The study of pattern and processes involving at least two species at a particular location
Community Ecology Focuses on
interactions between species, how communities change (community dynamics) and effects of disturbances (how communities develop/recover
types of species interactions
Consumption, competition, mutalism and commensalism
Consumption (+/-)
One organism eats another, 3 types, predation, herbivory and parasitism
Predation
One organism (PREDATOR) kills and consumes most/all of the other organism (PREY)
Herbivory
plant eaters (HERBIVORES) eat PLANT tissue
Parasitism
A symbiotic interaction in which one species (parasite) feeds off the tissue/nutrients of another (host, but the parasite rarely kills the host
Adaptions for feeding
Predators/herbivores have many adaptations for feeding including location (sensory systems), capture/eating (special behaviors/mouthparts, anatomical structures) and food processing (specialized teeth/digestive systems
Behavioral Prey Defenses
hiding, running, changing appearance, making yourself look bigger, playing dead, flighting, flocking/schooling, spraying chemicals and acting aggressive
Morphological Prey Defenses
cryptic coloration (camouflage), mechanical defenses (spines, prickles, shells, thorns) warning coloration (common in organisms with chemical defenses), eye spots, startlement, and mimicry
Chemical Prey Defenses
stored in tissues, spraying, some can make chemicals themselves while others get them from their food
Defenses mimicry
one or more species closely resemble another, two types Mullerian and Batesian
Mullerian Mimicry
both species look alike but both are harmful
Batesiam Mimicry
A harmless species mimics a harmful one
Mimicry Ring
Large assemblages of species, both Mullerian and Batesian mimics exhibiting the same color patterns
Intraspecific
Between members of the same species
Interspecific
between members of differet species
Symmetrical competition
Both species have equal decreases in fitness
Asymmetrical competition
Reduction in fitness is more in one species than the other
Competitive exclusion
One species is eliminated from the area
Competitive exclusion principle
Populations of two or more species cannot coexist indefinitely if they rely on the same limiting resources and exploit them in the same way
Niche compression
when competition narrows down the resoucres used
Fundemental niche
niche in the absence of competition
Realized niche
niche used when competition occurs
Resource partitioning
use of resources in different ways or at different times
Character displacement
the phenomenon that species occurring separately are similar in appearance and resources use, but when they occur together they look different and use different resources
Rewards of mutualism
-transportation of gametes, -food, -housing, -medical help, -protection
Plant-pollinator interaction
Bee eats nectar, feed pollen to larvae, carry pollen from one plant to others
Cleaner Shrimp
Shrimp eat parasites off the fish (dinner/medical attention)
Rancher ants and aphids
ants protect aphids, aphids feed ants sugary secretions
Symbiosis
Close ecological relationship between species or individuals, species live in direct or inimate contact
Types of symbiosis
Mutualistic (ants and Acacia trees), Commensaltistic (Follicle mites and humans) and Parasitic (Tapeworm and host)
Species Richness
number of species in an area
Evenness
-the extent to which the species in a community are equally abundant, similar species abundance within the community = higher evenness
Diversity
Includes both richness AND evenness
Species composition
Identity of all the different organisms that make up a community
Community dynamics
changes through time, responds to living and non-living factors, disturbances
Disturbance
events that removes individuals/biomass
Succession
Gradual change in a community's species composition