What are Communities?

Species that interact in a given time and place can be defined as a community. Ecologists across the globe study these communities, specifically the type of species, physical environment, and the interaction between them to better understand how these communities work. In order to study a community, a scientist defines the parameters of inclusion. Scientists ask specific questions when looking at a community and including absolutely every organism would be impractical. Therefore parameters are set so only the most important species are included to conduct appropriate research. The subsequent naming of the community is decided by the biological and physical characteristics present. A community found on a mountain may be considered a mountainous community while a coral reef is defined by the biological organism coral. Within a community, every species has a role or niche and can then become grouped further by what it consumes and what consumes it. A group of species who use the same resources is known as a guild and a functional group is a group of species that perform similar tasks. These labels allow ecologists to produce food webs or interaction webs to easily understand the types of relationships found in a community.