Ecology: Interactions between Communities

Name the roles that can exist in a community

Producers, consumers, decomposers

State the definition of the term, producer

Autotrophs/organisms that can produce their own food for the ecosystem

State the definition of the term, consumers

Heterotrophs that rely on consuming other organisms for energy and cannot produce their own food.

State the definition of the term, decomposers

Organisms that breakdown dead material

What are the two types of consumers and how do they differ?

Herbivores and carnivores. Herbivores feed on producers and carnivores feed on other primary consumers.

Name the types of interactions between species

Symbiosis, competition, predation

Why do species in the same area interact?

To survive

Explain how competition and predation differ

Competition is where organisms compete for the same resource whilst predation is where organisms feed on another.

Which case would have more intense competition and why?

1. Snakes and eagles hunting frogs and rabbits.

2. Acaias competing for space in a scrubland

Case 2 because the organisms competing in this case are from the same species, meaning they would have the same requirements.

Name characteristics of preys that help them avoid getting hunted

Poisonous, chemical deterrents with bad taste, protective structures, camouflage

Name characteristics of predators that help them hunt

Fast, agile, strong, sharp teeth

What is symbiosis?

A close, long-term relationship between two different living species.

Name the types of symbiosis

Mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism

Explain how mutualism and commensalism differ

Mutualism are relationships where both species benefit from their interactions. Commensalism are relationships where one species benefits from their interactions whilst the other does not benefit but remains unharmed.

What type of relationship is parasitism?

Parasitism are relationships where one organism benefits and another organism is harmed but not usually killed from their interactions.

What is a gene pool?

 The sum of all the genes present in a breeding population

What are omnivores?

Organisms that feed on both plants and animals.