Community Ecology
Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with their environment. For
example, ecologists study animals and plants to try to work out why particular
species may be increasing, or decreasing in numbers. They also look at how
individual species are affected by the organisms around them.
A)
Web site name: FSCJ
Web site address: http://web.fscj.edu/David.Byres/mutualism.html
Read “Symbiosis in the Forest”
1).
What is “symbiosis”? ___________________________________________
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2).
What is “mutualism”? ___________________________________________
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3).
What are “obligate symbionts”? ___________________________________
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Click on “Go to example of ant-acacia”
4).
What benefit does each organism obtain from this relationship?
a) the ant benefits from __________________________________________
b) the plant benefits from ________________________________________
Click on “Go to example of lichens”
5).
How does this relationship benefit the :
a) fungus _____________________________________________________
b) alga _____________________________________________________
6).
Explain the difference between endomycorrhizae and ectomycorrhizae:
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Click on “Go to intro page”
7).
What is “commensalism”? _______________________________________
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Many ecological studies look at how predators catch their prey, and how the prey
tries to avoid ending up as a meal.
B)
Web site name: Science Daily
Web URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110310131100.htm
Read “Non-native snakes”
8).
What is the scientific name for the Burmese python?
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9).
Why are these snakes particularly hazardous to native birds?
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10). How many Burmese pythons were collected during this study? ___________
11). Which five bird species that were eaten by the snakes are species of special
concern, or federally endangered? __________________________________
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12). Why is it hard to control the population of these Burmese pythons?
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Ecologists often look at natural “disasters” such as the volcanic eruption of Mount
St. Helens in 1980, to see the effect on local plants and animals.
C)
Web site name: Volcanic violence
Web URL: http://whyfiles.org/031volcano/6.html
Read “Lessons from the wasteland”
13). What are “pyroclastic flows”? ____________________________________
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14). List two ways that organisms survived the eruption: ___________________
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15). What are examples of “disturbances”? ____________________________
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16). Which animals helped mix seeds with ash and soil? ____________________
17). Why was recovery much different from what ecologists had predicted?
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18). When did Krakatau explode? __________________________________
19). List three methods that organisms use to colonize islands:
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20). Why does the number of species eventually stabilize?
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21). How many species of bats have recolonized Krakatau? ___________
22). How are pioneer plants dispersed? ________________________________
Recently there has been some concern about a decline in the numbers of
amphibians ( such as frogs and toads ) that seems to be worldwide.
D)
Web site name: Amphibia Web
Web URL: http://amphibiaweb.org/declines/declines.html#why
Read “Worldwide Amphibian Declines”
23). What percentage of amphibian species are theatened? _______ %
24). Which three areas of the world have suffered the most declines?
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25). What are the three main reasons for the decline of amphibians ?
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26). Click on one factor in Table 1 and summarize the information:
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27). Click on a different factor in Table 1 and summarize the information:
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28). Does it matter if amphibians are declining? Explain your answer.
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29). One solution to reverse amphibian declines is: _______________________
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Ecologists often study particular habitats, such as wetlands. The following article
looks at the loss of wetlands in the US.
E)
Web site name: National Wetlands Research Center
Web URL: http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/topics/wetlands/wetlandsInfo.htm
Read “Wetlands”
30). What is an “ecotone”?
____________________________________________________________
31). What are the two general categories of wetlands?
_______________________ and ___________________________
32). What are estuaries?
________________________________________
33). List the three common characteristics of wetlands:
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34). Why were wetlands destroyed in the past?
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Click on “Coastal wetlands (Tidal)”
35). What are common salt marsh plants? ______________________________
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Click on “Inland wetlands (Non-tidal)
36). Give two differences between Inland marshes and Forested wetlands:
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37). Are wetlands always covered in water? ______________________________