Patterns in Community Structure

Flashcards covering key concepts and terms related to community structure, disturbance, and species interactions.

Paradox of enrichment

A concept explaining the unimodal relationship between diversity/richness and productivity, where richness initially increases with productivity but eventually decreases.

Disturbance

A temporary change in environmental conditions that leads to a significant alteration in the ecosystem.

Intermediate disturbance hypothesis

The hypothesis suggesting that the highest diversity/richness occurs at moderate levels of disturbance.

r-selected species

Species that reproduce very quickly and efficiently but are generally poor competitors.

k-selected species

Species that mature slowly, have fewer offspring, and are often superior competitors that can exclude others.

Transient maxima

A situation where another resource limit can emerge, leading to a decrease in richness despite increased availability of a previous resource.

Asymptotic response

A gradual approach towards a maximum level of richness where adding more species yields diminishing returns.

Competition

An ecological interaction where species vie for limited resources, potentially limiting the richness of a community.

Tallgrass prairie succession example

A scenario in which herbicide application leads to successive dominance by ragweed, annual sunflower, and eventually big bluestem and indiangrass.

Frequency of disturbance

The rate at which disturbances occur in a community, affecting the richness and diversity of species present.