Ecological Communities (Chapter 41)

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Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Chapter 41 lecture on Ecological Communities.

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50 Terms

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Biological community

A group of populations of different species living close enough to interact.

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Interspecific interactions

Relationships between individuals of different species, such as competition, predation, and mutualism.

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Competition

A –/– interaction in which species vie for a limiting resource, reducing survival and reproduction of both.

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Competitive exclusion

Principle stating that two species competing for the same limiting resource cannot coexist indefinitely in one place.

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Ecological niche

The sum of a species’ use of biotic and abiotic resources—its ecological role.

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Resource partitioning

Differentiation of niches that enables similar species to coexist in a community.

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Fundamental niche

The full range of environmental conditions a species can potentially occupy and use, without competitors.

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Realized niche

The portion of the fundamental niche actually occupied by a species in the presence of competitors.

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Character displacement

Tendency for characteristics to diverge more in sympatric than in allopatric populations of two species.

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Exploitation

Any +/– interaction where one species benefits by feeding on another, which is harmed (e.g., predation, herbivory).

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Predation

A +/– interaction in which one species (predator) kills and eats another (prey).

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Cryptic coloration

Camouflage that makes potential prey difficult to see.

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Aposematic coloration

Bright warning coloration of animals with effective chemical defenses.

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Batesian mimicry

When a harmless or palatable species mimics a harmful or unpalatable one.

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Herbivory

+/– interaction in which an organism eats parts of a plant or alga without usually killing it.

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Parasitism

+/– interaction in which one organism (parasite) derives nourishment from another (host), harming it.

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Endoparasite

Parasite that lives within the body of its host.

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Ectoparasite

Parasite that feeds on the external surface of its host.

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Parasitoid

Insect (often a wasp) whose larvae develop inside a host, eventually killing it.

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Mutualism

+/+ interaction benefiting individuals of both species involved.

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Commensalism

+/0 interaction where one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

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Positive interaction

An ecological relationship (+/+ or +/0) that benefits at least one partner and harms neither.

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Species diversity

Measure of community variety including species richness and relative abundance.

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Species richness

The number of different species in a community.

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Relative abundance

Proportion each species represents of the total individuals in the community.

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Shannon diversity index (H)

Metric combining species richness and relative abundance to quantify diversity.

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Biomass

The total mass of all organisms in a given area or community.

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Trophic structure

Feeding relationships between organisms—the pattern of energy transfer in a community.

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Food chain

Linear sequence of trophic relationships from producers to top consumers and decomposers.

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Trophic level

Position an organism occupies in a food chain based on its source of energy.

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Food web

Network of interconnecting food chains showing complex trophic interactions in a community.

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Foundation species

Species that have large effects on community structure because of their high abundance or size (e.g., trees, kelp).

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Keystone species

Usually low-abundance species that exert strong control on community structure via pivotal ecological roles.

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Ecosystem engineer

Organism that creates, modifies, or maintains habitat, affecting other species (e.g., beavers).

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Bottom-up model

Community organization where nutrient supply and primary producers control higher trophic levels.

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Top-down model

Community organization where predators control herbivores, which in turn influence plants (trophic cascade).

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Trophic cascade

Indirect effects of predators across multiple trophic levels, often alternating +/– impacts.

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Biomanipulation

Deliberate alteration of an ecosystem by adding or removing species to restore balance (e.g., removing fish to reduce algae).

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Disturbance

Event that changes a community by removing organisms or altering resource availability (e.g., fire, storm).

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Intermediate disturbance hypothesis

Idea that moderate levels of disturbance foster greater species diversity than high or low levels.

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Ecological succession

Sequential change in species composition of a community following disturbance.

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Primary succession

Succession that begins in a virtually lifeless area where soil has not yet formed.

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Secondary succession

Succession occurring where a disturbance has cleared existing community but left soil intact.

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Facilitation (succession)

Process where early species modify the environment, making it more suitable for later species.

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Species-area curve

Relationship showing that larger geographic areas tend to have more species.

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Island equilibrium model

Theory predicting island species richness based on immigration and extinction rates, influenced by island size and distance.

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Evapotranspiration

Total water loss from soil plus transpiration from plants; correlates with energy availability and diversity.

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Zoonotic pathogen

Disease-causing agent transmitted to humans from other animals.

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Vector (disease)

Intermediate species (often an arthropod) that transmits pathogens between hosts.

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Sudden oak death (SOD)

Tree disease caused by the protist Phytophthora ramorum, altering forest community structure.