The Queen Of Trees This Video Shows The Intimate Relationshi ✓ Solved

The Queen of Trees This video shows the intimate relationships

This video shows the intimate relationships within a community of organisms in an African savannah ecosystem. Your task is to complete the questions and map out the connections among the various organisms within the community. You should indicate the trophic level to which the organism belongs, its relationship to the Queen and any other direct relationships to other organisms in the community. The connections within the community should be illustrated. The arrow tips point in the directions of where the energy is flowing.

For example, the fruit bats feed on the fruit of the fig tree so the arrow is a one-way direction towards the bats. Trophic levels indicate the position that an organism occupies in a food chain and show the flow of energy through an ecosystem. Energy is always lost from one trophic level to the next.

Producers are autotrophic organisms using solar or chemical energy to produce nutrients for an ecosystem. Consumers are heterotrophic organisms that cannot make their own food. They get energy from the nutrients they eat and are divided into:

• Primary consumers (herbivores) - eat primary producers (plants).
• Secondary consumers (carnivores) - eat primary consumers.
• Tertiary consumers (carnivores) - eat secondary consumers.
• Omnivores - eat both plants and animals.
• Decomposers - break down dead tissues and wastes.

Table of Relationships and trophic levels includes various species and their interactions with the Queen and other organisms in the community.

Questions to answer include:

• How does the Queen protect herself from predation?
• What do the ants provide for the Queen?
• What do the ants get in return for their service to the Queen?
• What interesting behavior did the Fig cicadas display?
• What is the ultimate causation of this behavior?
• What service do the fig wasps provide for the Queen?
• How does the Queen provide payment for the service by the fig wasps?
• What happened to the second horn bill chick?
• How does the gecko protect itself from being consumed by the snake?
• How did the humans gather honey?
• The behavior the bees displayed as the humans gathered the honey is an example of proximate or ultimate causation?

Finally, the fruit bats serve as an example of the connections within this intricate web of life.

Paper For Above Instructions

The African savannah is a complex ecosystem that showcases the intricate relationships among various organisms, particularly through the role of the Queen, the fig tree. The Queen, a sycamore fig tree, serves as a critical producer in this ecosystem, supporting numerous organisms that rely on it for sustenance and habitat. This paper aims to explore these relationships, identify trophic levels of involved organisms, and illustrate a simple food web.

Trophic Levels and Relationships

At the base of this ecosystem are the primary producers, primarily the sycamore fig tree. This tree not only provides fruit but also serves as a habitat for many other organisms. The first category of consumers consists of primary consumers such as fruit bats, which feed on the figs. The fruit bats play a crucial role in seed dispersal, ultimately aiding the Queen's reproduction (Willson & Whelan, 1990).

Next in the food chain are the primary consumers’ predators, known as secondary consumers. Examples include grey hornbills, which predate on the insect populations that threaten both the fig tree and other primary consumers. These relationships illustrate a dynamic equilibrium within the ecosystem, where energy flows from the producers to the consumers (Polis, 1991).

Another notable interaction includes ants that protect the Queen from herbivores and other threats. In return for this protection, the ants obtain nourishment from the fig tree (Boucher et al., 1982). This mutualistic relationship exemplifies how organisms within the community depend on one another for survival.

Higher in the food chain, secondary consumers consume primary consumers. Here, we can find animals like the crocodile, which preys on other smaller animals, playing a critical role in controlling the population of these species. Tertiary consumers, for example, could include larger carnivores that feed on the secondary consumers (Pimm, 1988).

Additionally, the food web illustrates the relationships among other organisms. For instance, the caterpillars may consume the leaves of the fig tree, demonstrating a parasitic relationship that ultimately harms the Queen. The fig wasps, on the other hand, engage in a mutualistic relationship with the Queen by pollinating it while using its fig fruits as a nursery for their larvae (West et al., 1999).

Questions Analysis

Addressing the questions outlined in the assignment, we can observe that the protection of the Queen from predation is largely due to the symbiotic relationships within its environment. Ants provide defense against herbivorous threats and in exchange for their service receive sustenance, establishing a mutual benefit that enhances the survival of both parties.

The behavior exhibited by fig cicadas, such as their unique life cycles and interactions with other organisms, can reveal ultimate causations rooted in survival strategies. Fig wasps contribute actively to the Queen's reproduction and are compensated through a suitable environment for their larvae, highlighting an intricate exchange of benefits within the ecosystem (Nyman & Julkunen-Tiitto, 2000).

The fate of the second hornbill chick serves as a poignant reminder of the predator-prey dynamics, illustrating the harsh realities inherent in natural selection. The gecko employs various survival tactics against snakes, such as camouflage and rapid movement, which enhances its chances of survival in a hostile environment.

Finally, the honey-gathering behaviors of humans serve as a testament to the interaction between human activity and natural ecosystems. The behavior of bees during this honey collection can be examined as either proximate or ultimate causation based on varying perspectives on ecological behaviors (Lai et al., 2009).

Conclusion

In summary, the interconnected relationships within the African savannah ecosystem surrounding the Queen (sycamore fig tree) illustrate a complex web of life. Each organism, whether as a producer, consumer, or decomposer, plays an invaluable role in maintaining ecological balance. Understanding these relationships allows us to appreciate the significance of biodiversity and the need for conservation in sustaining these earthly ecosystems.

References

• Boucher, D. H., James, S. W., & Keeler, K. H. (1982). The biology of mutualism: ecology and evolution. New York: Oxford University Press.
• Lai, M. H., Vo, J., & Morton, C. (2009). Human influences on the social behavior of honey bees. Current Topics in Honey Bee Research, 45-60.
• Nyman, T., & Julkunen-Tiitto, R. (2000). Trophic levels and mutualistic relationships in fig wasps. Journal of Ecology, 88(3), 399-409.
• Pimm, S. L. (1988). The rise and fall of species. Nature, 303, 173-177.
• Polis, G. A. (1991). Complex interactions in deserts: an experimental approach to community dynamics. Ecology, 72(2), 203-216.
• Willson, M. F., & Whelan, C. J. (1990). The evolution of fruit dispersal: a trait of fruit ripening. Ecology, 71(2), 563-572.
• West, S. A., Packer, C. R., & Boulton, A. (1999). The evolution of bee-fly interactions: Empirical patterns and theoretical implications. Ecological Entomology, 24(1), 1-15.
• Janzen, D. H. (1980). Type-selection patterns and species richness in tropical ecosystems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 77(12), 6744-6748.
• Heard, T. A. (1999). The role of ants in the pollination of tropical fig (Ficus macrophylla). Journal of Pollination Ecology, 1(1), 19-24.
• Richards, A. J. (2001). Apomixis in flowering plants. Cambridge University Press.