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Chapter 40 - Communities and Ecosystems
questions from chapter 40
25
Biology
Undergraduate 2
12/10/2010

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Term
mutualism
Definition
type of symbiosis that benefits both partners
Term
commensalism
Definition
type of symbiosis in which one member benefits without affecting the other member
Term
competition
Definition
struggle between organisms for the same limited resource
Term
intraspecific competition
Definition
competition among members of a species
Term
interspecific competition
Definition
competition between different species
Term
niche
Definition
sum of activities and relationships in which a species engages to secure and use resources necessary for survival and reproduction
Term
competitive exclusion
Definition
the idea that two or more species cannot indefinitely occupy the same niche
Term
resource partitioning
Definition
resources used in different ways by competitors allowing coexistence
Term
co-evolutionary arms race
Definition
prey are evolving in order to survive and predators must evolve with them in order to find food
Term
camouflage
Definition
adaptation that helps an organism blend in with its surroundings
Term
warning coloration
Definition
bright or distinctive display that advertises an organism's defenses
Term
mimicry
Definition
similar appearances of different species
Term
microparasite
Definition
a parasite that completes a full life cycle within one hose and can be transmitted directly to same species
Term
macroparasites
Definition
parasites that are large enough to be seen with the naked eye, in contrast to microparsites
Term
parasitoids
Definition
organisms that spend a significant portion of their life history attached to or within a single host organism, which it ultimately kills, and often consumes in the process
Term
pioneer species
Definition
species which colonize previously uncolonized land, usually leading to ecological succession
Term
primary succession
Definition
gradual growth of an ecosystem over a longer period of time
Term
secondary succession
Definition
occurs after the initial succession has been disrupted and some plants and animals still exist (after forest fire, volcano eruption, natural disaster)
Term
climax community
Definition
biological community of plants and animals which, through the process of ecological succession, has reached a steady state
Term
keystone species
Definition
a species that has a disproportionate effect on its environment - effects many other organisms in an ecosystem
Term
keystone species
Definition
a species that has a disproportionate effect on its environment - effects many other organisms in an ecosystem
Term
drastically alter community structure (damage the food chain)
Definition
what happens with removal of a keystone species
Term
gray air
Definition
pollution made up of sulfur oxides; comes mainly from coal fired powerplants
Term
brown smog
Definition
pollution made up of nitrogen oxides; mainly comes from automobiles
Term
acid rain
Definition
brown smog(nitrogen oxides) and gray air (sulfur oxides) produce this
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