Peter - Resources

Question 1

Resources

Answer 1

All things consumed or occupied by an organism. Food, nutrients, partners to mate with, light etc.
Consumption create limitations, leads to slower gorwth and increased mortality.
Competition for resources creates density-dependant growth, reproduction or mortality. The type of competition depends on which group the organism belongs to.

Question 2

Types of organisms (trophs)

Answer 2

Autotrophs: phototrophs and chemoautotrophs.
Heterotrophs: saprotrophs (like detritovores), predators.

Question 3

Resources for autotrophs

Answer 3

Solar radioation is the ultimate limiting resource.
Important for plants are co2, water and nutrients. Oxygen may be important in limited areas.

Question 4

What do plants create? Who eats it?

Answer 4

A range of “food packages” with variable food quality. Most protein rich are buds, leaves and petioles, least usable are bark and wood. Herbivore feed on this. Seeds are used for dispersal, expensive to create, contains much protein. Fruits are the payment for spreading seeds, but does not contain much nitrogen. Small herbivores are often specialized on certain parts of the plants.

Question 5

Animals vs plants composition

Answer 5

Animals are much more like each other, carnivores are less selective than herbivores. Plants vary a lot in composition in different parts.

Question 6

Gut and what you eat

Answer 6

1. Carnivory and omnivory: small AF, long D, no PF.
2. Herbivory: small AF