Interspecies Interactions
What is ecology?
the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and the environment
Where does most of the energy come from in a terrestrial biome?
The sun!
What is a community?
A group of populations of different species
Climate vs weather
Climate is long-term weather (years)
Weather is short term (day to day)
List 3 biotic factors.
any animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, etc
An acacia tree provides a safe home for ants, and the ants clear out the competition and create a good habitat for the tree.
Mutualism
What is the bottom (first) level of the food chain?
Primary Producers
What is an example of a natural and unnatural disturbance?
A wild fire caused naturally vs. a human starting a fire.
Species richness vs relative abundance
Number of different species in the community
Proportion each species represents of all individuals in the community
List 3 abiotic factors
PH, salinity, temperature, humidity, soil, etc.
A sucker fish lives on a shark and gets food, while the shark doesn’t care
Commensalism
The species that exert strong control on a community by their ecological roles/niches, but are not necessarily abundant in a community.
Keystone species
Potential area occupied by the species
Where the species actually lives
Dominant species vs keystone species
A dominant species is abundant but not necessarily as important, while a keystone species has a strong control on the community but is not necessarily abundant.
What are the four major components of climate?
Temperature, precipitation, sunlight, wind
Which three interactions are considered a +/- interaction?
List the levels of ecology from smallest to largest
Organismal, population, community, ecosystem, landscape, global
What is the competitive exclusion principle?
Strong competition that leads to local elimination of a competing species
Cryptic coloration vs aposematic coloration vs Batesian mimicry
Camouflage (chameleon)
Bright warning coloration to show they have chemical defenses (skunks)
A harmless species mimics a harmful species
Why does temperature limit the distribution of organisms?
Cells might freeze and rupture below 0ºC, and proteins denature above 45ºC.
A lion and hyena compete for the same food source.
Interspecific competition
Why is a food web more accurate than a food chain?
Species can play more than one role at more than one Trophic level.
What is resource partitioning?
A differentiation of ecological niches that allows for similar species to co-exist in a community.
Name the 4 behavioral defenses that allow prey to defend themselves.
Hiding, fleeing, forming herds (or schools), and active self-defense
What is an Ecotone?
The area of integration where terrestrial biomes meet and blend.