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the evolution of a predatory organism to resemble a harmless animal or a part of the environment, thus gaining access to prey.
aggressive mimicry
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a terrestrial ecosystem that occupies an extensive geographic area and is characterized by a specific type of plant community; for example, deserts.
biome
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coloration and/or shape that renders an organism inconspicuous in its environment.
camouflage
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literally, "meat eater"; a predatory organism that feeds on herbivores or on other carnivores; a secondary (or higher) consumer.
carnivore
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a diverse and relatively stable community that forms the endpoint of succession.
climax community
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the evolution of adaptations in two species due to their extensive interactions with one another, such that each species acts as a major force of natural selection on the other.
coevolution
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all the interacting populations within an ecosystem.
community
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interaction among individuals who attempt to utilize a resource (for example, food or space) that is limited relative to the demand for that resource.
competition
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competitive exclusion principle
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any event that disrupts an ecosystem by altering its community, its abiotic structure, or both; disturbance precedes succession.
disturbance
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the role of a particular species within an ecosystem, including all aspects of its interaction with the living and nonliving environments.
ecological niche (nitch)
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literally, "plant-eater"; an organism that feeds directly and exclusively on producers; a primary consumer.
herbivore
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the prey organism on or in which a parasite lives; the host is harmed by the relationship.
host
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competition among individuals of different species.
interspecific competition
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an area of the ocean shore that is alternately covered and uncovered by the tides.
intertidal zone
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competition among individuals of the same species.
intraspecific competition
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organisms that are introduced (deliberately or accidentally) into ecosystems where they did not evolve, and where they encounter little environmental resistance and tend to displace native species.
invasive species
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a species whose influence on community structure is greater than its abundance would suggest.
keystone species
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the situation in which a species has evolved to resemble something else, typically another type of organism.
mimicry
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a symbiotic relationship in which both participating species benefit.
mutualism
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an organism that lives in or on a larger organism (its host), harming the host but usually not killing it immediately.
parasite
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an organism that is among the first to colonize an unoccupied habitat in the first stages of succession.
pioneer
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an organism that eats other organisms.
predator
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succession that occurs in an environment, such as bare rock, in which no trace of a previous community is present.
primary succession
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the coexistence of two species with similar requirements, each occupying a smaller niche than either would if it were by itself; a means of minimizing the species’ competitive interactions.
resource partitioning
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succession that occurs after an existing community is disturbed—for example, after a forest fire; secondary succession is much more rapid than primary succession.
secondary succession
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a form of mimicry in which a color pattern (in many cases resembling large eyes) can be displayed suddenly by a prey organism when approached by a predator.
startle coloration
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a community in which succession is stopped before the climax community is reached; it is maintained by regular disturbance—for example, a tallgrass prairie maintained by periodic fires.
subclimax
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a structural change in a community and its nonliving environment over time. During succession, species replace one another in a somewhat predictable manner until a stable, self-sustaining climax community is reached.
succession
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bright coloration that warns predators that the potential prey is distasteful or even poisonous.
warning coloration
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