Lecture 8: Preditor and Prey interactions

Question 1

What are Autotrophs?

Answer 1

Organisums that use inorganic souses of carbon and energy

Question 2

What is an example of Autotrophic energy generation?

Answer 2

Photosynthesis

Question 3

What is a Heterotroph?

Answer 3

Organism that use organic molecules as souses of carbon and energy

They have to eat things and digest them to get energy

Question 4

What is a Herbaviour?

Answer 4

A heterotroph organism that only eats plants

Question 5

What is a Carnivore?

Answer 5

A heterotrophic organisum that eats animals

Question 6

What is a Detritivores?

Answer 6

Organisiums that eat already non-living (dead) organic matter

Question 7

When looking at plants, what elements will they have high concentrations of?

Answer 7

They have high [C] and low [N}

Question 8

When looking at animals, fungi, and bacteria what elements do they have a high concentration of?

Answer 8

They have a low C:N ration, which shows a relativity high [N]

Question 9

What five elements make up 93-97% of biomass in plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria?

Answer 9

Carbon 
Oxygen 
Hydrogen 
Nitrogen 
Phosphors

Question 10

What is the balance of Herbivores for:

ease of getting food vs quality of the food?

Answer 10

They have a high ease of getting food

but have a low quality of food.

Question 11

What are the nutritional chemical challenges of the Herbivore?

Answer 11

Low [N]

but they still get lots of C

Question 12

What is one difficulty that Herbivores face when eating plants?

Answer 12

They must overcome the plants physical and chemical defenses.

Question 13

Why is it hard to digest plants?

Answer 13

Cellulose & ligin strengthen plant tissues, but increase the C:N ration and are difficult to ingest and digest.

Question 14

What are the chemical challenges of a Herbivore?

Answer 14

Plants can be toxic and can contain digestive reducing compounds.

Question 15

Do herbivores need to eat lots or little in order to maintain a state of balanced energy consumption/gain?

Answer 15

They need to eat a large portion of plants into order to maintain healthy amounts of energy.

Question 16

What is the cost and benefit of plants as a food source?

Answer 16

Cost of the food is low (low quality)

Benefit is high (as it is always abundant)

Question 17

What is the cost benefit of being a Carnivore?

Answer 17

It is hard as shit to get food

When you do get the food, the quality of the food is very very high

Question 18

Is there a major variation of animals chemical composition, as in C:N ratio?

Answer 18

There is little variation of the C:N ration across almost all animal species.

This allows predators to eat almost anything in order to maintain their energy needs.

Question 19

What is the biggest challenge of eating other animals?

Answer 19

You need to catch them.

Question 20

What is the cost benefit analysis of Detritivores?

Answer 20

They have a really easy time getting food

The quality of food that they get is super shitty

Question 21

what are the similarities between Detritivores and Decomposers?

Answer 21

They both contribute to decomposition and thus nutrient recycling.

Question 22

What is the major difference between Detritivores and Decomposers?

Answer 22

Detriticores must ingest and digest dead matter via internal processes

Decomposes can directly absorb nutrients through chemical and biological processes

Question 23

What is the dominant food source for Detritivores?

Answer 23

they mostly eat dead plant matter.

Question 24

What makes dead plant matter a good food source?

Answer 24

It is rich in carbon energy, but poor in nitrogen.

Question 25

Why is there such little Nitrogen in dead plant matter?

Answer 25

Plants will reabsorb Nitrogen before dropping leaves.

Question 26

What is the largest limiting factor of feeding for Detritivores?

Answer 26

as there is always an abundance of dead plant matter,

abiotic environmental and chemical composition of the food will have a more direct impact on the ability to feed.

Question 27

What impact dose limited soil moisture have on activity and growth of Detritivores?

Answer 27

the lower the soil moisture, the less activity and growth there is.

Question 28

What are Omnivores?

Answer 28

Organisms that gain energy from both plant an animal matter.

Question 29

What is a Mixotrophe?

Answer 29

Organisms that gain energy from photosynthesis (Inorganic) and from consuming organic material.

(algae, bacteria, protests)

Question 30

True or false:
There will still be limitations, both physically and physiologically, on consumption that exists for all species, even in the presence of unlimited resoruses.

Answer 30

True

Question 31

What is the definition of “Functional Response”

Answer 31

The relationship between food availability and feeding rate.

Question 32

What is the first factor that influences feeding rate?

Answer 32

Animals can only physically shove so much food in their mouths.

(chubby bunny)

Question 33

What is the second factor that influences feeding rate?

Answer 33

Time to digest food

how long it takes to make room for more food

Question 34

What is the third factor that influences feeding rate?

Answer 34

Time to find food

Question 35

What is the fourth factor that influences feeding response?

Answer 35

Time to handle/process food

Question 36

What is the fifth factor that influences feeding response?

Answer 36

Sometimes it’s safer to hide than to eat.