Species Interactions
More interaction, more species action.
Community Structure
Mufasa: Delicate Balance
Nature is complicated, so is this section.
100

Define ecological community:

An assemblage of populations of different species that live close enough to interact.

100

What is the "red queen principle" and what does it relate to?

Continuous adaptation is needed to maintain fitness. 

Antagonistic Evolution= the joint evolution of two interacting species, each in response to selection imposed by the other

100

What are species richness and species diversity? 

Species richness: # of species that ar present in the community.


Species Diversity: # of species and relative abundance (# of individuals per species)

100

What are the 4 primary trophic levels?

Primary Producers

Primary Consumers

Secondary Consumers

Tertiary Consumers

SOMETIMES: quaternary consumer (orca)

100
Producer--->Consumer. Where does energy go?

1. Not eaten

2. Feces

3. Growth

4. Cellular respiration

3&4 assimilated

200

Define symbiosis:

when an individual of 2 or more species live in direct or intimate contact with one another

200

What is behavioral parasitism?

"parental care parasitism"

Interaction is behavioral, NOT physical.

EX: common cuckoo ejects egg or Reed warbler and uses the parents for foos.

200

What are the three primary stages of ecological succession?

Pioneer species—-->Intermediate species—--> climax community

200

What is the energetic hypothesis?

The length of the food chain is limited by the inefficiency of energy transfer along the chain.

More resources=more producers=longer food chain. 

Only 10% of energy converted to biomass with each trophic level.

200

What is a climax community?

The most stable association of species is achieved following succession.

  • At the end of succession, the greatest heterogeneity (habitat diversity)

300

What is the only +/+ interspecific interaction?

Mutualism

300

What is an example of an ecto and endo parasite?

Ectoparasite: ticks, lice, lamprey

Endoparasite: heartworm, tapeworm, plasmodium

300

What are the direct and indirect species interactions?

Direct: competition=use of a resource by one species such that it is less or unavailable for other species.

Indirect: facilitation (change in soil chemistry) & inhibition (no sunlight)

300

How do plants and animals use energy to benefit each other?

Plants:

  • (CO2+H2O)----->Sugars+O2

Animals:

  • (Sugars+O2)------>CO2+H2O

300

What is secondary succession?

When EXISTING communities have been cleared by DISTURBANCE that leaves soil intact.

400
Definition of Niche:

All of the environmental conditions and resources that an animal requires. Sum of abiotic and biotic resources used.

400

What are 3 different types of consumers?

Herbivory=Plants=Grazer

Granivory=Grains=Grazer or Predator (mutualism): spreading seeds)

Sanguivory=Blood=Parasite or grazer (mosquito)

Insectivory=Insects=Predator

400

What is a keystone species?

Influence on the community is proportionally greater than its numbers would suggest! Super competitors OR super predators. Huge impact because of the niche.

400

What is the bottom up effect?

Unidirectional influence from lower to higher trophic levels.

Altering biomass production at low trophic levels changes community structure.

400
Are r-selected or k-selected species better at adapting to climate change?

R-selected: Increased fecundity, decreased parental care, increased reproduction rate

500

What are the two scales that coexistence results from when resource/niche partitioning occurs?

Spatial scale: vertical structure in tropical areas OR horizontal mosaics.

Temporal Scale: Daylight, tide, time

Can be Proximate or Ultimate cause of evolution

500

What does mutualistic (+/+) coevolution evolve from? 

What are the 2 types of mutualism?

arises from parasite-host or predator-prey interactions.

Obligate Mutualism

Facultative mutualism

500

What effect would a large and close island have on immigration, extinction, and species richness compared to a small and far island?

Large island: increased immigration, decreased extinction, increased species richness.

500

What is trophic transfer efficiency (TE)?

TE=[Production at lower level (kcal)]/[Production at higher level]

as a percent

500

What are 3/4 of the human impacts on the environment?

1. deforestation (decrease biodiversity)

2. invasive species (non-native)

3. Climate change (increased temp)

4. Biological magnification (toxins)