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Instructor: David van Dijk
Lesson 20 (Interactions in Communities) Reading
Assignment
Chapter 44
1. Distinguish between a population and a community.
A community is all the of populations of organisms in a common environment and
interacting with one another. A population is all of the individuals of a SINGLE species in the
same place at the same point in time.
2. What is the difference between intraspecific competition and interspecific
competition?
Intraspecific competition is between members of its own species. Interspecific is
between other species.
3. What did Gauses principle of competitive exclusion state? Give two examples.
It states that if two species are in competition for the same limited resource, one or
the other, whichever one is better at controlling/utilizing access to the resource, will
dominate the other and the other will die out. For example, P. aurelia and P. caudatum, when
grown together, the P. aurelia multiplies much faster and eventually P. caudatum dies.
Similarly, the duckweed L. gibba and L. polyrrhiza, results in L. gibba blocking out the
sunlight and therefore L. polyrrhiza dies.
Note: An ecological niche is the total environment and way of life of all the member
of a particular species of organism in the community. In other words, it is the role that it
plays. However, it also includes the environmental limits of the species and its needs,
patterns, behaviors, etc.
4. Do you understand MacArthurs warblers and the partitioning of resources?
What are two other examples?
Yes, the warblers feed on different parts of the tree. Mosses of genus Sphagnum
appear to form continuous cover, but the microenvironments are different. For example,
some grow on dry rocks, and others lick in the mud. Zebras eat the tough top layer of grass.
Wildebeest come next and eat the rest of the grass. Small shoots begin growing again, and
tommies eat the small shoots that come out.
5. What does niche overlap lead to?

Niche overlap leads to inter and intraspecific competition, which means natural
selection selects against niche overlap. Eventually, the niche overlap gets smaller and
smaller.
6. How is the realized niche not usually the same as the fundamental niche?
The fundamental niche is the niche that theoretically a species could cover. However,
some species are restricted to certain niches that overlap with the fundamental niche of
another species. Because those species are restricted and can only live there, they do not
lose anything by occupying it. However, it is to the benefit of the other, more versatile
species, to avoid competition, so it takes a more restricted niche, which is a realized niche.
There are often species with two overlapping fundamental niches, and to avoid competition,
they often take the realized niche.
7. Explain why Semibalanus can survive in the same intertidal community as
Chthamalus, and why Chthamalus can survive despite the fact that its inferior.
Chthamalus can survive because it can survive the constant exposure to air.
Semibalanus cannot, so even though it is stronger in the water and multiplies faster, it still
cannot take that niche. Because that niche is empty, Chthamalus can survive there.
8. Why are alien organisms often so successful?
They have few or no natural predators so they are often able to outcompete native
organisms. They also have a different niche and can force its way.
9. Which is most likelypredators limit prey or prey limits predators? Explain.
Prey limits predators more often than predators limit prey. This is because predators
often cull animals in poor physical condition, which means they would have died soon
anyways. However, a decrease in prey population is almost guaranteed to result in a
decrease in predator population.
10. How is predation different from parasitism?
Predation is the killing of animals for food. Parasitism uses the organism as a host,
requiring it to be alive in order to stay alive.
11. Explain and give examples of these symbiotic associations: parasitism,
mutualism, and commensalism.
Parasitism: a parasite leeches resources off of a host. Ex. tapeworms
Mutualism: two species work for the benefit of each other. Ex. Fish and cleaner fish
Commensalism: A relationship that benefits one but does not affect the other. Whales
and barnacles.
12. Identify and explain the two most important variables affecting species
diversity according to the island biogeography model.
The two most important variables are size of the island and distance from a source.
Note: Island biogeography model states that number of species is usually constant,

but the composition and frequency are constantly changing.

13. What does the keystone species do?
They are of huge importance in maintaining the diversity of a community.
14. Give an example of an ecological succession. Include the climax community.
Ecological succession is change of species structure over time as species are
replaced. For example, an abandoned field surrounded by vegetation is bombarded by the
rapidly germinating seeds. However, they eventually get crowded out by trees, flowers, etc.
The climax community is the final state that the community is in, which is the hemlock,
beech, and sugar maple, which are the most hardy and dominate in the absence of major
disturbances.