Umuc Biology 102/103 Lab 7: Ecological Interactions

UMUC Biology 102/103

Lab 7: Ecological Interactions

INSTRUCTIONS:

• On your own and without assistance, complete this Lab 7 Answer Sheet electronically and submit it via the Assignments Folder by the date listed in the Course Schedule (under Syllabus).

• To conduct your laboratory exercises, use the Laboratory Manual located under Course Content. Read the introduction and the directions for each exercise/experiment carefully before completing the exercises/experiments and answering the questions.

• Save your Lab 7 Answer Sheet in the following format: LastName_Lab7 (e.g., Smith_Lab7).

• You should submit your document as a Word (.doc or .docx) or Rich Text Format (.rtf) file for best compatibility.

Pre-Lab Questions

1. Would you expect endangered species to be more frequently generalists or specialists? Explain your answer.

I would expect specialist would have more of a chance of becoming endangered, as a result of having either a limited diet or lacking the ability to tolerate wide ranges of environmental surroundings. Contrarily, generalists tend to have a wider range of nutritional sources, which would mean they have the possibility to confront a wider range of environmental circumstances.

2. How does temperature affect water availability in an ecosystem?

If the temperature is below zero degrees it will freeze and will be unavailable for living organisms. In order for water to be used for nutritional value to an organism, it must be in liquid form. For instance, if the temperature falls below freezing (0 degrees Celsius), the water will turn to a solid. Correspondingly, if the temperature of the water reaches its boiling point (100 degrees Celsius), the water will turn into steam, also, rendering it unusable to living organisms. Then the water would evaporate where the temperatures is too high.

3. Choose a species and describe some adaptations that species developed that allow them to survive in their native habitat....