Community and Ecosystem Ecology
Define and be able to give examples of: Community, Ecosystem, niche, interspecific and
intraspecific competition, predation, herbivory, parasitic symbiosis, mutualistic symbiosis
What determines a species’ fundamental niche? What determines its realized niche?
What are the two components of species diversity? Be able to recognize the difference between
species richness and evenness.
What is a food chain? How much energy is lost at each level of the food chain?
Define and be able to give examples of: Ecosystem engineer, Keystone species, community
dominants, primary succession, secondary succession, decomposer, primary production,
consumer
What is nutrient cycling? – oligotrophic lake? –eutrophic lake?
What is a water-limited ecosystem? – a light limited ecosystem? – a nutrient limited ecosystem?
What are the components of ecosystem stability are how are they related to species diversity?
(Know disturbance, resistance, resilience, the three models of ecosystem function and
biodiversity.Be able to correctly label the x and y axes on blank graphs and draw the models)
Give an example of a nutrient that comes from rock and a nutrient that comes from the air.
What are the consequences of alterations to the biogeochemical cycles of N, Water and Carbon?