Introduction:
Competition is a mutually undesirable interaction, be it within the same or different species. It is a major ecological force and transpires naturally amongst sympatric organisms and arises due to a scarcity in resources that organisms need in order to subsist and reproduce (Miller 1995, Cartar et al. 2014). It is this scarcity of resources that ultimately becomes a selective factor that dictates the survival of a species. Conversely, a surplus of resources affords an opposite effect- competition does not occur. Competition for resources within a species is called intraspecific competition, whereas competition between distinct species is referred to as interspecific competition (Cartar et al. 2014). Competition within individuals of the same species is a stronger selective force than competition within species (Hansen et al. 1999), because members of the same species have a tendency to compete for the same resources.
The purpose of this experiment is to analyze the effects of intraspecific and interspecific competition in Brassica rapa and marigold, Tagetes patula plant species. The sessile quality of these plants renders them to be ideal models for such experiments; furthermore, it is simple to quantify and document any measurements taken (Cartar et al. 2014). Various factors influence the ability of an organism to survive and thrive in any given environment. These include: sunlight, temperature, habitat, nutrient availability, predation, and competition-interspecific and intraspecific.
In this experiment competition will be initiated through the manipulation of plant density in a minimal area and this selective pressure will affect the plant fitness and biomass as the plant will determine whether it allocates i...
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... can be hypothesized that intraspecific competition is stronger than interspecific competition; the fitness of organisms undergoing intraspecific competition will reduce more than those experiencing interspecific competition.
Intraspecific competition is the most aggressive, because plants of the same species have the same resource obtaining structures, and, in turn, depend on similar resources. The de Wit replacement series experiment is used to determine the success of each species. In this experiment different proportion of each species are measured with a control of just one species to observe the relative intensities of the intra - competition.
This is done by measuring the increase or decrease in the biomass in comparison to the control, which reveals the relative strengths of each competition. The individual biomass of both species is expected to be similar.
Many variations and species of plants can be found all around the world and in different habitats. These variations and characteristics are due to their adaptations to the natural habitat surrounding them. In three of many climatic zones, the arid, tropical and temperate zone, plants that vary greatly from each other are found in these locations. In this experiment, we’ll be observing the connection between the adaptations of the plants to their environment at the Fullerton Arboretum. The arboretum is a space containing numerous plants from different environments. The plants are carefully looked after and organized into their specific habitat. Therefore, we’ll be able to take a look at the plants within multiple
Intro: Charles Darwin’s natural selection comes to mind when viewing the aggressive behaviors in crickets. This interaction comes into play specifically when competition for resources, such as foods and females, are scarce. Thus, only the organism most fit in the environment would be allowed to survive and pass on its genes. Pioneers of animal behavior, pave the way to understanding the why animals act the way they act (von Frisch, 1967; Lorenz, 1952; and Tinbergen 1951). With further integration between different biological organizations, we see the rise of new possible research, especially in crickets (Wong & Hoffman, 2010). The house crickets, Acheta domesticus, would normally display little to no aggression between males because of their natural behavior to live in groups. But when isolated for a length of time, ag...
Predation refers to the consumption of one organism known as the prey by another known as the predator in which the prey is alive when the predator first attacks it. Predation is beneficial to the predator and harmful to the prey. This is a broad group which covers a wide variety of interactions and numerous types of predators. For the purpose of this essay we will concentrate on classifying predators according to their individual taxonomic and functional responses.
As a result of these factors, the flora has adapted to these conditions in a variety of ways including their shape, leaf type, root system, and color. One of the most prominent adapt...
All animals employ a vast array of behaviors that contribute to their ability to find resources, increase their chances of utilizing them efficiently, and therefore increase their overall fitness. One of the behaviors observed extensively throughout the animal kingdom to accomplish these tasks is aggression. Agonist conflict and aggressive behavior occurs both between species and within species. Curiously, within-species agonism is common in many animals because it can manipulate social hierarchies which can affect the distribution of resources within a population (Moore 2007 and Wofford 2013). Evaluating agonistic behavior is therefore a valuable means by which to examine expenditure of energy for resources (Moore 2007 and Wofford 2013).
Some individuals have developed different traits to help them in the process of intra-sexual competition. The organisms with more distinctive traits have greater reproductive success. More genes of those traits are then ‘selected’ and are passed onto the offspring of the organisms. Throughout time variability in these traits becomes
This experiment was performed to test two hypotheses concerning the plant hormone gibberellic acid and a mutant rosette shaped phenotype of the plant Brassica rapa. This experiment was done in order to test the effects o gibberellic acid on plants and its effect on rosette shaped complexes. The two hypotheses in this experiment are as follows: Hypothesis number one states that Gibberellic acid allows for stem elongation in plants. Hypothesis number two. The rosette complex in the rosette phenotype plant contains less gibberellic acid naturally and therefore grows shorter.
A different scenario takes place when an alien species is transported to a new area. Although direct competition with similar species is still a problem, the new kid in the block may have no natural pests and diseases. Thus, large stands of monocultures can occur. It is generally accepted that one plant species will support 10 species of animals. If one species takes over 99% of a given habitat dozens if not hundreds of species are lost from that area and some populations are stressed enough that extinction is possible.
When invoking the individual or the group as the unit of selection for evolution, altruistic behaviour cannot be sufficiently explained. Instances of altruism can, however, be understood when one considers that the genes which endure are the ones whose evolutionary consequences service their own interests—that is, continuing to be replicated— rather than those of the organism. Though the interests of the individual organism and their genes generally tend to be in alignment, in cases where an animal is seen to be behaving altruistically, they are in fact acting in favour of the preservation of their genes rather than their individual existence. The concept of the selfish gene usefully expresses this notion—while the gene is being selfish, it leads to unselfish acts.
The “Fast Plant” experiment is an observation of a plants growth over the span of twenty-eight days. The objective is to observe how plants grow and use their resources throughout the span of their life. In our lab we observed the Brassica rapa, a herbaceous plant in the mustard family which has a short cycle which makes it a perfect plant to observe in this experiment. Like other plants the Brassica rapa must use the resources in the environment to create energy to complete itʻs life cycle and reproduce. By observing the plant it is easy to see in what organ or function the plant is using itʻs energy and resources and if overtime the resources switch to other part of the plants. By conducting this experiment we are able to observe where and how plants allocate their resources throughout their life by harvesting plants at different points in their life.
...ll of a cheetah's energy is spent hunting the gazelle or if its physiological traits only surround the improvement of hunting, then the aspects of mating and breeding (which are also important for survival) are at risk. All the energy that is being spent hunting or evasion lessens the amount of energy that could be used to find a mate or breed for future generations. In layman's terms, there must be compromise in all aspects of a species life in order to survive; it is not just surrounded by hunting or evasion of a predator. Trade-offs is a necessary ingredient in the evolutionary arms race as it serves as type of check and balance for species allowing an equilibrium between different aspects of a species life by not allowing one aspect such as hunting or evasion surpass other important aspects of survival such as breeding or mating.
off of just one host but very few predators can feed on the same prey(1973). In
On the second level, the introduced species starts to reproduce faster than other native species around it. It also out-competes native species for resources
of species due to a variety of causes. Included is out competition, depletion of resources
Asexual propagation is the process through which reproduction without passage through the seed cycle occurs. The advantages of asexual propagation are that it preserves genetic makeup, propagates seedless plants, disease control, rapid production, the plants are identical, cheaper, faster and easier reducing or avoiding juvenility. The disadvantages of asexual propagation are that it increases disease and insect susceptibility, plants are bulky, and the mother plants could become contaminated. The goal of this experiment was to determine the development of adventitious roots and shoots, and observe these plants over a period of five weeks. Due to auxin being produced in the tip, tip cuttings should root faster than any other cuttings. Auxin is a plant hormone that is responsible for cell elongation and enlargement, root formation, and growth. There are two forms of auxins; phototropism, which is produced in the tip and moves downward on the side away from the light and gravitropism, which is where plant roots grow downward and plant shoots grow upward.(Plant Auxin 201...