B4.2: Ecological Niches

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52 Terms

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Ecological Niche

A species' unique role in an ecosystem, both biotic and abiotic

Species will survive, grow, and reproduce ONLY when all dimensions of the niche are satisfied in an ecosystem

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Habit Determination

Determined by zones of tolerance for abiotic factors

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Food is Obtained by...

Synthesis through using light, water, CO2

or

Consumption of other organisms

To compete effectively, organisms must specialize or develop adaptations

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Three Domains

Archaea, Bacteria, Eukarya

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Archaea

Unicellular and have no nucleus, can survive in extreme environment (high temp, low pH, high [salt])

Metabolically diverse regarding energy used for ATP production

-phototrophic, chemotrophic, or heterotrophic

*hard to culture in lab and less well researched*

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Phototrophic

Absorption of light via pigments (not chlorophyll)

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Chemotrophic

Oxidation of inorganic chemicals (Fe2+, Fe3+)

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Heterotrophic

Oxidation of carbon compounds

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Anoxic Environment

environment that lacks oxygen

-swamps

-water-logged soils/muds

-intestinal tracts (guts) of animals

-deep lakes/seas

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Oxic Environment

environment that contains oxygen

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Categories of Oxygen Requirements (3)

Obligate Aerobes, Obligate Anaerobes, Facultative Anaerobes

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Obligate Aerobes

Need continuous supply of oxygen, reside in only oxic environment (all animals/plants)

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Obligate Anaerobes

Inhibited or killed by O2, reside only in anoxic environment (methanogenic archaea)

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Facultative Anaerobes

uses oxygen when available, can reside in oxic or anoxic environment (E. coli - gut bacterium, Saccharomyces - yeast)

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Autotrophs

Make their own carbon compounds from simple substances (CO2)

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Photosynthesis

Uses energy from sunlight to fix CO2

Carbon is used to produce carbohydrates, amino acids, and other carbon compounds

Only occurs in eukarya and bacteria, not archaea

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Groups that Photosynthesize (3)

-Plants

-Eukaryotic Algae (seaweeds and unicellular algae like chlorella)

-Bacteria (cynobacteria and purple bacteria)

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Heterotrophs

Obtain carbon compounds from consumption of other organisms

Digestion, in most, occurs internally after ingestion

*all animals are heterotrophs*

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Holozoic Nutrition

Food is swallowed before fully digested

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Non-Holozoic Nutrition

Food is digested externally, then ingested (inject digestion enzymes into prey then absorb afterwards)

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Stages of Holozoic Nutrition (5)

Ingestion, digestion, absorption, assimilation, egestion

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Ingestion

Place food into gut

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Digestion

Break large food molecules into smaller ones

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Absorption

Transport digested food from inside gut to bloodstream across plasma membrane

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Assimilation

use digested food to make macromolecules and incorporate them as part of body's tissues

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Egestion

Remove undigested material from end of gut

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Family Hominidae

Includes genera like humans (Homo), gorillas (Gorilla), and chimpanzees (Pan)

Some are exclusive herbivores, while others are omnivores

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Relationship btwn Diet and Dentition

Studied through examination of skulls, allows for diet of extinct of extinct species to be inferred via dentition

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Herbivore Teeth

Tend to be large and flat to grind fibrous plant tissues

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Omnivore Teeth

Include a mix of different types, for both meat and plants

-flat molars in back (crush and grind) and sharper canines/incisors than herbivores (tear meat)

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Mixotrophic Nutrition

Not exclusively autotrophic or heterotrophic

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Facultative Mixotrophs

Either entirely autotrophic or entirely heterotrophic, but can switch between the two

ex. Euglena gracilis photosynthesizes light, but also feeds on detritus/smaller organisms via endocytosis

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Obligate Mixotrophs

Rely on both autotrophic and heterotrophic methods of nutrition, cannot survive on just one

ex. some protists lack chloroplasts, so consume algae to steal chloroplasts

-use "klepto-chloroplasts" until they become degraded and need to be replaced

-also consume food for carbon compounds they cannot make

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Herbivore Adaptation

Herbivores feed exclusively on plants, have mouthparts evident of adaptation to diet

ex. most insects show great diversity but are homologous (from same ancestor)

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Insect Herbivore Mouthpart Adaptations

Either jaw-like mouthparts (beetles) to bite/chew and ingest leaf parts

or

tubular mouthparts (aphids) to pierce leaves or stems, reach phloem and feed on sap

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Plant Adaptations to Herbivores (3)

1. Sharp-pointed spines to cause injury

2. Stingers to cause pain

3. Produces toxins

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Plant Toxins

secondary metabolites, means not a part of the basic metabolic pathway

stored in any part of plant, usually seeds which are attractive to herbivores bc high [] of protein, starch, or oil

In response to toxins, some herbivores have developed metabolic adaptations for detoxification

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Physical Adaptations

Predators: vampire bats have pointed and razor sharp teeth to pierce prey and feed on blood

Prey: Buff-tip moths look like broken twigs to camouflage and avoid predation

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Chemical Adaptations

Predators: black mambas produce venom w/ neurotoxins that inhibit acetylcholinesterase to paralyze prey

Prey: Caterpillars of cinnabar moth accumulate toxic alkaloids from ragwort, black and yellow stripes serves as warning coloration

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Behavioral Adaptations

Predators: Grizzly bears use ambush strategies to catch migrating salmon, some wait at top of waterfalls while others stick their heads underwater

Prey: Blue-striped snappers swim in tight schools and use sudden changes in direction to confuse predators

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Rate of Change in Adaptations

-Behavioral adaptations change relatively quickly (ex blue tits)

-Structural adaptations take longer bc they are based on genetic changes (beak size in finches)

-Chemical adaptations are the slowest bc require new enzymes or regulators processes

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Saprotrophic Nutrition

Saprotrophs secrete digestive enzymes into dead organic matter and digest externally b4 absorption (fungi/bacteria)

also known as decomposers

-breaks down carbon compounds in dead organic matter

-releases elements like nitrogen that can be used by other organisms in ecosystem

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Plant Adaptations For Light

In environment w/ abundant water and suitable temps. plants compete for light

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Forest Ecosystems Diversity for Obtaining Light (5)

Emergent trees, lianas, epiphytes, strangler epiphytes, shade-tolerant shrubs & herbs

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Emergent Trees

Dominant leading shoot that grows rapidly, reaches canopy, unshaded by other trees

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Lianas

Climb through other trees, using them for support

-no need to produce as much xylem (wood)

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Epiphytes

Grow on trunks and branches of trees, access to higher light intensity but also less soil for roots

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Strangler Epiphytes

Climb trunks of trees, encircle and outgrow them

-eventually shades out host tree, killing them (and leaving only strangler epiphyte behind)

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Shade-Tolerant Shrubs and Herbs

absorb light that reaches forest floor

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Fundamental Niche

Potential:

-range of biotic/abiotic conditions that a species tolerate, in absence of competition, entire fundamental niche would be occupied

*adaptations do not allow survival outside range*

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Realized Niche

Actual:

-actual extent within fundamental niche that species occupies

-bc competition exists in ecosystems, species are excluded from totality of their potential

*realized niche typically only affects food supply, indirectly affecting species*

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Competitive Exclusion

If one species outcompetes the other in all parts of fundamental niche, the outcompeted species (loser) does not have access to a realized niche

-species must have different realized niches to survive in ecosystem

*occurs when fundamental niches of 2 species overlaps, one species usually outcompetes the other*