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Habitat and Lifestyle. Unit A: Topic 2. Interdependence. Each species relies on many other species in its environment No species can survive by itself Example: Predator-Prey relationship Predators benefit because they get food
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Habitat and Lifestyle Unit A: Topic 2
Interdependence • Each species relies on many other species in its environment • No species can survive by itself • Example: Predator-Prey relationship • Predators benefit because they get food • Prey benefit because the old and weak are usually removed allowing the healthy to reproduce • Prey also benefit because the reduction of population allows the resources to last longer.
Symbiosis • Symbiosis • “Sym” means together • “Bios” means life • A symbiotic relationship is when two organisms live in direct contact with each other • There are three main types of symbiosis: commensalism, mutualism, and parasitism • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSmL2F1t81Q&feature=fvwrel
Symbiotic Relationships • Commensalism • One organism benefits and one does not. • No harm is done to the organisms. • Example: A bird builds a nest in the tree • Example: Barnacles attach to whales • Identified by +/n • One benefits (+) while the other remains neutral (n)
Symbiotic Relationships • Mutualism • There is a benefit to both organisms • Example: A certain tree gives food and shelter to ants and the ants protect the tree from other animals feeding on it by attacking them. • Example: Lichens, formed by algae and fungi, live off of each other’s resources. • Identified by +/+ • Both benefit (+)
Symbiotic Relationships • Parasitism • One organism benefits and the other is harmed • Parasites do not kill their hosts because the host is the food source. • Example: A tapeworm attached to the intestine of a human. • Example: Parasitic wasp larvae in caterpillar. • Identified as +/- • One benefits (+) while the other is harmed (-)
Interspecies Competition • Two or more species need the same resource and neither benefit. • Example: If there are two different species competing for the same food source, there is less for each species. • Limits the sizes of the populations of the competing species.
Niche • Niche: • The role that an organism plays in its ecosystem. • This includes: • What it eats • What eats it • Its habitat, nesting site or range. • Its effect on the populations around it • Its effect on the environments around it • Look at pg 16 – Poplar Tree • The niche of a population in one area may vary from a population in a different area. • Niches can also change throughout the lifetime of the species. For example, the niche of a frog tadpole is different than that of an adult frog.
Broad Niches • Broad niches • Organisms that can survive in various conditions and locations have broad niches • Animals in Canada aren’t very diverse, but they can span over large distances and can withstand daily and seasonal changes in temperature. • They must also be able to eat a variety of plants or other animals. • Animals with broad niches are known as generalists
The raccoon is a generalist because it has a natural range that includes most of north and central America, and it is omnivorous, eating berries, insects, eggs, and small animals.
Narrow Niches • Narrow Niches • Organisms that survive in a very small location that require very consistent conditions. • Organisms have adaptations directed towards competing for one dependable food source, one type of soil, or one level of light. • These organisms are known as specialists. • What could be the danger in narrow niches?
Panda is a specialist species because over 95 percent of its diet consists of bamboo.
Resource Partitioning • Division of a resource between species resulting in each niche differing slightly. • Example: 5 species of warblers feed on spruce bud worms but they all feed in slightly different areas of the spruce tree.
Review Assignment • Explain what is meant by the term biological diversity. • In one or two sentences, explain why so many different types of organisms exist on Earth today. • Describe how scientists classify organisms. • Explain how the classification system helps us to understand how living things are different from or related to each other. • Compare and contrast the meanings of population and community.