BIOL 1030 Chapter Notes - Chapter 53: Keystone Species, Ecological Niche, Interspecific Competition

• School: University of Manitoba
• Department: Biological Sciences
• Course: BIOL 1030
• Professor: Scott Kevin

Document Summary

Concept 53. 1 a community"s interactions include competition, predation, herbivory, symbiosis, and disease: there are a number of possible interspecific interactions that link the species of a community. In batesian mimicry a harmless, palatable species mimics a harmful, unpalatable model. Concept 53. 2 dominant and keystone species exert strong controls on community structure. In lakes with three trophic levels, removing fish may improve water quality by increasing zooplankton and thus decreasing algal populations. In lakes with four trophic levels, adding top predators will have the same effect. Increasing evidence suggests that some amount of nonequilibrium resulting from disturbance is the norm for communities. Early arrivals may facilitate the appearance of later species by changing the environment: for example, early herbaceous species may increase soil fertility. Early species may inhibit establishment of later species. Early species may tolerate later species but neither hinder nor help their colonization.