Community Ecology

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Community Ecology
http//www.nps.gov/olym/mammal/otter.jpg
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Species Diversity by Latitude
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http//www.condorjourneys-adventures.com/images/ho
nduras_reef.jpg
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Community Structure

• Physical Appearance
• Species Diversity/Richness
• Species Abundance
• Niche Structure

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Primary Productivity

• http//www.nasa.gov/mov/53577main_image6-seawifs_n
  pp_linear_sm.mov

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Edge Effects Cowbird Parasitism
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Island Biogeography E.O. Wilson
http//www.okstate.edu/artsci/botany/bisc3034/lnot
es/island.jpg
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Highest Terrestrial Marine Biodiversity in 1.
Decreases to 6.
http//www.nps.gov/npsa/book/images/image042.gif
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Keystone Species
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Keystone species roles

• Pollinator (insects, hummingbirds, bats)
• Seed dispersal (bats, birds)
• Habitat Modification (beavers, elephants)
• Predation (sea otters, wolf)

http//www.nfi.org.za/mammals/fruitbat.jpg
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E.O. Wilson The loss of a keystone specie is
like a drill hitting a power line lights go out
all over.
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Non-native/Invasive Species
http//nature.org/initiatives/invasivespecies/imag
es/chart.gif
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http//www.southernregion.fs.fed.us/boone/MIS/misc
ov.jpg
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Species Interaction

• Intraspecific competition
• Territoriality
• Chemical deterents
• Seed dispersal
• Interspecific
• Interspecific
• Interference (ex alelolopathy)
• Exploitative (ex invasives)
• Competetive Exclusion Principle
• Resource partitioning

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Competitive Exclusion Principle
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Resource Partitioning

• Macarthurs Warblers in Maine
• Classic Ecological study

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2 Species interactions Pred/Prey

• Pred. Benefits,
• Individual Prey obviously harmed or killed
• Prey population as whole can benefit

http//www.wildaboutcats.org/cheetah2c.jpg
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Predator Styles Ambush
http//www.biganimals.com/gw_shark_g04.html
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Predator style Pursuit
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Prey Defenses
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Prey Defenses

• Coevolutionary "arms race"
• camouflage, cryptic coloration
• warning coloration, aposematism
• chemical repellents - tannins, alkaloids,
  cardiac glycosides
• physical defenses thorns, spines, and armor
• mimicry -
• Mullerianunpalatable species resemble each
  other (e.g. often evolve warning coloration
• Batesian palatable species evolve to resemble
  unpalatable species

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Wasp
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Palatable Mantid
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Palatable Moth
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Mutualism Both parties benefit

• Symbiosis
• Cleaner shrimp
• Zooxanthellae in coral
• E. coli in your gut
• Mycorrhizae fungi on roots
• Figs and Wasps

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Succession

• The only constant in the universe is change
• Climax community
• View has changed
• We cannot predict the course of succession

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Disturbance

• Intermediate disturbance hypothesis
• freq moderate dist. creates greatest species
  diversity
• Natural vs human disturbances

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Precautionary Principle

• Do no further harm
• The first rule of intelligent tinkering is to
  keep all the pieces.
• Aldo Leopald