Species Interaction
Species Interaction
* The relationships between two species in an ecosystem. * The interactions between two species need not be through direct contact. Species may affect each other through intermediaries such as shared resources or common enemies.
Major factors in evolution and adaptation: * Predation * Competition for scarce resources
Terminologies: * Habitat – the actual physical location where a species lives. * Conditions – physical or chemical attributes of the environment. * Resources – substances that can be consumed by an organism.
ECOLOGICAL NICHE
* Describes how an organism or population responds to the distribution of resources and competitors and how it in turn alters those same factors. * Consists of all the factors necessary for its existence – approximately when, where, and how a species makes its living.
a. Fundamental Niche – the full potential range of conditions and resources it could theoretically use if there were no competition from other species. Niches of a species overlap with those of other species. b. Realized Niche – is where the species does live, because of the factors mentioned above have forced it to retreat from parts of the fundamental niche.
Categories of Species Interactions:
1) COMPETITION
Competition is an interaction between organisms or species, in which the fitness of one is lowered by the presence of another. Limited supply of at least one resource (such as food, water, and territory) used by both is required.
* “Survival of the fittest” by Herbert Spencer (who coined the term) and Charles Darwin
Types of Competition by Mechanism: a. Interference competition – occurs directly between individuals via aggression. b. Exploitation competition – occurs indirectly through common limiting resources which act as an intermediate. c. Apparent competition – occurs indirectly between two species which are both preyed upon by the same predator.
* The relationships between two species in an ecosystem. * The interactions between two species need not be through direct contact. Species may affect each other through intermediaries such as shared resources or common enemies.
Major factors in evolution and adaptation: * Predation * Competition for scarce resources
Terminologies: * Habitat – the actual physical location where a species lives. * Conditions – physical or chemical attributes of the environment. * Resources – substances that can be consumed by an organism.
ECOLOGICAL NICHE
* Describes how an organism or population responds to the distribution of resources and competitors and how it in turn alters those same factors. * Consists of all the factors necessary for its existence – approximately when, where, and how a species makes its living.
a. Fundamental Niche – the full potential range of conditions and resources it could theoretically use if there were no competition from other species. Niches of a species overlap with those of other species. b. Realized Niche – is where the species does live, because of the factors mentioned above have forced it to retreat from parts of the fundamental niche.
Categories of Species Interactions:
1) COMPETITION
Competition is an interaction between organisms or species, in which the fitness of one is lowered by the presence of another. Limited supply of at least one resource (such as food, water, and territory) used by both is required.
* “Survival of the fittest” by Herbert Spencer (who coined the term) and Charles Darwin
Types of Competition by Mechanism: a. Interference competition – occurs directly between individuals via aggression. b. Exploitation competition – occurs indirectly through common limiting resources which act as an intermediate. c. Apparent competition – occurs indirectly between two species which are both preyed upon by the same predator.