Module 16 Species Interactions

Species Interactions and Community Structure

Learning Objectives

• Food Webs: Understanding what a food web is and its basic structure.

• Strength of Interactions: Distinguishing between strong and weak interactions within communities.

• Foundation Species: Definition and significance in community structure.

• Direct vs. Indirect Interactions: Explaining the difference between these interactions.

• Keystone Species: Definition, examples, and the studies supporting their importance.

• Beavers as Keystone Species: An example of a keystone species and its effects.

Food Webs

• Definition: A food web is a summary of feeding relationships within a community.

• Structure: Producers (plants and phyt