Transcript Adaptation Review - burns

Unit III: Interaction Among
Living Things
Review from last week:
- Natural Selection
Organisms in an ecosystem have unique characteristics that help them
survive. Over time the characteristics that make organisms better suited
to the environment become common place. Natural Selection leads to
adaptations.
- Adaptations
The behaviors and physical characteristics that allow organisms to live
successfully in their environment. An organisms adaptations will fit it’s specific
role in the ecosystem.
- Niche
The specialized role of an organism in an ecosystem. This is how the
organism makes its living.
Types of Interactions
Remember, all living things need food, water, shelter, in
order to grow and reproduce. Organisms do not
live alone in their environments, and interact
constantly with living and non-living things in their
community.
There are 3 major types of interactions within an
ecosystem:
Competition: the struggle between organisms to survive as they
attempt to use the same limited resources
Predation: an interaction in which one organism kills another for
food
Symbiosis: close relationship between 2 species that benefits at
least one of the species
Competition
There are 2 types of competition in an
ecosystem:
Interspecies Competition:
Competition between organisms of different
species. i.e. Wolf and Bear competing for Elk
or Birds and Squirrels competing for nesting sites
Intraspecies Competition:
Competition between organisms of the same
species. i.e. Male Deer fighting for a mate or
Chimpanzees defending their territory from
intruding Chimps
Competition
Why can’t we be friends?
Competition
Because all living things need food, water,
shelter to reproduce and grow.
There is a limited amount of these resources
(limiting factors?), and the most/best quality
resources go to the organism that can edge
out the competition.
However, Mother Nature attempts to break
up the fight: Niches reduce competition.
By specializing how you obtain food/water/shelter, what
you call food, water, shelter, or where you find it,
etc…
But if two organisms share the same niche, one will
eventually over-power the other. Turn to page 27 in
your books and answer Qs about Warblers
Competition
Not just for Animals
Predation
(definitely not friends)
Predation = an interaction in which one
organism kills another for food
The organism that does the killing is the
predator
The organism that is killed is the prey
Predation
Still Not just for Animals…
Predation
Predators have adaptations that help them
catch and kill their prey
Example
Cheetahs can run very fast for a short amount
of time
Jellyfish have poisonous tentacles
Some plants have sticky bulbs that catch flies
Owls can see at night
Bats can hunt without seeing at all
Predation
Prey also have adaptations that help them
avoid being lunch. Along with such attributes
such as acute senses, Strength and Speed,
and ability to hide, prey may also use
Mimicry
False Coloring
Camouflage
Protective Covering
Warning Coloration (Aposematism, Batesian
mimicry, and Müllerian mimicry)
Find the definitions to these words in your text book.
Maybe they will be extra credit questions on a
quiz…
Symbiosis
Symbiosis = close relationship between
2 species that benefits at least one of the
species
The three types of symbiotic
relationships:
1. Mutualism
2. Commensalism
3. Parasitism
Symbiosis
Mutualism = A relationship in which both
species benefit
Examples:
Saguaro and the long-eared bats
Cactus provide food for bats
Bats carry pollen to another plant
Acacia trees and stinging ants
Ants nest in acacia trees, whose thorns discourage the ants
predators, and the tree provides food
Ants attack other animals that approach the tree and clear
competing plants away from base
Symbiosis
Commensalism = A relationship in which
one species benefits and the other species
is neither helped or harmed
Examples:
Red-tailed hawks’ and saguaro cactus
Hawks build their nest in the cactus
Cactus is not affected by the hawks
Symbiosis
Parasitism = one
organism living on or
inside another
organism and
harming it
The organism that
benefits is called the
parasite
The organism it lives
on or inside is the
host
Symbiosis
Ok, one more plant video
Python v. Gator
Homework
Copy these questions into your notebook and
answer for homework tonight.
• How have pythons adapted to living in the
everglades?
• What are some reasons that the pythons
and alligators are competing?
• Do they occupy the same niche?
• According to natural selection, do you think
the pythons will increase or decrease in size
over time?