8.5 Community Ecology

• What is community ecology primarily concerned with?

  Biological communities
• Understanding community ecology is crucial for comprehending the relationships between organisms and their roles in ecosystem
• What are the main focuses of community ecology?

  Structure, function, dynamics
• Community ecology analyzes species composition, diversity, and interactions.
• Community structure refers to the composition and organization
• Match the aspect of community structure with its description:

  Species Richness ↔️ The number of different species present

  Species Diversity ↔️ The variety and relative abundance of species
• What do trophic levels describe in a community?

  Feeding relationships and energy flow
• Niche partitioning allows species to coexist by dividing up resources.
• Succession is the gradual change in community composition
• What are examples of biotic interactions in community organization?

  Competition, predation, mutualism
• Abiotic factors like climate and soil can influence community structure.
• Categorize intercommunity interactions by their effects:

  1️⃣ Competition: Both species are negatively affected

  2️⃣ Mutualism: Both species benefit

  3️⃣ Parasitism: One species benefits, the other is harmed
• What is an example of mutualism in intercommunity interactions?

  Bees pollinating flowers
• Community succession is a gradual and predictable change in community structure over time.
• Primary succession occurs on land devoid of soil and life
• What type of succession occurs in disturbed areas with pre-existing soil?

  Secondary succession
• Secondary succession is faster than primary succession due to pre-existing soil.
• What does the term "community structure" refer to in biology?

  Composition and organization of species
• The number of different species present in a biological community is known as species richness.
• Species diversity includes both the variety and relative abundance of species.
• What do trophic levels describe in a biological community?

  Feeding relationships and energy flow
• The process by which species divide resources to coexist is called niche partitioning.
• Arrange the following factors influencing community organization in order of their primary focus:

  1️⃣ Biotic Interactions

  2️⃣ Abiotic Factors

  3️⃣ Dispersal and Migration

  4️⃣ Evolutionary Adaptations
• What is an example of a biotic interaction that influences community organization?

  Competition
• Abiotic factors such as climate and soil conditions can influence community organization.
• Match the biotic interaction with its description:

  Competition ↔️ Species vie for limited resources

  Mutualism ↔️ Both species benefit

  Parasitism ↔️ One species benefits, the other is harmed
• What are the three main types of intercommunity interactions?

  Competition, mutualism, parasitism
• Bees pollinating flowers is an example of mutualism in intercommunity interactions.
• Parasitism is a relationship where one species benefits while the other is harmed.
• What is community succession in biology?

  Gradual change in community composition
• Arrange the stages of primary succession in order:

  1️⃣ Newly exposed land

  2️⃣ Pioneer species create soil

  3️⃣ Stages of vegetation growth

  4️⃣ Climax community is reached
• Which organisms are considered pioneer species in primary succession?

  Lichens and mosses
• Secondary succession occurs in areas that retain soil and some existing organisms.
• Secondary succession evolves more quickly than primary succession due to pre-existing soil.
• What is the final stage of both primary and secondary succession?

  Climax community
• Secondary succession occurs in areas devoid of soil.

  False
• In primary succession, pioneer species like lichens and mosses break down rocks
• Why is secondary succession faster than primary succession?

  Pre-existing soil
• Lichens and mosses are examples of pioneer species in primary succession.
• Secondary succession often begins with fast-growing grasses and shrubs