Monday, May 23, 2011

Home Based Learning - Ecology by Zeng Fan Pu

2) Logging and starting forest fires to clear away forests are common in the Amazon forest, in order to make space for agriculture or settlements. In 2010, 6459sq km of the Amazon rainforest was cleared. When the rainforests are being cleared by starting a forest fire, which is cheaper than logging, all the plants will die in the fire, and animals which can't escape fast enough will also die. As a result, many species of plants and animals are being wiped out everyday by forest fires, which upsets the balance of the food chain. The food chain in the rainforest links all the living things in the Amazon forest together, and a disruption in one part of it will affect all the living things in the food chain, including the Allomerus decemarticulatus ants. For example, if the population of a plant that the Allomerus decemarticulatus ants's prey feed on drastically decreases because many of it died in the fire, the ants would have less prey to feed on, and the ant's population would also decrease. If the land where theAllomerus decemarticulatus ants are cleared away, they would also have to go to other places to live, like moving deeper into the rainforest. However, they may encounter new predators and experience more competition. For example, there may be other birds which also preys on insects, and so it becomes harder for the ants to hunt for food. Some of the birds might even eat the ants. Thus, their existence is being threatened, which all starts from human activities in the Amazon regions.


3a) Commensalism: The ants build spongy traps on the plant's stems
Predation: The ants prey on insects that fly over its trap
Mutualism: The sooty mould can grow in the structure that the ant builds, and they also strengthen it to the ant's advantage


3b) Commensalism: Remora and shark
Predation: Cheetah and Thoompson Gazelle
Mutualism: Cleaner shrimps and eel

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