01:119:101 Study Guide - Quiz Guide: Niche Differentiation, Catabolism, Keystone Species

• School: Rutgers University
• Department: Biological Science
• Course: 01:119:101
• Professor: prof.burton

Document Summary

The competitive exclusion principle states two species competing for the same resource cannot coexist. This leads to resource partitioning because the two species can occupy slightly different niches by gaining the resource different ways or using slightly different forms of the resource and then coexist. Both dominant and keystone species have major effects on the environment. A dominant species is found in large numbers and use a large portion of the resources. A keystone species is usually not found in large numbers, but will have a significant amount of influence by effecting the dominant species. Slow nutrient cycling rates will mean there is more nutrients present in the soil because they are not being used and returned by organic material quickly. Fast nutrient cycling rates mean there are less nutrients in the soil because they are being used more abundantly by organic material. Behavior is a repeated action in response to a stimulus.