Community Ecology and Biodiversity

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from community ecology and biodiversity, helping students review essential ideas for their upcoming exam.

Community

A group of populations of different species living close to each other and capable of interacting.

Niche

The role and position a species has in its environment; often thought of as the 'job' of the organism.

Fundamental Niche

The niche potentially occupied by a species in the absence of any limiting factors.

Realized Niche

The portion of the fundamental niche that a species actually occupies due to limiting factors.

Interspecific Interactions

Interactions between individuals of different species within a community.

Competition

A minus-minus relationship where different species compete for limited resources.

Competitive Exclusion Principle

Two species competing for the same resource cannot coexist permanently.

Niche Partitioning

An evolutionary process driven by natural selection that allows competing species to utilize different resources.

Predation

A plus-minus relationship where one species (predator) kills and eats another species (prey).

Co-evolution

The process where two species evolve in response to each other's adaptations.

Mimicry

When a species evolves to resemble another to gain an advantage, such as protection from predators.

Symbiosis

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

Parasitism

A plus-minus relationship in symbiosis where one organism (the parasite) benefits at the expense of the other (the host).

Mutualism

A plus-plus relationship in symbiosis where both organisms benefit from the interaction.

Commensalism

A plus-zero relationship in symbiosis where one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Facilitation

A relationship where one species positively affects the survival and reproduction of another without intimate association.

Biodiversity

The variety of different organisms within a community.

Species Richness

The number of different species in a community.

Relative Abundance

The proportion each species represents of all the individuals in the community.

Simpson's Diversity Index

A measure of biodiversity that takes into account species richness and the relative abundance of species.

Keystone Species

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

Human Disturbances

Human activities that significantly alter or damage ecosystems, affecting biodiversity.

Habitat Loss

The single greatest threat to biodiversity, typically caused by agricultural and urban development.

Invasive Species

Non-native organisms that, when introduced, can outcompete and harm native species.

Overharvesting

The practice of harvesting organisms faster than they can reproduce, leading to population declines.

Global Change

Alterations to climate, atmospheric chemistry, and ecological systems that threaten life on Earth.

Ecological Succession

The gradual process by which species composition of a community changes over time after a disturbance.

Primary Succession

A series of changes that occur in an area that has not been previously colonized by organisms.

Secondary Succession

A series of changes in an area that clears an existing community yet leaves the soil intact.

Pathogen

A disease-causing organism that can significantly affect species, especially in communities with low biodiversity.