Ecological relationships

Today (9/25) we will…

Do notes on ecological relationships

Start our symbiosis project

Ecological relationships

Ecological relationships describe the interactions between and among organisms within their environment.

Ecological relationships

Fitness – ability of a population to survive and reproduce in its environment.

Affected by physical traits and

behaviors

Adaptation

The successful physical traits and behaviors (fitness) are inherited by the offspring of organisms.

Industrial melanism in the peppered moth

The peppered moth is preyed upon by various birds.

Lichen-covered trees camouflaged their white bodied moths, not black bodies ones.

Air pollution in the 19th century killed the lichen, turning trees black.

The white moths became easy targets; black moths less so.

Black moths survived on, had higher fitnesslevels in that specific environment.

Interactions between organisms

Predation – One wins, one loses. One species benefits, the other suffers.

Ex: Lions eating buffalo.

Ex: Giraffe eating leaves of tree.

Interactions between organisms

Competition – When multiple species vie for the same, limiting resource.

Lowers the fitness of both. Net decrease in availability of limited resource.

Ex: Squirrel and birds both fighting over limited resource – the nut the squirrel is holding

Interactions between organisms

Mutualism – Everyone wins. Benefits both species.

Ex: This lichen is an algae

and fungus together. Algae

provides fungus with nutrients,

gains protection in return

Interactions between organisms

Commensalism – One species benefits, other unaffected.

Ex: Buffalo flushes out insects

in ground. Birds eat insects.

Buffalo doesn’t benefit, bird

does.

Interactions between organisms

Parasitism – One species benefits, other is harmed.

Ex: Wasp lays eggs on caterpillar.

Eggs hatch, they eat the

caterpillar. Wasps benefit,

caterpillar is harmed.

Parasitic wasps

Critical thinking

Come up with an example of each interaction between organisms with your group! I’ll call on random people in 3 minutes.

Predation

Competition

Mutualism

Commensalism

Parasitism

Starting your symbiosis project

Determine the type of poster you’ll make

Either Mutualism, Parasitism or Commensalism

Research 3 types of these examples and describe them

Explain your chosen symbiotic pairings (all 3) and type it out in a paragraph.

Draw/attach pictures on a poster representing all 3 of your symbionts.

Additional project things

Make sure to cite in APA format

Attach at least one picture of each organism as examples of the symbiotic pairing

APA format

Contributors' names (Last edited date). Title of resource. Retrieved from http://Web address for resource

Authors names (edited date). Title. (date retrieved) Website.

Example:US Department of Commerce, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Is Sea Level Rising?” NOAA's National Ocean Service, 27 Oct. 2008, oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sealevel.html.

That’s all for APA! You’ll need to use it in college extensively.