GeneralEcology(BIO160) Worksheet#15

Dept.ofBiologicalSciences SacramentoStateUniversity

Worksheet15:EcologicalCommunities
1. Table16.2inyourbookshowstherelativeabundanceoftreesinadeciduousforeststandin northernWestVirginia.Answerthefollowingquestionsbasedonthistable.(pgs333336;lecture) a. Drawabargraphshowingtherelativeabundance(frequency)ofeachtreespeciesinrankorder (lefttoright)frommostdominanttoleastdominant.Besuretolabelyouraxes. b. Istherelativeabundanceofspecies(asdepictedbyyourgraphabove)inthisforeststandtypical ofecologicalcommunitiesgenerally?___________ c. Whichtreespecies(oneormore)wouldbeconsidereddominant(s)? d. Isthespeciesrichnessofthisforeststandhigher,lower,orequaltothatofthestanddescribed inTable16.1? e. CalculateSimpsonsdiversityindexfortheforeststandinTable16.2. f. Istheevennessofthisforeststandhigher,lower,orequaltothestandinTable16.1?Explain youranswer.Hint:useFigure16.1tohelpyouanswerthisquestion. 2. Anecologystudentwascuriousabouttheeffectofa Location A Location B keystonepredatoronthecommunitystructureofacoral reefcommunity.Toexaminethis,thestudentremoved thekeystonepredatoratonelocationinthereef communityandlefttheotherlocationalone.Afterafew months,thestudentsampledeachlocationandplotted theabundanceofeachspeciesonarankabundance curveforeachlocation.Thestudentsdataproducedthe 0 5 10 15 20 25 resultsatright:(pgs334336;lecture) Species rank a)WhatisthespeciesrichnessatreeflocationB?__________(anumber)
Log abundance

GeneralEcology(BIO160) Worksheet#15

Dept.ofBiologicalSciences SacramentoStateUniversity

b)HowdoestheevennessofreeflocationAcomparetothatofreeflocationB?Explainyour answer. c)Atwhichreeflocation(AorB)wasthekeystonepredatormostlikelyremoved?Explainyour answer. d)IfthestudentcalculatedSimpsonsdiversityindex(D)atbothreeflocations,whichwouldhavea higherdiversityindex?Why?Besuretoexplainintermsofthecontributionofbothrichness andevenness. 3. Drawadetaileddiagram(onthebackofthispage)ofafoodwebforeitheraterrestrialoraquatic ecosystem.Thefoodwebmustberealistic;itmustalsoincludebasalspecies,intermediatespecies, andatoppredator.Foreachtrophiclevel,describetheinteractionthatisoccurringbetweenthe speciesandthedegreetowhichtopdownorbottomupcontrolisactingtostructureyour particularcommunity.(pgs336338,358359;lecture) 4. Answerthefollowingquestionsbasedontheorganismic(discrete)andindividualistic(continuum) conceptsofthecommunity.(pgs342346;lecture) a. Foreachconceptofthecommunity,drawagraphofhowspeciesabundanceshouldbe distributedalonganenvironmentalgradient. b. Aretheboundariesbetweenecologicalcommunitiesgenerallyabruptorgradual?Howdoesthe spatialscaleatwhichweassessacommunityinfluenceourperceptionofsuchboundaries? c. Whatistheconceptofzonation?Howdoesitcomparewiththeorganismicandindividualistic conceptsofthecommunity? d. MargaretDavis(1991)studiedpastmigrationsofforesttrees.Doherresultssupportthe organismicorindividualisticconceptofthecommunity?Givenherresults,whatisanimportant drawbackofusingcommunitymapslikeFigure16.11inyourbooktodepictthegeographic distributionofecologicalcommunities?Explain.