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Transcript
Niche (page 2 of Q2 marine bio research packet) Definition of niche The way of life or “role” a species plays in its environment Scientists focus on features that can be readily measured: where species lives what time of day its active what it eats What does the niche include? Range of conditions the species can tolerate Methods by which the species obtains resources Number of offspring a species has Time of reproduction All other interactions of the species in its environment Fundamental Niche vs. Realized Niche (page 2 of Q2 marine bio research packet) Fundamental niche Realized niche Range of conditions a species can potentially tolerate Range of resources a species actually uses Range of conditions species can potentially use Species may have to restrict activity to avoid predators Not realistic Competition may prevent use of a resource Generalists vs. Specialists (page 2 of Q2 marine bio research packet) Generalists Broad niche Specialists Narrow niche Tolerate wide range of conditions Do not tolerate a wide range of conditions Use a variety of resources Use only a few resources Virginia opossum – found across the United States, eats eggs, carrion, fruits, plants Koala – lives in Australia, feeds on the leaves of only a few species of eucalyptus trees Habitat (where an organism lives) (page 3 of Q2 marine bio research packet) Abiotic factors Physical and chemical factors in an environment (non-living, never living) Temperature, humidity, pH, salinity, oxygen concentration, amount of sunlight, precipitation Influence an organism in its environment Biotic factors Factors in an environment that are or have been alive Determines when/how the organisms reproduces Focus on the food a species eats and the way it is obtained Influence an organism in its environment Tolerance (page 3 of Q2 marine bio research packet) • Organisms can survive within a wide range of environmental conditions • Every species has its own range of tolerance, the ability to survive and reproduce under a range of environmental circumstances • Scientists can graph performance vs. the values of an environmental variable Range of Tolerance/Tolerance Curve (page 3 of Q2 marine bio research packet) • Optimum (or optimal) range – typically several factors (pH, temperature, salinity) must fall within an organism’s tolerance range • Example – The swimming speed of a species of fish is fastest at intermediate temperatures. The fish can survive and function at temperatures outside its optimal range but its performance is greatly reduced. The fish will not survive below its lower limit of tolerance and upper range of tolerance (tolerance limits). Acclimation (page 3 of Q2 marine bio research packet) Definition of acclimation Some organisms can adjust their tolerance to abiotic factors Goldfish raised at different temperatures have different tolerance curves Living at high elevations will help you acclimate to reduced oxygen levels (RBCs increase in your body over time) What is the difference between acclimation and adaptation? Acclimation – changes in an organism due to environmental factors, occur within the lifetime of an individual organism Adaptation – genetic change in a species or population, occurs over many generations Conformers vs. Regulators (page 3 of Q2 marine bio research packet) Conformers (Ectotherms, Cold-blooded) Organisms that do not regulate their internal conditions Change as the external environment changes Leopard gecko and frog need a heat lamp because they can’t regulate their body temperature Regulators (Endotherms, Warm-blooded) Organisms that use energy to control some of their internal conditions Keep an internal condition within the optimal range over a wide variety of environmental conditions Humans are regulators of temperature Salmon – conformers of temp, regulators of internal salt concentration (spend part of their life in salt water and part in fresh water) Escape from Unsuitable Conditions (page 3 of Q2 marine bio research packet) Dormancy Migration State of reduced activity Organism wants to escape unfavorable conditions Occurs during periods of unfavorable environmental conditions Move to a more favorable habitat Winter temperatures are too cold for reptiles and amphibians to tolerate. They hide underground until the spring. Seasonal migration of birds to avoid low temperatures and scarcity of food Spring and summer spent in cooler climates and migrate to warmer climates in the fall Return to cooler climate in the spring Resources (page 3 of Q2 marine bio research packet) Definition of resources The energy and materials a species needs to survive in an environment What determines the survival of a species in a particular habitat? Suitability of environmental conditions Availability of resources Food, energy nesting sites, water, sunlight, etc. Resources essential to survival vary from species to species Competition (page 6 of Q2 marine bio research packet) Definition of competition Use of the same limited resource by two or more species Results from fundamental niche overlap One organism will likely use the resource more efficiently and leave less resource for the other species What is competitive exclusion? One species is eliminated from a community because of competition for the same limited resource Species that uses the resource more efficiently has a reproductive advantage Eventually eliminates other species What is the competitive exclusion principle? • States that no two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time • Direct competition between species almost always produces a winner and a loser • Losing species dies out Classic Example - Barnacles Competition & Community Structure (page 6 of Q2 marine bio research packet) Character displacement Competitors evolve niche differences or anatomical differences to lessen the intensity of competition Darwin’s finches – different beak sizes in seed eating finches reduces competition between species Resource partitioning Pattern of resource use Competition most intense between closely related species that require the same resources Similar species only use part of the available resources Three species of warblers, each species feeds on insects in a different section of spruce or fir treees Resource partitioning Predator-Prey Relationships (page 8 of Q2 marine bio research packet) Predator The “hunter” – captures, kills, and consumes another organism Predator’s survival depends on its ability to capture food Adaptations that improve efficiency of predators are acted on by natural selection Predator-prey relationships determine relationships in food web Prey The “hunted” – organism that is captured, killed, and consumed Prey’s survival depends on its ability to avoid being captured Natural selection favors adaptations that allow prey to avoid, escape, and ward off predators Energy Flow in an Ecosystem (page 11 of Q2 marine bio research packet) • Every community has a trophic structure (pattern of feeding relationships) • One organism eats another, molecules are metabolized, energy is transferred • Trophic structure is a key factor in community dynamics • Trophic levels – indicates and organism’s position in the sequence of energy transfers • Most ecosystems only contain 3 or 4 trophic levels Energy Flow in an Ecosystem (page 11 of Q2 marine bio research packet) • What are food chains? How do these relate to food webs? • 10% rule of energy transfer – 10% of the total energy consumed in one trophic level is incorporated into organisms in the next level Energy Flow in an Ecosystem (page 11 of Q2 marine bio research packet) • Why is the percentage of energy transfer so low? • Some organisms in a trophic level escape being eaten. • Some molecules in the food source can’t be broken down. • Some energy is lost as heat. Biomagnification (talk about this concept when discussing in abiotic factors) • The process of bioaccumulation / biotransfer of contaminate from one trophic level to the next • Tissue concentrations of a contaminant increase as it passes up through the trophic levels • DDT, mercury, pesticides Producers vs. Consumers (page 13 of Q2 marine bio research packet) Producers 1st trophic level (“primary”) Autotrophs Most are photosynthetic Can be chemoautotrophs Consumers Heterotrophs - all animals & fungi, most protists & bacteria Herbivores, carnivores, omnivores Detritivores (scavengers) – consumers that feed on the “garbage” of an ecosystem (ex. turkey vulture) Decomposers – cause decay, break down complex molecules in dead tissues and wastes into simpler molecules