Interactions Assignment Guide
Directions
Ecology can be considered a study of interactions.Each organism and group of organisms responds to the others like itself, as well as to different organisms.They also respond to and interact with their environment.A useful exercise for ecologists to use in understanding pressures on a particular individual is to construct an interactions diagram.Examples have been uploaded for you to refer to.For these examples, conservation biology students selected a particular endangered species and attempted to map out the factors, both positive and negative, that affect their survival.As can be seen from the diagrams, there are important factors at a variety of ecological levels.Interactions can be classed as positive (+) for its survival and others will be classed as negative (-).Some interactions may have aspects of both positive and negative.
Considerable thought is necessary in order to be thorough, and some research (Internet and otherwise) will likely be necessary.Sources must be listed along with the reports.A report form is provided for each level of interaction that we focus on in BIO-250.
Each interaction that you come up with (i.e., each arrow that you draw) should have a number associated with it.That number will correspond to the numbered list in the report that you will hand in along with your diagram.At the bottom of each table is a numbered list that can be used for your sources: Source1 would be used for interaction 1, and so on.
It is recommended that you choose an organism that you are interested in because it will make the exercise much more interesting to you.Although there are some gray areas between interaction types, try to restrict your focus to the type of interaction(s) that is the focus for that lab.Breaking it down like this will help you to organize your thoughts, and to differentiate the types of interactions.
Organism
1) Identify the organism you will be studying.
Behavioral Interactions
2) Define or describe behavioral interactions.
Population Interactions
3) Define or describe population interactions.
Community Interactions
4) Define or describe community interactions.
Ecosystem Interactions
5) Define or describe ecosystem interactions.
References
List all references used in GCU format.