Concepts

Study of organisms that utilize dead animal matter as a resource for feeding or reproduction

Categorization of invertebrates based on feeding mechanisms: collector-gatherers, grazers, predators, shredders, and suspension-feeders

Approach using organism functional traits to understand ecological patterns and predict responses to environmental change

Combined impact of multiple predators differs from the sum of their individual effects, can be greater or less than additive

Underground ecosystem components crucial for sustaining ecosystem function but often remain unseen

The balance between costs and benefits that determines whether species interactions are mutualistic or antagonistic

The study of spatial distribution patterns of microorganisms and the factors controlling these patterns

The relative proportions and functional roles of autotrophic versus heterotrophic organisms in biofilm communities

The component of food webs based on detrital energy pathways as opposed to primary production

The set of signallers and receivers engaged in the exchange of information

The study of how plant genetic variation influences not only phenotypes of the plant itself, but also the community of organisms that associate with the plant

Pattern of ecological disturbances created by beaver activity that favors species adapted to highly variable environments

Classification of species based on ecological traits like nesting habits, diet, sociality, and body size rather than phylogenetic relationships

Taxonomically or functionally related species grouped together, such as trophic levels, functional groups, and guilds

The pattern where top predators in wetland foodwebs change along permanence gradients, affecting invertebrate community composition

Assemblage of small mammalian species including rodents that serve as prey for larger predators

The hierarchical organization of species into higher taxonomic categories such as genera and families