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Ecological Networks
Nathan Crum
Ecology
• Study of the interactions between organisms
and their environment
• Study of ecosystems
– Ecosystem- web/network of relationships of
organisms to each other and their environment
Food Webs
• Illustrates predation, herbivory,
decomposition, and biotic-abiotic interactions
Other Interactions
• Competition
– Interspecific and Intraspecific
• Mutualism
• Parasitism
• Commensalism
Niches
• Resource Partitioning- differentiation of niches
allowing species to coexist
– Difference between fundamental and realized
niche
– Leads to character displacement
Keystone Species
• Larger effect on ecosystem than population
size would suggest
– Ex. Sea Otters and Starfish
The Fluidity of Ecosystems
• Biomanipulation- altering the density of high
level consumers to control the density of
organisms in lower trophic levels
Abiotic Factors
• Abiotic environment is a hub
– The Sun
– Water
– Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide
– Soil
– Temperature