chapter 16 ecology exam mutualism

mutualism

an interaction between two species that benefits both (can be generalist or specialist)

obligate mutualists

two species that provide fitness benefits to each other and require each other to persist (must have partner in order to survive) ex. coral and zooplankton

facultative mutualists

two species that provide fitness benefits to each other, but the interaction is not critical to the persistence of either species (beneficial but not necessary)

lichens

mutualism between a fungus and an algae (or cyanobacteria)

what benefits does the fungus of lichen recieve?

carbohydrates as. abyproduct of photosynthesis from algae

what benefit does the algae of lichens recieve?

nutrients and water

what type of mutualism is lichens?

oblgate mutualism

what benefits does zooxanthella recieve in mutualism with corals?

nutrients and CO2what benef

what benefits do corals recieive from zooxanthellae?

sugars and O2.what tpye of m

what type of mutualism os coral and zooxanthellae?

obligate mutualism

many plants rely of fungi with bacteria for what?

to help obtain nutrientsmyc

what are mycorrhizal fungi, what do they provide and recieve in plant mutualism?

fungi that surround plant roots and help plants obtain water and minerals. plants provide the fungi with sugars from photosynthesis.

endomycorhizal fungi

fungal hyphae grow into root cells. between cell wall and cell membrane

ectomycorrhizal fungi

fungal hyphae grow between root cells.

bacteria can convert nutrients into….

forms that plants can use

rhizobium bacteria mutualism with plants. what do they give and recieve?

bacteria recieve carbohydrates and a place to live from plants, and they give converted atmospheric nitrogen in usable forms to the plants. (legumes)

termites eat wood but, …

the protozoa living in them digests it for them.

microbiome

the microorganisms living in or on another organism. (ie. termite and prtozoa)

many plants have mutualisms that …

defend them from enemies

mutualism of ants and acacia trees.

ants defend acacia trees from surrounding plants, in return recieve a home and nectar.

alpheid shrimp and gobie fish mutualism

alpheid shrimp allow gobie fish to share their burrows, shrimp have poor vision but can dig. fish can good vision but cant dig. in exchange for a place to live, the fish warns the shrimp of predators

what do cleaner wrasse to for large fish?

eat parasites from larger fish

oxpeckers and grazing animals mutualism

oxpeckers perch on backs of grazing animals and consume ticks.

plants have evolved what mechanisms to entice pollinators to visit?

reward mechaisms

why do yucca moths lay 6 eggs per yucca flower?

this ensures plant produces nutrients for eggs and plant allows this because they are guaranteed seed dispersal and pollination. but plants will selectively abort too many eggs when they aren’t recieving enough from the mutualism

seed dispersal strategies of plants (2)

• some seeds are in fruit. fruit is digested but seed will not be and seed will get dispersed and planted

  • some seeds may be digested. but some may be left behind which means they can be dispersed to different areas (plants are then able to grow in area away from competition)

loss of dispersers effect

can result in a reduction of plant abundance. (ex. tortoises used to disperse seeds go extinct, decline in abundance of trees)