Ecology Exam 3

Running Head : ECOLOGY EXAM 3

Ecology Exam 3

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Q1 . A patchy environment is an indication of a reduced resource density . According to Smith et al (2008 ) changes in environment affect species diversity and relative abundance of species . Thus per foraging the tendency of a species to concentrate its activity in a patch rather than distribute its activities uniformly increases with the availability of resource density . This is affected by the travel time or the quality of the patch as beneficial to the organism p

Host and parasite populations will persist roughly at steady densities in a patchy environment due to a variation in parasitism levels from patch to patch . Actually this occurs as a result of inadequate ecological heterogeneity (Hassell , 1978

Q2 . Mutualism is an interaction between two different species where the individuals derive fitness benefits . On the other hand , reciprocal exploitation is a benefit at the expense of another and would not qualify to be mutualism even when exploitation is a typical revenge Mutualism thus should be mutually beneficial to each species

Q3 . The theory states that organisms forage to maximize energy intake per unit time . Organisms thus capture and consume food with highest calories within the least time possible . This forms the understanding of ecological concepts such as competition , and adaptation

Q4 . Patch size affects the rate of extinction of a species . Larger patches have larger habitat areas and more opportunities for varieties of species as well as reducing the possibility of extinction...