosystem services

The benefits provided by ecosystems to humans, such as clean water, pollination, and climate regulation.