Ecology and Species Interactions

Flashcards covering key terms and definitions related to ecology and species interactions.

Ecology

The study of interactions between organisms and their environment.

Species Interaction

Relationships between different species that affect their survival and reproduction.

Interspecific Competition

Interactions between different species competing for the same resources.

Intraspecific Competition

Interactions between individuals of the same species competing for resources.

Competitive Exclusion Principle

Two species that compete for the same ecological niche cannot coexist.

Ecological Niche

The role and position a species has in its environment.

Fundamental Niche

The niche potentially occupied by a species in the absence of competition.

Realized Niche

The niche actually occupied by a species, considering biotic interactions.

Resource Partitioning

When similar species coexist by utilizing different resources or in different ways.

Predation

A biological interaction where one species (predator) kills and eats another species (prey).

Mimicry

A phenomenon where one species evolves to resemble another species for protection or predation.

Herbivory

An interaction where one species (herbivore) eats plants or algae.

Symbiosis

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

Parasitism

A type of symbiosis where one organism benefits at the expense of the other.

Mutualism

An interaction between species that benefits both participants.

Commensalism

A relationship where one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Species Diversity

The variety of organisms that make up a community.

Trophic Structure

The feeding relationships between organisms in a community.

Trophic Cascade

An ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal of top predators, causing changes in the ecosystem.

Ecological Succession

The process by which ecosystems change and develop over time.