In: Biology
Based on what we learned in the lecture on spatial structure and on competition, how important is it to vary spatial structure when characterizing competitive interactions? Use specific empirical examples to support your opinion. To what extent could you predict the competitive outcomes in the natural world if you only studied well-mixed environments? What is the paradox of the plankton? describe a solution to it.
Given what you know about microorganisms, their traits, and where and how they live, do you think non-transitive interactions occur frequently?
Paradox of plankton: In which a limited range of resources supports an unexpectedly wide range of plankton species apparently flouting the competitive exclusion principle which hold that when two species compete for the same resource, one will be driven to extinction. When two species compete for the same resources ,ultimately only one will persist and other will be driven to extinction.
What are microorganism: A microorganism or microbe is a microscopic organism, which may be exist in its single celled form, or in a colony.
Where and how microorganism live: Microorganism live in soil, on rocks, inside roots, buried under miles of earth, in compost piles and toxic wastr and all over the earth surface. Microbes are found in boiling hot springs and on frozen snowfields. Microorganism are critical to nutrient recycling in ecosystems ad they act as decoposers. Pathogenic organism are causes disease that kill millions of people.
Traits of microorganism: Microorganism are the smalled organism on the earth. Microorganism composed of prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells and they may be single celled or multicellular example of microorganism include algae, fungi, protozoa, bacteria and viruses. Microorganism play many unique and complex roles with in ecosystems and they can perform a variety of functions such as photosynthesis, breaking down waste and infecting other microorganism.
Non transitive interaction: Three strains of bacteria ( toxin producer, sensitive and resistant) can form a nontransitive competitive system. This occur when the cost of resistant is less than the cost of toxin produced. In su h a case, the resistant strains will have a growth rate between the sensitive and producing strains. In nontransitive community , if the growth rate of one of the three strains is increased , the density of this same strain can actually decreased.