6-sycamore fig tree

Question 1

• where is it located?
• how many figs are produced?
• why are fig wasps crucial?

Answer 1

• tropical africa
• 100,000
• to pollinate tree for reproduction

Question 2

what attracts F fig wasps to the tree and what do they do at this point

Answer 2

• perfume of microscopic flowers
• enter fig
• pollinate microscopic flowers
• lay eggs in figs

Question 3

what happens when F fig wasps pollinate the microscopic flowers?

Answer 3

some become seeds and others a nursery for wasps

Question 4

how do grey hornbills interact with the tree? (3)

Answer 4

• nest inside hollow trunk
• after rains is flood of insects to feed on
• chick with highest survival chance eats first taking most food at cost of other chicks

Question 5

give a grazing threat to the tree

Answer 5

giraffes eat leaves and figs + if too many tree will abort figs

Question 6

• how does the tree counter animals eating its leaves and figs?
• how do fig longhorn beetles respond
• how do katydids respond?
• how do bees use this?

Answer 6

a foul tasting latex is produced

• eat leaves to stop latex flow
• cut off leaves to stop flow
• bees collect latex rubber for nest

Question 7

what are parasitic wasps and what do they do? (2)

Answer 7

• attack figs + deposit eggs with long ovipositor

- eggs hatch inside fig to kill other wasps

Question 8

what do wasps smaller than parasitic wasps do?

Answer 8

parasitise these wasps

Question 9

what do nematodes inside wasps do?

Answer 9

eat F fig wasps alive

Question 10

how may parasitic wasps die?

Answer 10

if no M fig wasps survive in fig as parasitic wasps need them for their escape

Question 11

how do ants act as a potential ally to the tree?

Answer 11

• bite, sting + kill parasites
• look after hilda nymphs
• nymphs access sap from figs + as they do this ants gain some honeydew

Question 12

what is an issue with ants as an ally?

Answer 12

they also eat emerging fig wasps that the tree needs as cant distinguish between fig and parasitic wasps

Question 13

give 5 stages about what M fig wasps do

Answer 13

• hatch inside fig + cut through galls of F
• impregnate F before she has hatched
• cut anther of flowers inside fig
• dig out tunnel in fig to release F from fig but die
• F covered in pollen they have collected follow tunnel to escape and complete their mission

Question 14

give 3 risks to emerging fig wasps

Answer 14

• ants
• geckos
• spiders

Question 15

how far can the hundreds of emerging fig wasps travel?

Answer 15

> 100km

Question 16

what will the F that have fled do?

Answer 16

• find new trees
• squeeze into figs down to the flowers
• fertilise flowers to repay debt to the tree
• lay eggs before death

Question 17

what happens to the tree after the wasps have fled?

Answer 17

figs ripen and fruit randomly several times a year, benefiting many species

Question 18

who eats the figs?

Answer 18

• > 100 species bird
• elephants (seeds dispersed by dung)
• humans
• butterflies (feed on alcohol produced as figs ferment)
• catfish (some fall into the water)
• fruit bats

Question 19

other than for food how do humans use the sycamore tree?

Answer 19

• wood for fire
• bees nest in hollow trunks and human extract the honey
• humans use smoke from wood to trigger bees instinct to flee from fire

Question 20

how do fruit bats disperse the seeds?

Answer 20

• eat 1/2 weight in fruit pulp
• carry fig away to eat
• suck juice and discard seeds