APES Study Guide-Ch.7, 8: Community and Population Ecology
Objectives: By the end of this section, you should be able to:
 Explain the importance of species diversity in a community
 Discuss the differences among native, non-native, keystone, indicator, foundation species
 Describe species interactions including competition, competition avoidance and predator-prey
 Explain the symbiotic relationship among species including parasitism, commensalism and mutualism
 Describe the features of ecological succession
 Understand how living systems maintain stability
 Describe population dynamics and the role of carrying capacity
 Explain the three types of population dispersion
 Identify limits to population growth
 Explain the consequences of exceeding carrying capacity
 Describe the types of population changes in nature
 Identify and apply the two categories of reproductive strategies
 Relate a species’ survivorship curve to its reproductive strategy
Textbook References:
Miller, Living in the Environment, 15th edition: Chapter 7 and 8
Native species
Invasive species
Pioneer species (pg. 155)
Keystone species
Foundation species
Indicator species
Resource partitioning
Interspecific vs. intraspecific competition
Climax Community
Parasitism
Mutualism
Commensalism
Exploitation competition
Exponential vs. logistic growth
Interference competition
Environmental resistance
Opportunist
r- selected species vs. K-selected species
Biotic potential
Intrinsic rate of increase
Review Questions. Answer each in a complete sentence:
.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Distinguish between population size, density, dispersion, and age structure.
List the three categories of an age structure diagram.
Distinguish between stable, irruptive, cyclic, and irregular population changes.
Contrast clumped, uniform, and random dispersion.
Distinguish among three forms of symbiotic relationships and give one example of each: parasitism,
mutualism, and commensalism.
6. Define succession. Distinguish between primary and secondary succession.
7. Summarize the intermediate disturbance hypothesis.
8. Distinguish among the following types of stability and give an example of an ecosystem which
exemplifies each: inertia, constancy, and resilience. Evaluate the interaction of stability and diversity.
9. Summarize the theory of island biogeography. Imagine two islands of two different sizes and distances
from the mainland. Predict which would show the greatest species diversity. Defend your position.
10. Distinguish between r-selected species and k-selected species, and give two examples of each. Draw the
type of survivorship curve you would expect each type of species to exhibit.
11. Distinguish between density-dependent and density-independent checks on population growth, and list
three examples of each.
12. List three types of population curves found in nature, and identify one organism which exemplifies each.