Title: week 12 overview
Course: BIO-182 RTZ > Section: week 12 - Species Interaction & Coevolution

Image caption: cc by sa

TO DO before [Date/Time selected here]:

- Read: Chapter 56 (Species Interaction and Coevolution)
- Complete: LaunchPad Learning Curve (Chapter 56)
- Complete: LaunchPad Learning Activities (Chapter 56)
- Complete: LAB - Niche Wars
- Optional: LaunchPad Summative Quiz
- Optional: read lecture notes provided
- Optional: Exam #4c [Your due date here]

CHAPTER OVERVIEW:

Chapter 56: Species Interaction and Coevolution:

Organisms live in assemblages of populations of at least two different species that interact directly and/or indirectly within a specific geographic area. This is known as an ecological community. We tend to think about  species interaction in terms of competition for existing resources, however many interactions are not that aggressive. Often the interaction between individual organisms and species are difficult to define and/or measure. Nonetheless, some types of interactions are commonly found throughout many habitats and ecosystems and can be used by ecologists to describe natural processes and predict how various activities (human and natural) would affect the existing ecosystem structure and processes. In this chapter discuss some of the more common types of interactions.

- Section 56.1 describes the types of interactions ecologists study. Read this section carefully.
- Sections 56.2 and 56.3 are very interesting in that they describe different mechanisms species use to avoid predation and the outcomes of antagonistic and mutualistic relationships. This is also quite interesting and deserves at least a glance, so you may skim these, but I would suggest reading them as it is just plain cool.
- The final section (56.4) examines the outcomes of competition. Read this carefully. Competitive interactions are often the force behind speciation events. Several important concepts include the ideas of interspecific and intraspecific completion, competitive exclusion, resource partitioning and character displacement.  Also critical are the ideas of niche and the factors that contribute to a species fundamental vs realized niche.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:

- Species Interactions  (Crash Course Biology)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxE1SSqbSn4&index=2&list=PLSyev41swmDKnvJTPO4tEyHMkh7caVXDA

- Symbiosis: Mutualism, Commensalism, Parasitism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSmL2F1t81Q

- Symbiotic Relationships (David Attenborough)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcQ5_zaJob0