8.5 Community Ecology

• Community ecology is the study of how different species interact with each other in a shared environment.relationships
• Primary succession occurs in areas with no previous biological community.

  True
• A species' niche is defined by its role and environmental requirements
• Intraspecific competition occurs between members of the same species.


  True
• Interspecific competition refers to competition between different species
• Barnacles on whales are an example of commensalism.


  True
• What is the effect of competition on both species involved?

  Both are harmed
• A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms, while a food web is a complex network
• A food web represents multiple feeding pathways in an ecosystem.

  True
• How much energy is retained at each higher trophic level?

  About 10%
• What are the primary consumers in a food chain or food web called?

  Herbivores
• Only about 10% of the energy is retained at each higher trophic level.
• A food chain is a complex network of interconnected feeding pathways.

  False
• What does a food web represent in an ecosystem?

  Multiple feeding pathways
• A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms.
• Match the feature with the correct type of feeding pathway:

  Food Chain ↔️ Linear sequence of organisms

  Food Web ↔️ Complex network of interconnected food chains
• Order the stages of secondary succession after a forest fire:

  1️⃣ Grasses and shrubs colonize

  2️⃣ Trees begin to grow

  3️⃣ Climax community forms
• Primary succession begins in areas with existing soil.

  False
• What is the end result of both primary and secondary succession?

  Climax community
• A niche refers to the specific role and environmental requirements of a species within an ecosystem.
• Match the symbiotic relationship with its description:

  Mutualism ↔️ Both species benefit

  Commensalism ↔️ One benefits, the other is unaffected

  Parasitism ↔️ One benefits, the other is harmed
• What is community ecology primarily concerned with?

  Interactions between species
• Match the interaction type with its effect on species:

  Mutualism ↔️ Both benefit

  Parasitism ↔️ One benefits, one is harmed

  Competition ↔️ Both are harmed
• Community ecology examines the interdependencies between organisms in an ecological community.


  True
• In mutualism, both species benefit from the interaction, as seen in the example of lichens, which involve a fungus and algae.
• Barnacles attached to whales represent a case of commensalism.

  True
• What is the difference between a food chain and a food web in terms of complexity?

  Food web is more complex
• Only about 10% of the energy is retained as it transfers from one trophic level to the next.


  True
• Primary succession occurs in areas with no previous biological community.
• What is the main difference between primary and secondary succession?

  Presence of soil
• Secondary succession begins in areas disrupted by events like forest fires.


  True
• Ecological succession progresses from pioneer species to intermediate species until it reaches a climax community
• What is ecological succession?

  Gradual community changes
• What is an example of secondary succession?

  Abandoned farmland
• Match the competition type with its description:

  Interspecific ↔️ Competition between different species

  Intraspecific ↔️ Competition within the same species

  Exploitative ↔️ Indirect competition through resource depletion
• What is exploitative competition?

  Indirect resource depletion
• Steps in ecological succession:

  1️⃣ Pioneer species colonize

  2️⃣ Intermediate species replace pioneer species

  3️⃣ Climax community is established
• What is community ecology?

  Study of species interactions
• Mutualism is an interaction where both species receive benefits
• What are the two main types of competition in an ecosystem?

  Interspecific and intraspecific