Master Mnemonic List

1. Six Population Interactions (with signs) Mnemonic: "My Car Parked Past Commuting Arteries"

• Mutualism (+/+)
• Competition (-/-)
• Predation (+/-)
• Parasitism (+/-)
• Commensalism (+/0)
• Amensalism (-/0)

Signs trick: (+/+) = mutual gain; (-/-) = mutual pain; (+/-) = one gains one loses; (+/0) or (-/0) = zero effect on one partner

2. Decomposition Steps (FLCHM) Mnemonic: "Father Likes Cake; He's Making it"

• Fragmentation (earthworms, detritivores)
• Leaching (water-soluble nutrients, rainfall)
• Catabolism (bacteria, fungi, enzymatic)
• Humification (dark resistant humus formation)
• Mineralization (inorganic nutrients released)

3. Primary Succession Sequence (LMHST) Mnemonic: "Lichens Must Have Sun and Trees"

• Lichens (pioneer — crustose first)
• Mosses
• Herbs
• Shrubs
• Trees (climax)

4. Abiotic Response Strategies (RCMS) Mnemonic: "Regulators Can't Move South"

• Regulators (maintain homeostasis)
• Conformers (fluctuate with environment)
• Migrants (move to favourable habitat)
• Suspend (hibernation/aestivation/diapause)

5. Dormancy Types (HAS) Mnemonic: "Hibernate in winter, Aestivate in Summer, Diapause in stress"

• Hibernation = cold (winter)
• Aestivation = $\frac{hot}{dry}$ (summer)
• Diapause = developmental arrest (zooplankton, specific triggers)

6. Pyramid rules (EUN) Mnemonic: "Energy Upright, Numbers and biomass may Not be"

• Energy: always UPRIGHT
• Upright mostly: Numbers in grassland, Biomass in terrestrial
• Not always: Numbers (inverted in trees), Biomass (inverted aquatic)

7. Three most productive ecosystems (TRE) Mnemonic: "TRopical rainforests, Reefs, Estuaries" = TRE

• Tropical rainforests
• Reefs (coral reefs)
• Estuaries