Midterm Exam
Question 3:
Niche theory is a very important concept in Ecology. However, the exact meaning of the concept has changed throughout the years. Joseph Grinnell introduced the idea of niche theory in his paper “The Niche-Relationships of the California Thrasher”. His idea was that a species is restricted to its niche because of the habitat it lives in and its behavioral patterns. In Grinnell’s paper, the California Thrasher stays within the chaparral habitat of California. He continues to say that the California Thrasher is restricted by humidity and temperature, but that is probably due to the fact that this is the best environment for the chaparral bushes. The California Thrasher is described as a “shy bird” so it uses the cover
…show more content…
In 1927, Charles Elton took niche theory a step further and included food. He defined the niche of an animal as its place in the biotic environment and its relations to food and enemies (Elton, 1927). Grinnell also wondered if food was a limiting factor to the California Thrasher’s niche, but since the bird is omnivorous, it could find food in other habitats such as a forest floor or a meadow. There had to be other factors that restricted the bird to the chaparral bushes (Grinnel, 1917). Elton believes that the niche of an animal can be defined by its size and its food habits. It is important to study niches because it enables ecologists to see how different animal communities may resemble each other in the essentials of organization (Elton, 1927). For example, in a forest there could be a niche of owls that feeds on small animals such as rats. This same carnivore niche is filled with kestrels in the open grasslands. This carnivore niche is then dependent on the small animals in the herbivore niche (Elton, 1927). Hutchinson also discusses niche theory in his “Concluding Remarks” paper. His theory seems to combine some of the ideas …show more content…
In other words, a fundamental niche is where an organism can use all the resources (food, shelter, light, etc.) it needs to survive and reproduce without the interference from other species. This takes ideas from Elton because it states that food is an important part of a niche. However, Hutchinson also introduced the realized niche, the actual niche that an animal is restricted to because of outside forces such as predators and competition (Hutchinson, 1957). This is similar to Grinnell’s idea because the California Thrasher could live outside the chaparral zone because it has a diverse diet, but its realized niche is the chaparral zone because it is restricted there because of predators. Because of this, niches aren’t easy to define in nature because scientists can figure out what the ideal niche would be for an organism but multiple outside forces can make it difficult to determine its realized niche. In recent years, niche theory has not been restricted to ecology and in fact can be applied to cancer research. Studies have found that stem cells differentiate into cancer stem cells causing Cancer in
Atkins composes a reflective essay to demonstrate how guilty pleasures that are not environmentally friendly should be payed back by juxtaposing his lifestyle with the habits of so called nature lovers. The author of Shut Up About My Truck amplifies his syntax by embellishing his sentences, using descriptive imagery and shifting tones to vindicate himself from the misuse of the environment.
The Ohio Highway State Patrol has a long history of enforcing laws and keeping the wellness and safety of all Ohioans everywhere. The patrol has a responsibility to the public to uphold their duties as officers to protect life ,traffic and public; to provide safe roadways, emergency support, and investigate criminal activity.
the food intake rate of the forager decreases with the time spent in the foraging patch (Charnov 1974). Fig. 2: The Fig. 2: The Fig. 3: The Fig.
The author¡¯s techniques in Rattler convey not only a feeling of sadness and remorse but also a sense of the man¡¯s acceptance of the snake¡¯s impending death. The reader can sense the purpose of the author¡¯s effective message through the usage of diction, imagery, and organization.
MACKAY, KATURAH. "The `Starving Time'." National Parks 72.11/12 (1998): 40. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.
Caesar Rodney was born in Dover, Delaware on October 7, 1728. He was the son of Caesar Rodney and Judy Crawford. In his younger years he was tutored by his parents, but he never received any formal education. When he was only 17, his father died and he was put under the care of Nicholas Ridgely. Ridgely was the clerk of the peace in Kent County and this is where Caesar's life in politics began. In 1755 The royal government named Rodney the High Sheriff of Kent County. He did very well in this position to climb up the political ladder and eventually became justice of the peace. When he was 30 years old he was elected as a representative in the legislature of Newcastle. He then took the seat as a representative to the upper house
Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are marine mammals capable of spending their entire lives in water. Being carnivorous in nature, they feed on sea urchins, crabs, fishes, mussels and clams. They are referred to as keystone species due to their profound impact on marine ecology. The interaction between sea otters, sea urchins and kelp forests has been studied as a model for the impact of predator-prey interactions on community ecology. Sea otters are keystone predators, whose presence has a far-reaching influence on the marine food web by affecting the populations of sea urchins, which indirectly affects the populations of kelp forests & other marine organisms. There has been a steep decline in sea otter populations due to water pollution and exploitation for furs. This has affected marine ecology adversely. It is therefore suggested that sea otters should be included in the endangered species list to protect them from further exploitation. This study focuses on the community ecology of sea otters and their impact on marine ecology. The need for their inclusion in the Endangered Species list and the implications of such an intervention are also evaluated.
The United States trucking industry is a very thriving industry and has continued to grow since the beginning of the 1900’s. The motor carrier act of 1935 allowed regulations to be set for the growing trucking industry. These standards made trucking safer for the driver and others as well. With the growing of mass production of products, transporting these goods was not efficient using trains or other types of shipping, so large trucks and trailers became the most popular method for shipping. This created a huge market for truck producers to supply trucks for the new form of freight transportation. Brother’s Jack and Augustus Mack saw the perfect opportunity to use their mechanical abilities.
For a species to survive and flourish within a given environment, it not only needs to replace itself but also all the other species around it exclusively. Hence, if one species completely replaces another species, the result is a single dominant species, a monoculture (source 2). According to Gause’s law, every species in a given environment occupies different niches for survival. Therefore, two separate species competing for similar resources cannot fundamentally coexist (source Gause). This is known as the competitive exclusion principle. When comparing animal niche’s to that of different autotrophic plants, one can rather easily differentiate adequate ecological niches for the animal species merely based on food-requirements (P.J. Grubb). On the contrary, many autotrophic plants contradict the competitive exclusion principle by sharing similar ecological niches such as sunlight, carbon dioxide, water, and alike mineral nutrients (p.j. grubb).
Bateson, P. K. N. .., 2013. Tinbergen’s four questions:an appreciation and an update. Trends in Ecology & Evolution , pp. 1-7.
For example the canopies of kelp provide shelter for many organisms . Because the kelp is able to float, it creates a canopy. This canopy has warm temperatures and slow water currents, providing a home to defenseless young. This is important because the kelp is able to protect many organisms from predators and rough storms (6). Kelp is also the base of the food chain. Since kelp is the base of the food chain many organisms eat kelp and other animals eat them.This is important because without the kelp all the primary consumers would starve having no other food source (5). Finally each part of kelp is home to a different species. Because each part of kelp is home to a different species, many species breed in them. This is important because if the kelp where gone there would be no place for the organisms to breed downsizing their population (4). Overall kelp is providing food and shelter to many
Mills, Scott L., Daniel F. Doak, and Michael E. Soule. "The Keystone-species Concept in Ecology and Conservation." BioScience 43.4 (1993): 219-25. Apr. 1993. Web. 30 Oct. 2011.
Mating is more likely to happen between geographical neighbors than with organisms in different parts of the population’s range. A new niche for an existing population. plants adapting to contaminated soil, resulting in a new flowering time. Sympatric: When a new species evolves from another species while still inhabiting the same geographic region.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a well known horror film around the world. It connects to the real world in ways without even thinking about it, such as the basic instinct of kill or be killed. The only difference is that the film Texas Chainsaw Massacre added a twist to this instinct. This film was based on a true story of the serial killer Ed Gein , who represents the character Leatherface. Leatherface in the film was more gruesome compared to the actual killer.
Vandermeer, J. & Perfecto, I. Breakfast of Biodiversity. The Institute for Food and Development Policy: Oakland, CA, 1995.