Ecological Concepts and Interactions

The video explores community ecology, focusing on the interactions between species within a community. It covers concepts like species diversity, composition, and various interactions such as competition, mutualism, commensalism, predation, and parasitism. The video also discusses neutral interactions, population cycles, trophic cascades, and niche partitioning, providing a comprehensive understanding of how species coexist and affect each other in ecosystems.

How is Simpson's Diversity Index used in ecology?

• To measure the genetic diversity of a species

• To calculate the total biomass of an ecosystem

• To determine the age of an ecosystem

• To assess the diversity of species in a habitat

What is a community in ecological terms?

• All the populations in an ecosystem

• A single species living in an area

• A group of similar ecosystems

• A single organism's habitat

What does species diversity refer to?

• The genetic variation within a species

• The number of individuals in a species

• The variety and abundance of species in a community

• The number of ecosystems in a region

What type of interaction is mutualism?

• A relationship where both species benefit

• A relationship where one species benefits and the other is harmed

• A relationship where neither species benefits

• A relationship where one species benefits and the other is unaffected

In a commensal relationship, what happens to the species involved?

• One species benefits, the other is unaffected

• Both species benefit

• One species benefits, the other is harmed

• Neither species benefits

What is a boom-bust cycle in ecology?

• A cycle of rapid growth followed by a sudden decline in population

• A cycle of constant population size

• A cycle of increasing biodiversity

• A cycle of decreasing genetic variation

What is a trophic cascade?

• A gradual increase in species diversity

• A series of changes in an ecosystem caused by the removal of a top predator

• A sudden decrease in population size

• A stable ecosystem with no changes

How does niche partitioning help species coexist?

• By eliminating weaker species

• By allowing species to share the same resources

• By reducing competition through resource specialization

• By increasing competition for the same resources

What happens when two species occupy the same niche?

• They will both become extinct

• They will merge into a single species

• One species will outcompete the other

• They both thrive equally

What is the role of a species in its environment called?

• Niche

• Ecosystem

• Habitat

• Community