Warm Up

From last week’s activity – How could the disappearance of wolves from the ecosystem affect the population of other species?

Video clip

Warm Up

1. How do these organisms interact with each other?

Warm Up

2. How do these organisms interact with each other?

Warm Up

3. How do these organisms interact with each other?

Types of Interactions Among Living Things

Interactions with the Environment

Most living things produce more offspring than will survive. This is known as overproduction.

So why are we not overrun with frogs or fish?

Limiting Factors

Organisms interact with the biotic & abiotic factors in their environment.

Populations cannot grow without stopping. Limiting factor – a resource that is so scarce that it limits

the size of a population. Limits on the amount of: (examples)

– Food– Water– Living space– Other resources

Carrying Capacity

Carrying capacity – the largest population that an environment can support.

When a population grows larger than its carrying capacity, limiting factors in the environment cause individuals to die off or leave, returning the population to a size that the environment can support.

Interactions Among Organisms

1. Competition

2. Predation

3. Symbiosis

Adaptations

Every organism has a variety of adaptations (characteristics) that are suited to its specific conditions which help the organism to survive.

The adaptations can also assist them in their interactions with other organisms.

1. Competition

Competition – when two or more individuals or populations try to use the same resources.– Compete for:

Food, water, shelter, space, sunlight

– Adaptations enable organisms to reduce competition.

Competition in a Population

Example:– The elks in Yellowstone National Park are

herbivores that compete with each other for food plants in the park.

Competition in a Community

Example:– Competition also happens between different

populations (within a community). Different species of plants compete with each other for

sunlight and space.

2. Predation

An interaction in which one organism hunts and kills another organism for food is called predation.– Predator

the hunter

– Prey the hunted

Video clip: predator-prey

Predator Adaptations

Helps them catch & kill their prey– Speed– Stingers, toxins, sharp teeth– Camouflage– Night vision

Prey Adaptations

Also known as “defense strategies” to avoid predation:1. Camouflage

2. Protective coverings

3. Warning coloring

4. Defensive chemicals

5. Mimicry

6. False coloring

Camouflage

Prey blend in to their environment to avoid being eaten by predators.

Protective Coverings

Hedgehog

Warning Coloring

Bright colors warn predators that the prey may be poisonous and to stay away!

Defensive Chemicals

Some animals defend themselves with chemicals.

Mimicry

Coral Snake

King Snake

The ability some animals have to resemble another animal so closely that they can fool either their prey or their predators.

Monarch

Viceroy

False Coloring

Used to trick predators

With your table group…

Describe the 2 relationships among living things we discussed yesterday…

3. Symbiosis

Symbiosis is a close relationship between two species that benefits at least one of the species.

3 types:1. Mutualism

2. Commensalism

3. Parasitism

Mutualism

A relationship in which both species benefit– Positive

Ex: – clownfish & sea anemone

Commensalism

A relationship in which one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed– Neutral

Ex: – gray whale

covered in

barnacles

Parasitism

Involves one organism living on or inside another organism and harming it!– Negative

Parasite – the organism that benefits Host – the organism that is harmed Ex:

– Tapeworms

“Who You Callin’ Ugly?”

Do you think it is beneficial for each of these organisms to look they way they do? Why or why not?

“Who You Callin’ Ugly?” What is an adaptation? Read the article

Complete the following chart as a group:

Animal: Odd or interesting trait:

How is this trait beneficial to the

animal?

Proboscis Monkey

Leaf-Tailed Gecko

Wrinkle-Faced Bat

Star-Nosed Mole

Marabou Stork

Sea Pig