Chapter 5 3 Ecological Niches Adaptation Question of

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Chapter 5 -3 Ecological Niches & Adaptation

Chapter 5 -3 Ecological Niches & Adaptation

Question of the Day Q: Which country is undergoing rapid population growth?

Question of the Day Q: Which country is undergoing rapid population growth?

ECOLOGICAL NICHES Ø Each species in an ecosystem has a specific role or way

ECOLOGICAL NICHES Ø Each species in an ecosystem has a specific role or way of life. l l Fundamental niche: the full potential range of physical, chemical, and biological conditions and resources a species could theoretically use. Realized niche: to survive and avoid competition, a species usually occupies only part of its fundamental niche.

Generalist and Specialist Species: Broad and Narrow Niches Ø Generalist species tolerate a wide

Generalist and Specialist Species: Broad and Narrow Niches Ø Generalist species tolerate a wide range of conditions. Ø Specialist species can only tolerate a narrow range of conditions.

SPOTLIGHT Cockroaches: Nature’s Ultimate Survivors Ø 3, 500 different species Ø Ultimate generalist l

SPOTLIGHT Cockroaches: Nature’s Ultimate Survivors Ø 3, 500 different species Ø Ultimate generalist l l l Can eat almost anything. Can live and breed almost anywhere. Can withstand massive radiation.

Specialized Feeding Niches Ø Resource partitioning reduces competition and allows sharing of limited resources.

Specialized Feeding Niches Ø Resource partitioning reduces competition and allows sharing of limited resources.

Avocet sweeps bill through mud and surface water in search of small crustaceans, insects,

Avocet sweeps bill through mud and surface water in search of small crustaceans, insects, and seeds Ruddy turnstone Herring gull is a searches tireless scavenger under shells and pebbles Dowitcher probes deeply for small into mud in search of invertebrates snails, marine worms, and small crustaceans Brown pelican dives for fish, which it locates from the air Black skimmer seizes small fish at water surface Louisiana heron wades into water to seize small fish Flamingo feeds on minute organisms in mud Scaup and other diving ducks feed on mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic vegetation (Birds not drawn to scale) Oystercatcher feeds on clams, mussels, and other shellfish into which it pries its narrow beak Piping plover feeds on insects and tiny crustaceans on sandy beaches Knot (a sandpiper) picks up worms and small crustaceans left by receding tide Fig. 4 -8, pp. 90 -91

Differences in Adaptations Ø Each species has a beak specialized to take advantage of

Differences in Adaptations Ø Each species has a beak specialized to take advantage of certain types of food resource. Ø This allows each species to survive in the environment