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A/P: Li Daiqin Specialty: Behavioural Ecology; Spiders; Biodiversity of Arthropods Current Research: Animal communication; Sexual selection; UV signalling; Crypsis and mimicry; Spider sociality; Biomaterials - Spider silk and nanomaterials for structural colour production Ultimate Goal: how animals having small brain with few neurons solve the everyday problems that they face within their respective environments. Teaching: LSM2251 and LSM4253 Contact details:
Predator-prey relationship
Female-male mating
Male-male fighting
Outline
References Background
References
Molles, M.C. Jr. 2010. Ecology: concepts and applications, 5th ed. McGraw-Hill. Byers, J. E. 2000. Competition between two estuarine snails: implications for invasions of exotic species. Ecology 81: 1225-1239. Dayan, T. & Simberloff, D. 2005. Ecological and community-wide character displacement: the next generation. Ecology Letters 8: 875-894. Denno, R.F. & Roderick, G.K. 1992. Density-related dispersal in planthoppers: effects of interspecific crowding. Ecology 73: 1323-1334. Tilman, D. & Cowan, M. 1989. Growth of old field herbs on a nitrogen gradient. Functional Ecology 3: 425-438.
Background- Interactions
Ecology is about NUMBERS and CHANGES in Numbers. What can affect/change numbers? How can the numbers be changed? How can we study changes in numbers? Can we predict changes in numbers? How?
Interactions
Classification of interactions
Classification of interactions
Competition
Competition
Intraspecific
Competition
Modes
Competitive
Lotka-Volterra
Competition
and Niches
Applications
Modes of competition
Interference:
Intra-specific:
Inter-specific:
Population density, soil nitrogen, and the size attained by the grass Sorghastrum nutans (data from Tilman & Cowan 1989)
Molles 2010.
Molles 2010.
Denno and Roderick (1992) demonstrated it within populations of planthopper Prokelesisia marginata. They thought their results would apply to other Homoptera due to a combination of limited resources, rapid population growth and their habit of aggregating.
Population density and planthopper performance (Data from Denno & Roderick 1992)
Molles 2010.
Edward Grosholz (1992) used a field experiment with two treatments: (1) food limitation; and (2) density effects, to demonstrated it in isopods Porcellio scaber.
Supplementing food had no effect on survival. Survival was lower at the higher population density.
Molles 2010.
and field studies reveal intra-specific competition. Intra-specific competition for limited resources plays a key role in slowing population growth at higher densities. Interference competition can occur in the absence of obvious resource limitation.
The Galpagos Archipelago and Isla Daphne Major home of Darwins finches
With the population, individuals with the deepest beaks fed on the hardest seeds, while individual with the shallowest beaks fed on the softest seeds.
Molles 2010.
Seed depletion by the medium ground finch, Geospiza fortis, and average seed hardness (Grand 1986)
As seeds are depleted, finches eat the smallest and softest seeds first, leaving the largest and toughest seeds. Following drought (selection) not only are seeds in short supply, the remaining seeds are also tougher to crack. Mortality fell most heavily on smaller finches with smaller beaks.
Molles 2010.
and laboratory models provide a theoretical foundation for studying inter-specific competition in nature Metz (1972) summarized models:
Abstractions and simplifications, not facsimiles of nature. Man-made construct; partly empirical and partly deductive. Used to provide insights into natural phenomena.
Population
Population growth slows as N increases as the ratio of numbers to carry capacity, either N1/K1 or N2/K2.
12 > 1, then the competitive effect of an individual of species 2 on the population growth of species 1 is greater than that of an individual of species 1. 12 < 1, then the competitive effect of an individual of species 2 on the population growth of species 1 is less than that of an individual of species 1.
general, LV predicts coexistence of two species when, for both species, interspecific competition is weaker than intraspecific competition. one species is predicted to eventually exclude the other.
Otherwise,
and
N2 = K 2- 21 N1
Molles 2010.
Gause (1934) used laboratory experiments to test the major predictions of LV competition model. He demonstrated resource limitation with freshwater, ciliated protozans Paramecium caudatum and Paramecium aurelia in presence of two different concentrations of the bacterium Bacillus pyocyaneus.
When grown alone, carrying capacity determined by intra-specific competition. When grown together, P. caudatum quickly declined. Reduced resource supplies increased competition.
Would one of the two species drive the other to extinction if grown together in microcosms where they were forced to compete with each other for a limited food supply. When grow alone, both species did well, the carrying capacity is determined by intra-specific competition. When grown together, P. aurelia survived, while the population of P. caudatum quickly declined. Competition exclusion results from competition for limited food supply. Molles 2010.
products.
Park (1954) studied inter-specific competition between T. confusum and T. castaneum under varied environmental conditions.
When grown separately in hot-wet environments, both species did well. When grown together in hotwet environments, Tribolium castaneum usually excludes T. confusum. In contrast, when grown together in cool-dry conditions, T. confusum usually excludes T. castaneum. How can we interpret the results of these laboratory experiments in terms of the effects of competition on these species niches?
can have short-term ecological effects on the niches of species by restricting them to their realized niches.
But if competitive interactions are strong and pervasive enough, they may produce an evolutionary response in the competitor population.
Changes fundamental niche (fuller range of environments in the absence of inter-specific competition).
Figure 13_17
Connell (1961) discovered interspecific competition in barnacles. Balanus plays a role in determining lower limit of Chthamalus within intertidal zone. Chthamalus will grow in the middle intertidal zone if Balanus are removed. Balanus crowd out Chthamalus. Balanus are not found in the upper intertidal as it cannot withstand the high levels of desiccation.
Molles, M.C. Jr. 2010. Ecology: concepts and applications, 5th ed. McGraw-Hill.
Character displacement
Because degree of competition is assumed to depend upon degree of niche overlap, inter-specific competition has been predicted to lead to directional selection for reduced niche overlap.
Molles, M.C. Jr. 2010. Ecology: concepts and applications, 5th ed. McGraw-Hill.
Character displacement
Taper
Morphological differences between sympatric species are statistically greater than differences between allopatric populations. Differences between sympatric and allopatric populations have genetic basis. Differences between sympatric and allopatric populations evolved in place, and are not derived from different founder groups already differing in the character.
Character displacement
Variation in the character (e.g. beak size) must have a known effect on use of resources (e.g., seed sizes). Must be demonstrated competition for the resource (e.g., food) and competition must be directly correlated with character similarity (e.g., overlap in beak size). Differences in character cannot be explained by differences in resources available to each of the populations.
Density effects of native and invasive snails on the abundance of diatoms and growth rate resource competition
Both reduce diatom density, but no differences in the effect on diatom abundance
Invasive snails grow faster than native snails at all densities, showing potential competition between native and invasive species
Competition: summary
Three types of competition. Laboratory and field studies reveal intra-specific competition. Two species with identical niches cannot coexist indefinitely, thus coexisting species will have different niches. Mathematical and laboratory models provide a theoretical foundation for studying inter-specific competition Competition can have significant ecological and evolutionary effects on the niches of species.