Community Ecology Vocabulary Flashcards

Twenty vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the Community Ecology lecture, including species interactions, defensive strategies, and symbiotic relationships.

Community (Ecology)

A group of interacting populations of different species living together in the same area.

Keystone Species

A species that plays a central role in holding a community together; its removal causes dramatic changes in community structure.

Bees (as Keystone Species)

Pollinators on which many crops for food, fuel, and fiber depend, making them vital to ecosystem stability.

Competition

An interaction in which two organisms seek the same limited resource, negatively affecting both.

Intraspecific Competition

Competition occurring between individuals of the same species.

Interspecific Competition

Competition in which individuals of different species vie for the same resource.

Resource Partitioning

Process by which natural selection drives competing species to use different resources or niches, reducing competition.

Niche

The role and resource use pattern of a species within its environment.

Predation

An interaction where a predator feeds on and kills prey.

Predator–Prey Cycling

Oscillations in predator and prey populations caused by over-predation or resource overuse by prey.

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship in which one organism (parasite) benefits while the host is harmed but not usually killed.

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship in which one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Mutualism

A symbiotic relationship in which both interacting species benefit.

Symbiotic Relationship

Close and prolonged interaction between two species that can be mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasitic.

Morphological Defense

Physical structures such as claws, teeth, or stingers that protect an organism from predators.

Camouflage

Coloration or patterns that allow an organism to blend with its environment and avoid detection.

Mimicry

An adaptation in which one species resembles another to gain protection from predators.

Batesian Mimicry

A harmless species imitates the warning signals of a harmful species to deter predators.

Müllerian Mimicry

Two or more harmful species resemble each other, reinforcing predator avoidance.

Aposematism

Bright warning coloration signaling toxicity or unpalatability to potential predators.