Lecture 8: Preditor and Prey interactions Flashcards
What are Autotrophs?
Organisums that use inorganic souses of carbon and energy
What is an example of Autotrophic energy generation?
Photosynthesis
What is a Heterotroph?
Organism that use organic molecules as souses of carbon and energy
They have to eat things and digest them to get energy
What is a Herbaviour?
A heterotroph organism that only eats plants
What is a Carnivore?
A heterotrophic organisum that eats animals
What is a Detritivores?
Organisiums that eat already non-living (dead) organic matter
When looking at plants, what elements will they have high concentrations of?
They have high [C] and low [N}
When looking at animals, fungi, and bacteria what elements do they have a high concentration of?
They have a low C:N ration, which shows a relativity high [N]
What five elements make up 93-97% of biomass in plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria?
Carbon Oxygen Hydrogen Nitrogen Phosphors
What is the balance of Herbivores for:
ease of getting food vs quality of the food?
They have a high ease of getting food
but have a low quality of food.
What are the nutritional chemical challenges of the Herbivore?
Low [N]
but they still get lots of C
What is one difficulty that Herbivores face when eating plants?
They must overcome the plants physical and chemical defenses.
Why is it hard to digest plants?
Cellulose & ligin strengthen plant tissues, but increase the C:N ration and are difficult to ingest and digest.
What are the chemical challenges of a Herbivore?
Plants can be toxic and can contain digestive reducing compounds.
Do herbivores need to eat lots or little in order to maintain a state of balanced energy consumption/gain?
They need to eat a large portion of plants into order to maintain healthy amounts of energy.
What is the cost and benefit of plants as a food source?
Cost of the food is low (low quality)
Benefit is high (as it is always abundant)
What is the cost benefit of being a Carnivore?
It is hard as shit to get food
When you do get the food, the quality of the food is very very high
Is there a major variation of animals chemical composition, as in C:N ratio?
There is little variation of the C:N ration across almost all animal species.
This allows predators to eat almost anything in order to maintain their energy needs.
What is the biggest challenge of eating other animals?
You need to catch them.
What is the cost benefit analysis of Detritivores?
They have a really easy time getting food
The quality of food that they get is super shitty
what are the similarities between Detritivores and Decomposers?
They both contribute to decomposition and thus nutrient recycling.
What is the major difference between Detritivores and Decomposers?
Detriticores must ingest and digest dead matter via internal processes
Decomposes can directly absorb nutrients through chemical and biological processes
What is the dominant food source for Detritivores?
they mostly eat dead plant matter.
What makes dead plant matter a good food source?
It is rich in carbon energy, but poor in nitrogen.
