BIODIVERSITY AND SPECIES

INTERACTIONS
EDRAFEL CLAUDEEN M. MANOY, LPT
Marinduque State College
School of Education
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, the students can:
 explain the importance of biodiversity;
 discuss the four major components of biodiversity;
 demonstrate the different types of species interactions;
 describe an ecological niche; and
 compare native and nonnative species, keystone and
foundation species, and give example of each.
 AMPHIBIANS VANISHING
Male golden toad Bufo periglenes
in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

 Habitat loss and fragmentation

 Prolonged drought
 Increases in ultraviolet radiation
 Parasites
 Viral and fungal diseases
 Pollution
 Climate change
 Overhunting
 Natural immigration, or introduction of
nonnative predators and competitors
Biodiversity
 Biological diversity is the variety of the earth’s species, the
genes they contain, the ecosystems in which they live, and the
ecosystem processes in energy flow and nutrient cycling that
sustain all life.
 For a group of sexually reproducing organisms, a species is a
set of individuals that can mate and produce fertile offspring.
Major Components of the Earth’s Biodiversity
 Species diversity – variety of species
 Genetic diversity – variety of genes which enables life on earth
to adapt to and survive dramatic environmental changes
 Ecosystem diversity - the earth’s variety of terrestrial biomes
and aquatic ecosystems that serve as a storehouse of genetic
and species diversity.
 Functional diversity – the variety of processes such as energy
flow and matter cycling that occur within ecosystems as species
interact with one another in food chains and food webs.
Why Biodiversity Is Important?
 A vital part of the natural capital that helps keep us alive and
supports our economies
 With the help of technology, we use it to provide us with food,
wood, fibers, energy from wood and biofuels, and medicines.
 critical role in preserving the quality of the air and water,
maintaining the fertility of the soils, decomposing and recycling
waste, and controlling populations of pests
Species Diversity
 the number of different species it contains (species richness)
combined with the relative abundance of individuals within each
of those species (species evenness)
Species Diversity
 The species diversity of communities varies with their
geographical location.
 For most terrestrial plants and animals, species diversity is highest
in the tropics and declines as we move from the equator toward
the poles.
 The most species-rich environments are tropical rain forests, coral
reefs, the ocean bottom zone, and large tropical lakes.
 Species-rich ecosystems tend to be productive and sustainable.
The Role of Species in an Ecosystem
 Each species has a specific role to play in the ecosystems where it
is found.
 Ecological niche – a species’ way of life in a community and
includes everything that affects its survival and reproduction
 Habitat – the place where it lives
 Niche – pattern of living
The Role of Species in an Ecosystem
 Generalist species – broad niches; they can live in many different
places, eat a variety of foods, and often tolerate a wide range of
environmental conditions.
The Role of Species in an Ecosystem
 Specialist species – narrow niches; they may be able to live in
only one type of habitat, use one or few types of food, or tolerate
a narrow range of climatic and other environmental conditions.
The Role of Species in an Ecosystem
 Native species – are those species that normally live and thrive in
a particular ecosystem.
 Nonnative species – other species that migrate into, or are
deliberately or accidentally introduced into, an ecosystem; also
known as invasive, alien, and exotic species.
 Some nonnative species can reduce
a community’s native species and
cause unintended and unexpected
consequences.
The Role of Species in an Ecosystem
 Indicator species – species that provide early warnings of
damage to a community or an ecosystem
 the presence or absence of trout species
is an indicator of water quality , because
trout need clean water with high levels of
dissolved oxygen
The Role of Species in an Ecosystem
 REVISITING VANISHING AMPHIBIANS
Male golden toad Bufo periglenes
in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

WHY SHOULD WE CARE?

 Amphibians are sensitive biological indicators
of changes in environmental conditions such
as habitat loss and degradation, air and water
pollution, increased UV radiation, and climate
change.
 Important ecological roles in communities,
such as eating insects.
 They represent a genetic storehouse of
pharmaceutical products such as painkillers
and antibiotics, treatment for burns, and heart
disease.
The Role of Species in an Ecosystem
 Keystone species – species whose roles have a large effect on
the types and abundances of other species in an ecosystem
 often exist in relatively limited numbers in their ecosystems, but the
effects that they have there are often much larger than their
numbers would suggest
 more vulnerable to extinction
AMPHIBIANS VANISHING
Male golden toad Bufo periglenes
in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
The Role of Species in an Ecosystem
 Critical Roles of Keystone species in Sustaining Ecosystems
The Role of Species in an Ecosystem
 Foundation species – species which plays a major role in shaping
communities by creating and enhancing their habitats in ways
that benefit other species.
The Role of Species in an Ecosystem
 Keystone and foundation species play similar roles.
 Foundation species help to create habitats and ecosystems.
 Keystone species can also do this, and more. They also play an
active role in maintaining the ecosystem and keeping it
functioning in a way that serves many of the other species living
there.
HOW DO SPECIES
INTERACT?
Species Interact in Five Major Ways
1. Interspecific Competition – occurs when members of 2 or more
species interact to gain access to the same limited resources
such as food, water, light, and space.
2. Predation – occurs when a member of one species (the
predator) feeds directly on all or part of a member of another
species (the prey)
3. Parasitism – occurs when one organism (the parasite) feeds on
another organism (the host), usually by living on or in the host
4. Mutualism – an interaction that benefits both species by
providing each with food , shelter, or some other resource
5. Commensalism – an interaction that benefits one species but
has little, if any, effect on the other.
Competition
 When 2 species compete with one another for the same
resources, their niches overlap.
 The greater the overlap, the more intense their competition is/
 If one species can take over the largest share of resources, the
other competing species must:
 Migrate to another area (if possible)
 Shifts its feeding habits or behavior through natural selection
to reduce or alter its niche
 Suffer a sharp population decline
 Become extinct in an area
Competition
 Some species evolved ways to share resources
Predation
 Predator – feeds directly on all or part of a living organism of
another plant or animal species as part of the food web; the
hunter
 Prey – the food of predators
 Predator-prey relationship
Predation
Predators’ Variety of Methods
 For herbivores, they can simply walk, swim, or fly up to the plants
they feed on.
 Carnivores feeding on mobile prey have two main options: pursuit
and ambush.
 Other predators use camouflage to hide in plain sight and
ambush their prey.
 Some predators use chemical warfare to attack their prey.
Preys’ Adaptations to Survive
 Ability to run, swim, or fly fast, and a highly-developed sense of sight or
smell that alerts them to the presence of predators
 Avoidance adaptations such as protective shells (turtles), thick bark
(sequoia tree), spines (porcupines), and thorns (cacti and rose).
 Autotomy, or self-amputation, like lizards that can lose its tail to escape
 Camouflage
 chemical warfare, such as poisonous, irritating, foul smelling, or foul
tasting
 warning coloration
 mimicry
 behavioral strategies, such as puffing up (blowfish), spreading their
wings (peacock); or mimicking a predator
Preys’ Adaptations to Survive
Parasitism
 Parasite – feeds on the body of, or the energy used by, another
organism, usually by living on their hosts
 Host – the victim of parasites
 The parasite is benefits and the host is harmed but not
immediately killed.
 Most parasites remain closely associated with their hosts, draw
nourishment from them, and may gradually weaken over time.
 Some parasites live inside their hosts. Others attach themselves to
the outsides of their hosts. Some move from one host to another.
Parasitism
Mutualism
 Two species behave in ways that benefit both by providing each
with food, shelter, or some other resource
 Mutualistic interactions can affect an ecosystem by helping to
sustain the populations of the participating species and by
providing favorable habitats for certain organisms and influencing
their distribution.
Mutualism
Commensalism
 An interaction that benefits one species but has little beneficial or
harmful effect on the other.
Commensalism
SUMMARY
1. Biodiversity
• Major Components of Biodiversity
• Biomes
2. Species diversity
• Species Richness and Species Evenness
3. Ecological niche
• Generalist and Specialist
• Native and Nonnative
• Indicator, Foundation, and Keystone Species
4. Species Interactions
• Competition, Predation, Parasitism, Mutualism, and
Commensalism
GENERALIZATIONS
 The biodiversity found in genes, species, ecosystems, and
ecosystem processes is vital to sustaining life on earth.
 Species diversity is a major component of biodiversity and tends to
increase the sustainability of some ecosystems.
 Each species plays a specific ecological role called its niche.
 Humans activities can decrease biodiversity by causing the
premature extinction of species and by destroying or degrading
habitats needed for the development of new species.
 Five types of species interactions affect the resource use and
population size of the species in an ecosystem
END