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Ch. 20.2 Study Cards
Define
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Species Richness | The number of species in a community. |
| Species Evenness | The relative abundance of each species. |
| Species-Area Effect | A pattern of species richness that states that larger areas usually contain more species than smaller areas do. |
| Disturbances | Events that change communities, remove or destroy organisms from communities, or alter resource availability. |
| Stability | The tendency of a community to maintain relatively constant conditions. |
| Ecological Succession | The gradual, sequential regrowth of a community of species in an area. |
| Primary Succession | The development of a community in an area that has not supported life previously. |
| Secondary Succession | The sequential replacement of species that follows disruption of an existing community. |
| Pioneer Species | The species of organisms that predominate early in succession. |
| Climax Community | When communities proceed through a predictable series of stages until it reaches a stable end point. |