Community Ecology: Disturbance and Biogeography
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10 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Species-area curve | - Way of calculating the species present in a geographic region |
| Evapotranspiration | - Evaporation of water from soil and transpiration of water from plants - solar energy input and water can be measured by rate of transpiration - species richness correlates with rate of evapotranspiration |
| succession | - Predictable changes in community composition through time - involves changes in: biomass, respiration, biodiversity, primary production, nutrient production, nutrient retention, other community and ecosystem characteristics |
| Intermediate disturbance hypothesis | - community diversity should be greatest at intermediate levels of disturbance |
| Disturbance | - event that changes community by removing organisms or altering resource availability - non equilibrium model - communities are constantly changing from disturbances - disturbance is extremely important in structuring communities - common disturbances - fire, flood drought, overgrazing, human activity, storms, freezing |
| Climax Community | - communities that occur in late succession and generally have stable populations |
| Pioneer Community | - the first community to be established after a disturbance |
| Island Equilibrium model | - two biotic factors impact diversity on islands- 1. rate of species immigration to the island. 2. rate of species extinction on the island - two physical factors impact diversity on islands. 1. size of island. 2. distance of island from mainland |
| Primary Succession | - occurs on bare land, where no living organisms are present and no soil. - happens after dramatic, large scale disturbance - on newly-formed habitat |
| Secondary Succession | - Regeneration of a community after a minor disturbance or damage - any type of disturbance that is not catastrophic - soil is still present - ex. trees blown down by wind, forest fires, lighting strikes, logging. |
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