What Happens if You Change an Ecosystem?
This post will go through predicting consequences based on changes to ecosystems in Prelim Biology.
Topic: Population Dynamics
- Investigate and determine relationships between biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem, including:
- Predicting consequences for populations in ecosystems due to predation, competition, symbiosis and disease
What Happens if You Change the Ecosystem?
Recall from an earlier post, we discussed predation (predator-prey relationships), competition (two or more species competing for the same resource) and symbiosis (relationships between species where at least one benefits). What would happen if a resource that two species were competing for reduced? Or if it increased? Or what happens if you remove a large number of predators in an ecosystem?
Interestingly, the populations of predators and prey are linked. If there is a reduction of predators, there is an increase of prey which will increase the population of predators for a while due as more prey can feed more predators, this, in turn, will reduce the population of prey because more predators mean more prey will get consumed which will then reduce the population of predators and the cycle continues.
This video goes through ecological relationships in a little more depth.
This video poses an interesting link between infectious disease and nature.
