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CHAPTER 6
COMMUNITY ECOLOGY, POPULATION ECOLOGY, AND SUSTAINABILITY
Objectives
1.
Describe the three characteristics that describe a biological community.
2.
Distinguish among the following roles played by species and give one example of each: native species,
nonnative species, indicator species, keystone species. Explain why these labels are important.
3.
Distinguish among the following species interactions and give one example of each: interspecific
competition, predation, and symbiosis. Distinguish between interference competition and exploitation
competition. Summarize the competitive exclusion principle. List two strategies species use to reduce
competition.
4.
List two strategies that predators use to capture their prey. List at least five strategies that prey use to
defend themselves against predators.
5.
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. Describe how humans
affect communities.
7.
Define birth rate, death rate, immigration, and emigration. Write an equation to mathematically
describe the relationship between these rates and the rate of population change.
8.
Define limiting factor. Give an example of a resource that would be limiting in an ecosystem.
9.
Define exponential growth.
10. Compare a J-shaped growth curve with a S-shaped growth curve and comment on the factors that
produce the sigmoid (S-shaped) curve.
11. Define carrying capacity and explain what determines the carrying capacity of an ecosystem.
12. Define r-selected species and K-selected species and compare the two. Give an example for each type
of species reproductive pattern.
13. List the eight major ways that humans have altered natural ecosystems and comment on the effects of
these alterations for the future of the planet.