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biology ch. 20 terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| predation | an interaction between two species in which one species, the predator, feeds on the other species, the prey |
| interspecific competition | a relationship between two species in which both species complete for limited resources such that both species are negatively affected by the relationship |
| sybiosis | a relationship in which two different organisms live in close association with each other |
| parasitism | a relationship between two species in which one species, the parasite, benefits from the other species, the host, which is harmed |
| mutualism | a relationship between two species in which both species benefit |
| commensalism | a relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected |
| species richness | the number of different species in an area or community |
| species evenness | a measure of the relative adundance of each species in an ecological community |
| species-area effect | a pattern in which the number of species in an area increases as the area increases |
| disturbance | in ecology; an event that changes a community by removing or destroying organisms or altering resource availability |
| stability | the tendency of a community to maintain a relatively constant structure |
| ecological succession | a gradual process of change and replacement in a community |
| primary succession | succession that begins in an area that previously did not support life |
| secondary succession | the process by which one community replaces another community that has been partially or totally destroyed |
| pioneer species | a species that colonizes an uninhabited area and that starts an ecological cycle in which many other species become established |
| climax community | a final, stable community in equilibrium with the environment |