Ecology: Population Distribution and Reducing Competition

2/21/2021

Ecology: Population Distribution and Reducing Competition

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Objectives

Content Objective: students will be able to explain what competition is and how animals reduce competition by studying animal behavior and distribution patterns.

Language Objective: students will use the target vocabulary covered in class to answer questions about ways to reduce competition, and describe population distribution patterns.

Ecology Concepts that we will Learn ABout This Week

Each organism interacts with other organisms and with the physical (abiotic) components of the environment.

Competition in Ecology: when two or more organisms are competing for the same limited resource, it may be food, space, or a mate.

Competition may occur between members of the same species or of a different species. Competition harms both competitors. The negative effects of competition limit population numbers because resources are limited and growth, reproduction, and survival are affected

Most species look for ways to reduce competition by considering other options for food, space, and other resources.

ln a forest, each species may feed on a different part of a tree (e.9. trunk, branches, twigs, flowers, orleaves) or occupy different areas of vertical air-space (e.9. ground, understorey, sub-canopy, or canopy). Competition may also be reduced by using the same resources at a different time of the day or year.

For our assignment we will look at five species of warbler and learn what they are doing to reduce competition.

How Different SPecies of Warbler coexist?

Overall it is better to reduce competition by finding a niche

Ecology Vocabulary For Population Growth

Natural Selection: organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Carrying Capacity: the number of people, other living organisms, or crops that a region can support without environmental degradation.

Limiting factor: anything that constrains a population's size and slows or stops it from growing. Examples of limiting factors are biotic, like food, mates, predators, disease, and competition with other organisms for resources.