Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Lecture 2: Life, Why Are Some Species Rare and Others Abundant? - Coggle…
Lecture 2: Life
Organization of Life
-
Ecosystems
Communities interacting with their environment (e.g., marine, terrestrial, freshwater).
-
-
-
Population
Definition
-
Contains genetic variation (e.g., differences in traits like size, color) within and between populations.
-
Key Properties
Distribution
Spatial arrangement (e.g., clumped, uniform, random).
-
-
Age Structure
Population pyramids (e.g., young vs. old individuals).
Dynamics
Changes over time due to birth (natality), death (mortality), immigration, and emigration.
Population Growth
Regulated by resource limitation (e.g., food, space).
Influenced by predation, parasitism, and mutualism.
-
Community
Definition
All interacting species in a specific area (e.g., wolves, elk, plants).
Species Interaction
-
Symbiosis
Mutualism
Both species benefit (e.g., pollinators and flowers).
Parasitism
One benefits, the other is harmed (e.g., wasp larvae in caterpillars).
Competition
Intraspecific
Within the same species (e.g., elk competing for mates).
Interspecific
Between different species (e.g., plants competing for sunlight).
Mimicry
Defense mechanism (e.g., harmless species mimicking poisonous ones).
Ecological Niches
Niche
A species’ role (e.g., feeding habits, habitat) and environmental requirements.
Generalists
Broad niches (e.g., cockroaches)
Specialists
Narrow niches (e.g., giant pandas).
-
Community Dynamics
Succession
Primary
Colonization of barren land (e.g., volcanic rock → pioneer species like lichens).
Secondary
Recovery after disturbance (e.g., forest regrowth post-fire).
Climax Community
Stable, mature community (e.g., old-growth forest).
Keystone Species
Critical for ecosystem stability (e.g., wolves controlling elk populations).
-
-
-