Question 1

Abiotic Stress

Accepted Answer

Physical environmental pressures (e.g. temperature, desiccation, salinity, wave action) that affect organism survival and distribution.

Question 2

Alternative Stable States

Accepted Answer

Different long-term community configurations that can persist under the same environmental conditions (e.g. kelp forest vs urchin barren).

Question 3

Alpha Diversity

Accepted Answer

Species diversity within a single habitat or local site.

Question 4

Anthropogenic Disturbance

Accepted Answer

Disturbance caused by human activities such as pollution, trawling or climate change.

Question 5

ANOSIM

Accepted Answer

A non-parametric statistical test used to compare differences in community composition between groups.

Question 6

Beta Diversity

Accepted Answer

Differences in species composition between habitats or locations.

Question 7

Biogenic Habitat

Accepted Answer

Habitat created by living organisms, such as coral reefs or mussel beds.

Question 8

Biodiversity

Accepted Answer

The variety of life in a habitat, including species richness, evenness and functional diversity.

Question 9

Biofilm

Accepted Answer

A thin layer of microorganisms growing on surfaces that can influence larval settlement.

Question 10

Biotic Interaction

Accepted Answer

An interaction between living organisms, including competition, predation, herbivory and facilitation.

Question 11

Bottom-Up Control

Accepted Answer

Community regulation driven primarily by nutrient or resource availability.

Question 12

Bray-Curtis Similarity

Accepted Answer

A metric used to quantify similarity in species composition between communities.

Question 13

Canopy Effects

Accepted Answer

The influence of canopy-forming organisms (e.g. kelp, fucoid algae) on environmental conditions beneath them.

Question 14

Climax Community

Accepted Answer

A relatively stable late-successional community.

Question 15

Colonisation

Accepted Answer

The establishment of organisms in a previously unoccupied habitat.

Question 16

Community Assembly

Accepted Answer

The processes determining which species occur in a community.

Question 17

Community Composition

Accepted Answer

The identity and abundance of species within a community.

Question 18

Community Ecology

Accepted Answer

The study of interactions among species and how these shape community structure and diversity.

Question 19

Competitive Exclusion

Accepted Answer

The process by which one species outcompetes and eliminates another from a habitat.

Question 20

Consumptive Effects

Accepted Answer

Effects caused directly by organisms consuming prey or resources.

Question 21

Context Dependency

Accepted Answer

When ecological interactions vary depending on environmental conditions or location.

Question 22

Coral Bleaching

Accepted Answer

Loss of symbiotic algae from corals due to stress, usually elevated temperature.

Question 23

Desiccation Stress

Accepted Answer

Stress caused by drying out during exposure to air.

Question 24

Deterministic Succession

Accepted Answer

Succession following predictable ecological pathways.

Question 25

Direct Effects

Accepted Answer

Effects occurring immediately between two organisms or factors without intermediates.

Question 26

Disturbance

Accepted Answer

Any event that removes biomass or alters resource availability.

Question 27

Disturbance Frequency

Accepted Answer

How often disturbances occur.

Question 28

Disturbance Intensity

Accepted Answer

The severity of a disturbance event.

Question 29

Dominant Competitor

Accepted Answer

A species that outcompetes others for resources or space.

Question 30

Ecosystem Engineer

Accepted Answer

An organism that physically modifies the environment and alters habitat availability.

Question 31

Ecosystem Functioning

Accepted Answer

Processes occurring within ecosystems, such as nutrient cycling and productivity.

Question 32

Emersion Stress

Accepted Answer

Stress experienced by marine organisms when exposed to air during low tide.

Question 33

Energy Flow

Accepted Answer

Movement of energy through trophic levels in a food web.

Question 34

Environmental Gradient

Accepted Answer

A gradual change in abiotic conditions across space.

Question 35

Epibiota

Accepted Answer

Organisms living attached to surfaces or other organisms.

Question 36

Evenness

Accepted Answer

How equally individuals are distributed among species in a community.

Question 37

Exclusion Experiment

Accepted Answer

An experiment where a species is prevented from accessing an area to test its ecological effects.

Question 38

Facilitation

Accepted Answer

A positive interaction where one species improves conditions for another.

Question 39

Facilitation Model

Accepted Answer

A successional mechanism where early species make conditions more suitable for later species.

Question 40

Food Web

Accepted Answer

A network of feeding interactions within an ecosystem.

Question 41

Foundation Species

Accepted Answer

A species that creates habitat and strongly influences community structure.

Question 42

Fundamental Niche

Accepted Answer

The full range of conditions under which a species can survive without competitors.

Question 43

Functional Diversity

Accepted Answer

Variation in ecological roles or functions among species.

Question 44

Gamma Diversity

Accepted Answer

Total diversity across a large region or landscape.

Question 45

Gap Formation

Accepted Answer

Creation of open space following disturbance.

Question 46

Grazing Pressure

Accepted Answer

The intensity of herbivore feeding on plants or algae.

Question 47

Habitat Complexity

Accepted Answer

Variation in physical structure within a habitat.

Question 48

Habitat Fragmentation

Accepted Answer

Breaking of habitats into smaller isolated patches.

Question 49

Habitat Heterogeneity

Accepted Answer

Variation in habitat structure or environmental conditions.

Question 50

Herbivory

Accepted Answer

Consumption of plants or algae by animals.

Question 51

Hierarchical Sampling

Accepted Answer

Sampling across multiple spatial scales to identify patterns of variation.

Question 52

Hydrodynamic Stress

Accepted Answer

Stress caused by moving water or wave action.

Question 53

Illusion of Generality

Accepted Answer

The mistaken assumption that ecological patterns are universal despite local variation.

Question 54

Indirect Effects

Accepted Answer

Effects occurring through intermediate species or pathways.

Question 55

Inhibition Model

Accepted Answer

A successional mechanism where early colonists prevent later species from establishing.

Question 56

Interaction Strength

Accepted Answer

The magnitude of one species’ effect on another.

Question 57

Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis

Accepted Answer

The idea that diversity is highest at intermediate levels of disturbance.

Question 58

Interspecific Competition

Accepted Answer

Competition between different species.

Question 59

Intraspecific Competition

Accepted Answer

Competition within the same species.

Question 60

Keystone Predator

Accepted Answer

A predator with disproportionately large effects on community structure relative to its abundance.

Question 61

Keystone Species

Accepted Answer

A species with unusually strong ecological effects on community structure.

Question 62

Kelp Forest

Accepted Answer

A highly productive marine ecosystem dominated by large brown algae.

Question 63

Larval Dispersal

Accepted Answer

Movement of larvae away from parent populations.

Question 64

Larval Supply

Accepted Answer

The number of larvae arriving at a habitat.

Question	Answer
Abiotic Stress	Physical environmental pressures (e.g. temperature, desiccation, salinity, wave action) that affect organism survival and distribution.
Alternative Stable States	Different long-term community configurations that can persist under the same environmental conditions (e.g. kelp forest vs urchin barren).
Alpha Diversity	Species diversity within a single habitat or local site.
Anthropogenic Disturbance	Disturbance caused by human activities such as pollution, trawling or climate change.
ANOSIM	A non-parametric statistical test used to compare differences in community composition between groups.
Beta Diversity	Differences in species composition between habitats or locations.
Biogenic Habitat	Habitat created by living organisms, such as coral reefs or mussel beds.
Biodiversity	The variety of life in a habitat, including species richness, evenness and functional diversity.
Biofilm	A thin layer of microorganisms growing on surfaces that can influence larval settlement.
Biotic Interaction	An interaction between living organisms, including competition, predation, herbivory and facilitation.
Bottom-Up Control	Community regulation driven primarily by nutrient or resource availability.
Bray-Curtis Similarity	A metric used to quantify similarity in species composition between communities.
Canopy Effects	The influence of canopy-forming organisms (e.g. kelp, fucoid algae) on environmental conditions beneath them.
Climax Community	A relatively stable late-successional community.
Colonisation	The establishment of organisms in a previously unoccupied habitat.
Community Assembly	The processes determining which species occur in a community.
Community Composition	The identity and abundance of species within a community.
Community Ecology	The study of interactions among species and how these shape community structure and diversity.
Competitive Exclusion	The process by which one species outcompetes and eliminates another from a habitat.
Consumptive Effects	Effects caused directly by organisms consuming prey or resources.
Context Dependency	When ecological interactions vary depending on environmental conditions or location.
Coral Bleaching	Loss of symbiotic algae from corals due to stress, usually elevated temperature.
Desiccation Stress	Stress caused by drying out during exposure to air.
Deterministic Succession	Succession following predictable ecological pathways.
Direct Effects	Effects occurring immediately between two organisms or factors without intermediates.
Disturbance	Any event that removes biomass or alters resource availability.
Disturbance Frequency	How often disturbances occur.
Disturbance Intensity	The severity of a disturbance event.
Dominant Competitor	A species that outcompetes others for resources or space.
Ecosystem Engineer	An organism that physically modifies the environment and alters habitat availability.
Ecosystem Functioning	Processes occurring within ecosystems, such as nutrient cycling and productivity.
Emersion Stress	Stress experienced by marine organisms when exposed to air during low tide.
Energy Flow	Movement of energy through trophic levels in a food web.
Environmental Gradient	A gradual change in abiotic conditions across space.
Epibiota	Organisms living attached to surfaces or other organisms.
Evenness	How equally individuals are distributed among species in a community.
Exclusion Experiment	An experiment where a species is prevented from accessing an area to test its ecological effects.
Facilitation	A positive interaction where one species improves conditions for another.
Facilitation Model	A successional mechanism where early species make conditions more suitable for later species.
Food Web	A network of feeding interactions within an ecosystem.
Foundation Species	A species that creates habitat and strongly influences community structure.
Fundamental Niche	The full range of conditions under which a species can survive without competitors.
Functional Diversity	Variation in ecological roles or functions among species.
Gamma Diversity	Total diversity across a large region or landscape.
Gap Formation	Creation of open space following disturbance.
Grazing Pressure	The intensity of herbivore feeding on plants or algae.
Habitat Complexity	Variation in physical structure within a habitat.
Habitat Fragmentation	Breaking of habitats into smaller isolated patches.
Habitat Heterogeneity	Variation in habitat structure or environmental conditions.
Herbivory	Consumption of plants or algae by animals.
Hierarchical Sampling	Sampling across multiple spatial scales to identify patterns of variation.
Hydrodynamic Stress	Stress caused by moving water or wave action.
Illusion of Generality	The mistaken assumption that ecological patterns are universal despite local variation.
Indirect Effects	Effects occurring through intermediate species or pathways.
Inhibition Model	A successional mechanism where early colonists prevent later species from establishing.
Interaction Strength	The magnitude of one species’ effect on another.
Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis	The idea that diversity is highest at intermediate levels of disturbance.
Interspecific Competition	Competition between different species.
Intraspecific Competition	Competition within the same species.
Keystone Predator	A predator with disproportionately large effects on community structure relative to its abundance.
Keystone Species	A species with unusually strong ecological effects on community structure.
Kelp Forest	A highly productive marine ecosystem dominated by large brown algae.
Larval Dispersal	Movement of larvae away from parent populations.
Larval Supply	The number of larvae arriving at a habitat.
Late Succession	The final stages of succession dominated by long-lived competitive species.
Long-Term Monitoring	Repeated observations over extended periods to detect ecological change.
Macroalgae	Large marine algae such as kelp and fucoids.
Manipulative Experiment	An experiment where conditions are deliberately altered to test hypotheses.
Marine Heatwave	An unusually prolonged period of elevated ocean temperature.
Meta-Community Dynamics	Interactions among linked communities connected by dispersal.
Microhabitat	A small-scale habitat with unique environmental conditions.
Multiple Stressors	Several environmental pressures acting simultaneously on organisms.
Mutualism	An interaction where both species benefit.
Niche Overlap	When species use similar resources.
Niche Partitioning	Division of resources that reduces competition.
Non-Consumptive Effects	Effects caused by predator presence without actual consumption, such as behavioural changes.
Nutrient Limitation	Restriction of growth due to insufficient nutrients.
Opportunistic Species	Fast-growing species that rapidly colonise disturbed habitats.
Ordination	A statistical technique used to visualise community similarity patterns.
Organismal Thermal Tolerance	The temperature range within which an organism can survive.
Overgrazing	Excessive herbivory causing major vegetation loss.
Overfishing	Removal of fish populations faster than they can recover.
Patch Dynamics	Ecological processes driven by the creation and recovery of habitat patches.
Patchiness	Uneven spatial distribution of organisms or habitats.
Phase Shift	A rapid transition from one ecosystem state to another.
Physiological Stress	Stress affecting organism function and metabolism.
Pioneer Species	The first species to colonise newly disturbed habitats.
Poleward Range Shift	Movement of species distributions toward the poles due to warming.
Positive Interaction	An interaction benefiting at least one species without harming another.
Predation	Consumption of one organism by another.
Predator-Mediated Coexistence	Coexistence maintained because predators suppress dominant competitors.
Primary Productivity	The rate at which producers convert energy into biomass.
Primary Succession	Succession occurring where no previous community existed.
Priority Effects	When early colonists influence future community composition.
Propagule Pressure	The quantity of larvae or reproductive units arriving in a habitat.
Realised Niche	The actual conditions occupied by a species after competition and interactions.
Recruitment	Addition of new individuals to a population through settlement and survival.
Recruitment Limitation	When low larval supply restricts population growth.
Recruitment Pulse	A temporary period of high recruitment.
Recovery Trajectory	The pathway communities follow during recovery after disturbance.
Refuge from Predation	Areas where prey are protected from predators.
Removal Experiment	An experiment where a species is removed to test ecological effects.
Resilience	The ability of a system to recover after disturbance.
Resistance	The ability of a system to withstand disturbance without changing.
Resource Limitation	Restriction of population growth due to limited resources.
Rocky Intertidal Zone	The shoreline area alternately submerged and exposed by tides.
Secondary Productivity	Production of biomass by consumers.
Secondary Succession	Succession following disturbance where substrate remains intact.
Sediment Stabilisation	Reduction in sediment movement caused by organisms such as seagrass.
Settlement	Attachment and establishment of larvae onto a substrate.
Settlement Cue	A signal influencing where larvae settle.
Shannon Diversity Index	A biodiversity measure combining richness and evenness.
Similarity Index	A metric comparing community composition between sites.
Spatial Autocorrelation	The tendency for nearby locations to resemble one another.
Spatial Heterogeneity	Variation in ecological conditions across space.
Spatial Scale	The size of the area being studied.
Species Evenness	The relative abundance distribution among species.
Species Richness	The number of species present.
Stress Gradient Hypothesis	The idea that facilitation becomes more important as environmental stress increases.
Stress Tolerance	The ability to survive harsh environmental conditions.
Structural Complexity	Variation in three-dimensional habitat structure.
Sub-Lethal Effect	Non-fatal impacts on organism physiology or behaviour.
Successional Mosaic	A landscape containing patches at different successional stages.
Successional Trajectory	The direction and pattern of change during succession.
Surface Roughness	Small-scale structural variation on habitat surfaces.
Synergistic Effects	Combined effects stronger than expected from individual stressors.
Taxonomic Distinctness	A measure of how evolutionarily different species are within a community.
Thermal Stress	Stress caused by temperatures outside an organism’s tolerance range.
Top-Down Control	Community regulation driven primarily by predators or consumers.
Tolerance Model	A successional mechanism where later species tolerate early colonists and eventually dominate.
Topographic Complexity	Physical variation in habitat shape and structure.
Trophic Cascade	Indirect effects of predators spreading through lower trophic levels.
Trophic Downgrading	Loss of top predators and associated ecological effects.
Trophic Level	An organism’s feeding position within a food web.
Urchin Barren	A low-diversity habitat created by intense sea urchin grazing.
Vertical Zonation	Distribution of species in bands along the shore height gradient.
Wave Exposure	The degree to which habitats experience wave action.

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