Questions and Answers
What adaptation do some plants use to deter predators?
Which adaptation helps animals avoid predation by blending into their surroundings?
What effect does predation have on the populations of prey species?
What is an example of a biological control for pests?
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Which of the following statements about parasitism is true?
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What characteristic is typical of endoparasites?
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What behavior is common among mice to avoid predation?
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What is warning coloration primarily used for in certain animal species?
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How does predation influence the evolution of prey species?
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What is a common predator-prey population cycle characteristic?
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Study Notes
Interdependence in Ecosystems
- Species that rely on each other for survival are interdependent, e.g., bees pollinate flowers, which provide nectar.
Trophic Levels
- First trophic level: Primary producers (green plants).
- Second trophic level: Herbivores, known as primary consumers.
- Third trophic level: Carnivores that consume herbivores, termed secondary consumers.
- Fourth trophic level: Tertiary consumers, carnivores that prey on secondary consumers.
Food Webs
- A food web consists of interconnected food chains, illustrating the complexity of energy transfer in an ecosystem.
Pyramid of Numbers
- Represents the number of organisms at each trophic level, generally decreasing as you ascend the pyramid due to energy loss (about 90% per level).
- Organism size can distort the shape of the pyramid, leading to variations or even inverted pyramids.
Niche
- A niche refers to the functional role of an organism within its habitat, encompassing its habitat, diet, and what preys on it.
Pollution
- Natural pollutants include volcanic emissions and smoke from forest fires.
- Types of pollution include:
- Domestic pollution (household waste)
- Agricultural pollution (sprays for pests, fertilizers)
- Industrial pollution (acid rain, river contaminants)
Ozone Depletion
- Ozone (O3) forms a protective layer against UV radiation.
- Causative factors include CFCs from spray cans, refrigerators, and agricultural sprays.
- Effects of depletion:
- Increased UV radiation can damage DNA, cause skin cancer, cataracts, and harm crop yields.
- Impacts on aquatic ecosystems by depleting plankton.
Control Measures for Ozone Depletion
- Reduce CFC usage to allow ozone replenishment, with replacements like HFCs being more environmentally friendly.
- Avoid products with CFCs and ensure proper disposal of refrigerators.
Conservation
- Conservation involves the sustainable management of resources to maintain population levels.
- Fisheries conservation faces challenges from pollution, overfishing, and ineffective net sizes.
Bioremediation
- Utilization of microorganisms to cleanse polluted areas and restore them to their natural state, e.g., oil spills.
Waste Minimisation
- Importance of reducing waste to conserve resources through:
- Reduction at the source (less packaging)
- Reuse of items such as bags and bottles
- Recycling practices including composting.
Ecological Relationships
- Factors controlling populations include competition, predation, parasitism, and symbiosis.
Competition
- Competition occurs for resources among organisms, which can be intra-specific (same species) or inter-specific (different species).
- Contest competition involves direct confrontation while scramble competition involves an all-out effort to utilize available resources.
- Effects include evolutionary adaptations, with better-adapted species emerging over time.
Predation
- Definition: Predation is the act of capturing, killing, and consuming prey by predators.
- Predator adaptations include camouflage, speed, and specialized teeth.
- Efficiency factors for predators encompass keen senses, dietary flexibility, social hunting strategies, and camouflage.
Prey Adaptations
- Prey escape strategies include burrowing, acute hearing, warning signals, avoidance through speed, and mimicry.
- Plant defenses might include thorns or bitter tastes, while animal defenses involve group living and coloration for protection.
Effects of Predation
- Helps regulate prey populations, with cyclical fluctuations in predator and prey numbers influencing ecosystem dynamics.
Parasitism
- Parasitism involves a relationship where one organism (the parasite) benefits at the expense of another (the host).
- Types of parasites:
- Endoparasites that live within a host, such as liver flukes and certain fungi.
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