CHAPTER 11:

Community
Ecology

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 Learning Outcome
Define community
Describe the community characteristics
Explain the keystone species
Understand the species diversity indices
Illustrate the vertical stratification of
community and zonation

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 Community characteristics
Attributes :

1. Biodiversity
2. Relative abundance
3. Trophic structure
4. Growth form and structure

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 Biological structure of
communities-
KEY STONE SPECIES

Sp, no and relative abundance defines

structure
Dominants when a single or few sp
predominates within the community (measure of
dominance)
Abundance alone is not sufficient a sp may be
dominant but may only exert little influence on
community
E.g. In forest, small or understorey plants are
plentiful yet the community is controlled by
large overshadowing trees

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 Keystone species
1. A sp that has a disproportionate impact on the
community relative to its abundance

2. Sp that function in a unique and significant manner

through their activities, and their effect on the community
is disproportionate to their numerical abundance

3. Removal-starts the changes in the community, results in

significant loss of diversity

4. Role- create or modify habitats or to influence

interactions among other sp

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 Keystone species
Pisaster ochraceus is an efficient predator of the common
mussel, Mytilus californicus.

It reduces abundance of M. californicus, allowing other

macroinvertebrates to persist.

Pisaster present diverse intertidal community

Pisaster absent imperfectly developed intertidal

community dominated by M. californicus.

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e.g of keystone sp.
Sea otters (Enhydra lutris)
-predator to sea urchin that
feed on kelp bed (seaweed)
communities
Kelp bed-habitat to a wide
diversity of sp
Pop of sea otter , sea urchin ,
caused overgrazing to kelp bed
and loss of habitat for other sp
that use kelp as habitat

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 e.g of keystone sp.
Coral, Oculina arbuscula
The only coral with complex branches-provide shelter for
epifauna, invertebrates
Functions as a keystone through providing habitat

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e.G of keystone sp.

Herbivore that modify habitat by their feeding habits

Characteristic:
- Feeds on woody plants
- Destructive feeder, uprooting, breaking and destroying
shrubs and trees on which they feed

Results:
- Reduced trees and shrubs
- Favors growth and production of grasses
- beneficial for herbivores that feed on grasses

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 parameters

1. Relative abundance
by counting all individuals of each sp in a plot
% contribution of one particular sp to the
total sp in a community

2. Species diversity
is a measure of the diversity that incorporates
both species richness (the number of
species in a community) and the evenness
of species' abundances.

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 Species Diversity
Species richness- Shannon-Weiner Diversity
Index or Simpson Index or Margalef Index or
Species Diversity Index (SDI)

1. Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index

H = -(pi)(lnpi),
H = species diversity,
pi = proportion of individual in the total sample belonging
to the ith sp.

2. Shannon-Wiener Evenness
EH = H/Hmax or = H/lnS
EH = evenness
S= total no of species in the community

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Species Diversity

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 Food web
Describe the process of food acquisition,
energy and nutrients required for absorption

Food chain- descriptive diagram, series of arrows,

pointing from 1 sp to another, showing the flow
of food and energy from prey to predator

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 Food chain

grass grasshopper sparrow hawk

However, in nature, it is not as simple as that,

feeding relationship not in a straight line

Involve numerous food chains-from primary consumers

to many consumers -food web

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 Food web
Links-arrow from consumer to sp being consumed

1. Basal species- feed on no other sp, but are fed

upon others

2. Intermediate species- feed on other sp, they

themselves are prey of other sp

3. Top predators- prey on intermediate and basal

sp

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Consumer
s

Primary 16
producer
 Vertical stratification of
communities

Each community has a distinctive

vertical structure

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F Vertical stratification of
O communities
R
Canopy, upper layer (higher plant)- important for
E photosynthesis
S - Major influence to the rest of the forest

T Understorey (sapling)- quantity of light obtained depend

on canopy

S Herb, shrub layer (forest floor vegetation)- depends on

soil moisture, nutrient condition, slope position, density of
T canopy and understorey
R
Forest floor (soil)- decomposition takes place, decaying
A organism matter released-reuse by the forest
T
A 18
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A
Q Vertical stratification of
U communities
A
Epilimnion-layer of well-mixed
T water
I
Metalimnion-characterized by
C thermocline (a steep and rapid
decline in temperature relative
to waters above and below)
S
Hypolimnion-deep, cold layer
T of dense water at about 4C,
R often low in oxygen, layer of
bottom sediments
A
T
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A
A
Q Vertical stratification of communities
U
Photic zone- availability of light support photosynthesis
A
primarily by phytoplankton
T Aphotic zone- area without light
I Benthic zone- bottom zone-decomposition most active

S
T
R
A
T
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A
 Zonation
Definition: Changes in physical and biological
structure of communities across landscapes
can be vertical and horizontal

Changes occur not only on vegetation, but animal

sp as well.

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Changes in sp composition in marshland

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 Zonation
Zonation of an intertidal zone (foreshore) of sandy
beach were dominated by heterotrophs rather than
autotrophs (producers)

Sp distribution related to tides

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 Supratidal zone
Zonation -above the high-tide line
-occupied by pale, sand-colored ghost crabs
and beach fleas
Intertidal zone
-between high and
low tide lines
-true marine life Sandy
-mole crab, lungworm, beach
Hard-shelled clam

Subtidal zone (watery

part)
-below the low-tide line,
continuously inundated
-home for vertebrate and
invertebrate sp
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