1. Ecological Relationships How do biotic factors influence each other? http://www.cs.umbc.edu/courses/undergraduate/201/fall06/projects/p1/fox-rabbit.jpg http://www.univie.ac.at/zoologie/ecophys/crabsp-300dpi.jpg

2. Ecological Relationships Biodiversity = the number of species in an ecosystem http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/about/environment/faqs/biodiversity.jpg Territory = space claimed by an individual organism Ecological Equilibrium = state of “balance” in an ecosystem

3. Ecological Relationships NICHE - Role of organism in the ecosystem (job) NICHE DIVERSITY – Number of niches in an ecosystem; often determined by abiotic factors A niche is the sum of all activities and relationships a species has while obtaining and using resources needed to survive and reproduce Abiotic = non-living

4. Competition : When species or individuals “fight” for the same resources. –E.g., Food, shelter…. KEYSTONE PREDATOR/SPECIES - A predator that causes a large increase in diversity of its habitat. The “fight” may be indirect … individuals may never directly contact each other. Two species with similar needs for same limited resources cannot coexist. http://www.butler.edu/herbarium/prairie/prairie42004.jpg Losing a keystone species usually disrupts many ecological relationships.

5. Herbivory : A primary consumer feeds on a producer. A fruit bat eating a papaya http://www.smilinglizard.com/1a291aa0.jpg http://images.inmagine.com/168nwm/creata s/cr15169/cr15169065.jpg A woodchuck eating wild clover

6. Predation : A consumer feeds on another consumer. http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/ZooGoer/2006/3/IMAGES/lion_zebra.jpg A lion eating zebra. An eagle eating halibut. http://www.citypaper.net/blogs/clog/wp- content/uploads/2007/06/close-up-bald-eagle-eating.jpg

7. Symbiosis : A long-term relationship where two species live closely together and at least one benefits directly from the relationship. http://www.floridastateparks.org/maclaygardens/images/wallpaper/1024-PL-MAC-Symbiosis-MarkFerrulo.jpg

8. Mutualism : Both organisms benefit from the relationship. Win-Win situation! http://tumi-educational-resources.org/Educational%20%20Videos.htm

9. Pollination (Mutualism) Plants must attract the pollinator (insects, birds, bats, small mammals) – for example, the flower may have a scent that the pollinator likes. Plant gets pollen transported and the pollinator gets nectar (a sugar rich solution) as a food source. http://www.nearctica.com/ecology/pops/mutual.htm

10. Mutualism Racoon and Poison Ivy –The raccoon eats the berries of the poison ivy and disperses the seeds as it poops. –Both benefit.

11. Commensalism One organism benefits, the other one is unaffected. Win-Neutral relationship

12. Commensalism Eastern Chipmunk and Soil mite –The chipmunk is a mammal that burrows. –The soil mite feeds off of leaf litter but cannot burrow itself. –The mite uses the chipmunk’s tunnels to travel from place to place. Copyright, Ray Norton

13. Commensalism Pear-shaped puffball gets opened (and spores dispersed) by Opossum Puffball benefits, opossum is not affected. Copyright, Leon Shernoff

14. Parasitism One organism benefits, the other one is harmed! Win-Lose relationship Parasites rarely kill their hosts…it would require them to get another one!

15. Parasitism Dogwood tree is parasitized by honeysuckle. Michael Clayton, Wisconsin State Herbarium Department of Botany, Iowa St. University

16. Parasitism Ohio State University Bullfrog acts as a host of the big red worm parasite.

17. Ecological Relationships Biological Magnification — Increasing concentration of poisons in organisms in higher trophic levels in a food chain or web.

18. Biological Magnification- accumulation of increasing amounts of toxin within tissues of organisms. Video on Biological Magnification