ch+8+Community+Ecology


 * **Unit** || **Topic** || **Resources** ||  ||
 * 4. Climate and Biodiversity || C. Ecosystem Interactions: communities, ecological niches, species interactions, keystone species, species diversity || Miller chapter 8: pages 144 to 156 ||  ||


 * 1) Why are flying foxes ecologically and economically important to tropical forests?
 * 2) What are the three characteristics that ecologist use to describe a biological community?
 * 3) Distinguish between //species richness// and //species evenness//.
 * 4) What are the three most species-rich environments?
 * 5) How does species diversity vary with (a) latitude in terrestrial communities and (b) pollution in aquatic systems?
 * 6) What two factors determine the species diversity found on in isolated ecosystem such as an island (//theory of island biogeography)//?
 * 7) How do the size of an island and its distance from a mainland affect its species diversity?
 * 8) Distinguish between //native and nonnative, invasive species, or alien species.//
 * 9) Give an example for the //law on intended consequences// when it comes to human introduced species.
 * 10) Describe and give an example of an //indicator// species.
 * 11) Why are birds good indicator species?
 * 12) Explain why amphibians are considered indicator species, and list reasons for declines in many of their populations.
 * 13) Describe and give an example of a //keystone// species.
 * 14) Describe the keystone ecological roles of (a) bees, (b) alligators, and (c) dung beetles.
 * 15) What can happen in an ecosystem that loses a keystone species?
 * 16) Define and give an example of a //foundation species//.
 * 17) What is //interspecific competition//?
 * 18) What are four possible consequences when the niches of two competing species overlap to a large degree?
 * 19) Define and give an example of //resource partitioning//.
 * 20) How does //resource partitioning// allow species to avoid overlapping their fundamental niches?
 * 21) Describe the //predator–prey relationship//, and give an example of this type of species interaction.
 * 22) Why are sharks important species?
 * 23) Give an example of how predators increase their chances of finding prey by (a) pursuit and (b) ambush.
 * 24) Give examples for five adaptations used by prey to avoid their predators.
 * 25) Define parasitism, give two examples, and explain how it differs from predation.
 * 26) What is the ecological importance of parasitism?
 * 27) Define and give an example of (a) //mutualism// and (b) //commensalism//.
 * 28) Distinguish between primary succession and secondary succession.
 * 29) Give examples of (a) pioneer (or early successional) species, (b) midsuccessional plant species, and (c) late successional plant species.
 * 30) Describe the three factors that ecologist have identified that affect how and at what rate succession occurs.
 * 31) Define environmental disturbances, and explain how they can affect succession.
 * 32) How can some disturbances be beneficial to ecosystems?
 * 33) What is the //intermediate// //disturbance hypothesis//?
 * 34) Explain why most ecologists contend that the details of succession are not predictable and no balance of nature exists.
 * 35) Describe the three aspects of stability and sustainability how they help maintain living systems in an ecosystem.
 * 36) In ecological terms, what does complexity refer to?
 * 37) Does low species diversity always decrease ecosystem stability? Explain.
 * 38) What is the //precautionary principle//?