Predation, Parasitism, and Community Ecology

Flashcards focusing on key vocabulary related to predation, parasitism, competition, and community ecology.

Predation

One species feeds on or eats another species, resulting in direct benefit for one species and direct harm to another.

Carnivory

A feeding relationship where an animal eats another animal, resulting in the prey being killed.

Herbivory

A feeding relationship where an animal eats autotrophs (plants), usually harming them but not killing them.

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship where a parasite consumes the tissues or body fluids of a host, typically harming it but not immediately killing it.

Parasitoid

A type of parasite whose larvae feed on a single host and almost always kill it.

Optimal foraging theory

A theory that suggests food choices depend on encounter rate and handling time.

Generalists (Carnivores)

Carnivores that eat prey in relation to their availability; they tend to have a low encounter rate.

Specialists (Herbivores)

Herbivores that have a narrow diet and depend on specific plant nutrients.

Nitrogen content in plants

A factor influencing herbivore dietary preferences, where different plant parts have varying nitrogen levels.

Population oscillations

The cyclical fluctuations of predator and prey populations influencing each other's abundance.

Lotka-Volterra model

A model illustrating the dynamics of predator-prey populations and their tendency to cycle.

Ecosystem engineer

Species that create, modify, or maintain physical habitats for themselves and other species, thus influencing community structure.

Biogeography

The study of variation in species composition and diversity across geographic locations.

Competitive exclusion

A principle stating that two species competing for the same resource cannot coexist indefinitely.

Keystone species

Species that have a disproportionately large effect on their environment relative to their abundance.

Facilitation

A positive interaction where one species aids the growth and well-being of another species.

Community structure

The characteristics that shape communities, including species diversity and interactions.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem, encompassing the number of species and their relationships.

Intermediate disturbance hypothesis

The idea that species diversity is maximized at intermediate levels of disturbance.