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Community Ecology and Species Interactions

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  • Survivorship curve type for population with rapid decline in early life
    Type III survivorship curve, characterized by high mortality early in life and low parental care.
  • Definition of a biological community
    A group of populations of different species living close enough to interact.
  • Key factors influencing community structure
    Number, composition, and relative abundance of species within a community.
  • Types of interspecific interactions
    Competitive (-/-), exploitative (+/-), mutualism (+/+), commensalism (+/0), parasitism, predation, herbivory.
  • Competitive exclusion principle
    Local elimination of an inferior competitor when two species use the same limited resources.
  • Character displacement
    Divergence of species traits in sympatric populations to reduce competition.
  • Parasitism
    One species (parasite) lives on or in another (host), using its resources to survive and reproduce.
  • Difference between endoparasites and ectoparasites
    Endoparasites live inside the host; ectoparasites live on the host's surface.
  • Predation adaptations in predators
    Acute senses, claws, fangs, venom, speed, camouflage to catch and subdue prey.
  • Behavioral prey defenses
    Hiding, fleeing, forming herds or schools to avoid predators.
  • Morphological and physiological prey defenses
    Mechanical defenses like spines and chemical defenses like toxins.
  • Aposematic coloration
    Bright warning colors in toxic animals to deter predators.
  • Cryptic coloration
    Camouflage that makes prey difficult to detect in their environment.
  • Batesian mimicry
    A harmless species mimics a harmful one to avoid predation.
  • Müllerian mimicry
    Two or more unpalatable species resemble each other, reinforcing predator avoidance.
  • Herbivory
    Interaction where herbivores eat parts of plants or algae, usually harming but not killing them.
  • Plant defenses against herbivory
    Mechanical defenses like thorns and chemical defenses like toxins or bad taste.
  • Mutualism
    Interaction where both species benefit, e.g., mycorrhizae and plants.
  • Commensalism
    One species benefits while the other is neither harmed nor helped.
  • Ecological niche
    Abiotic and biotic space used by a species, including its role and habitat.
  • Fundamental vs. realized niche
    Fundamental niche is all possible habitats a species can use; realized niche is where it actually lives.
  • Resource partitioning
    Differentiation of niches that allows similar species to coexist.
  • Species richness vs. relative abundance
    Richness is the number of species; relative abundance is the proportion each species represents.
  • Food chain vs. food web
    Food chain is a linear transfer of energy; food web is interconnected food chains.
  • Keystone species
    Species that exert strong control on a community by their ecological role.
  • Bottom-up control
    Abundance at each trophic level limited by nutrient supply or food availability at lower levels.
  • Top-down control
    Abundance at each trophic level controlled by consumers at higher trophic levels.
  • Intermediate disturbance hypothesis
    Moderate levels of disturbance promote greater species diversity than high or low levels.
  • Primary succession
    Colonization and establishment of species in a lifeless area after a disturbance.
  • Secondary succession
    Recolonization of an area after disturbance that leaves some community members intact.
  • Island biogeography theory
    Number of species on an island balances immigration and extinction rates, influenced by island size and distance.