In ecology Ecology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the distribution and abundance of organisms and their interactions with their environment. The environment of an organism includes all external factors, including abiotic ones such as climate and geology, and biotic factors, including members of the same species (conspecifics) and other species, predation describes a biological interaction Biological interactions result from the fact that organisms in an ecosystem interact with each other, in the natural world, no organism is an autonomous entity isolated from its surroundings. It is part of its environment, rich in living and non living elements all of which interact with each other in some fashion. An organism's interactions with where a predator (an organism that is hunting) feeds on its prey, (the organism that is attacked).[1] Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding Feeding is the process by which organisms, typically animals, obtain food. Terminology often uses either the suffix -vore from Latin vorare, meaning 'to devour', or phagy, from Greek φαγειν, meaning 'to eat' on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of the prey.[2] The other main category of consumption A Heterotroph is an organism that uses organic substrates to get its chemical energy for its life cycle. This contrasts with autotrophs such as plants which are able to directly use sources of energy such as light to produce organic substrates from inorganic carbon dioxide. The Cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 is an example of an autotroph is detritivory Detritivores, also known as detritus feeders or saprophages, are heterotrophs that obtain nutrients by consuming detritus . By doing so, they contribute to decomposition and the nutrient cycles, the consumption of dead organic material (detritus In biology, detritus is non-living particulate organic material . It typically includes the bodies or fragments of dead organisms as well as fecal material. Detritus is typically colonized by communities of microorganisms which act to decompose (or remineralize) the material). It can at times be difficult to separate the two feeding behaviors Feeding is the process by which organisms, typically animals, obtain food. Terminology often uses either the suffix -vore from Latin vorare, meaning 'to devour', or phagy, from Greek φαγειν, meaning 'to eat'[1], for example where parasitic species prey on a host organism and then lay their eggs on it for their offspring to feed on its decaying corpse. The key characteristic of predation however is the predator's direct impact on the prey population. On the other hand, detritivores simply eat what is available and have no direct impact on the "donor" organism(s).
Selective pressures Any cause that reduces reproductive success in a proportion of a population, potentially exerts evolutionary pressure or selection pressure.[citation needed] With sufficient pressure, inherited traits that mitigate its effects - even if they would be deleterious in other circumstances - can become widely spread through a population. It is a imposed on one another has led to an evolutionary arms race In evolutionary biology, an evolutionary arms race is an evolutionary struggle between competing sets of co-evolving genes that develop adaptations and counter-adaptations against each other, resembling an arms race. The co-evolving gene sets may be in different species, as in an evolutionary arms race between a predator species and its prey , or between prey and predator, resulting in various antipredator adaptations Antipredator adaptations are evolutionary adaptations developed over time, which assist prey organisms in their constant struggle against their predators. There are several ways antipredator adaptations can be classified, such as behavioral or non-behavioral or by taxonomic groups.
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Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL
In case anyone missed it, the US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to outlaw a variety of predatory lending practices. Voting NO was Connie Mack, whose 14th District includes a portion of Charlotte County. The House also voted even more ...
Marte
2009-04-25 22:33:36
All About Credit - Articles and advice to protect, build, or re-build your credit - and to minimize the threat of identity theft.
