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Community Structure quiz #1 Flashcards

Community Structure quiz #1
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  • What are the four key components of community structure?
    Species richness, relative abundance, species interactions, and physical aspects of the community.
  • How is species richness defined?
    Species richness is the number of different species in a community.
  • What does relative abundance measure in a community?
    Relative abundance measures the number of individuals of a particular species relative to others in the community.
  • What is species diversity and why is it important?
    Species diversity is a measure that takes into account both species richness and relative abundance, and it leads to greater biomass production and resistance to invasive species.
  • What is a trophic structure?
    Trophic structure is the transfer of energy through trophic levels, often expressed in a food chain or food web.
  • What is the 10% rule in trophic levels?
    The 10% rule states that only about 10% of the energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next.
  • What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
    A food chain is a linear network of organisms showing who eats whom, while a food web is a more complex network of interconnections between organisms.
  • What are bottom-up and top-down models in community structure?
    Bottom-up models focus on the influence of lower trophic levels on higher levels, while top-down models show how predators control community structure by limiting herbivores.
  • What is a keystone species?
    A keystone species has a significant effect on its community despite not being the most abundant.
  • What role do ecosystem engineers play in a community?
    Ecosystem engineers significantly modify or maintain their habitat, like beavers creating dams.
  • What is a disturbance regime?
    A disturbance regime is a recurring pattern of disturbances that a community experiences.
  • What does the intermediate disturbance hypothesis state?
    The intermediate disturbance hypothesis states that moderate levels of disturbance lead to greater species diversity.
  • What is primary succession?
    Primary succession is the colonization of new or barren areas by pioneer species, leading to soil development and subsequent species.
  • How does latitude affect species diversity?
    Latitude affects species diversity through differences in climate, sunlight, and precipitation, with the tropics having high species diversity due to ample sunlight and precipitation.
  • What is the island equilibrium model?
    The island equilibrium model looks at the balance between species immigration and extinction rates to maintain stable species counts on an island.