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Chapter 18: Problem 4

Give an example of how predation can result in indirect positive interactions between species.

Short Answer

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Answer: Predation can result in indirect positive interactions between species when a predator regulates the population of a prey species, which in turn benefits another species in the ecosystem. An example of this is the interaction between sea otters, sea urchins, and kelp forests. When sea otters prey on sea urchins, they effectively control the sea urchin population, allowing the kelp forests to grow and thrive. This benefits the sea otters by providing them with a habitat, demonstrating an indirect positive interaction between sea otters and kelp forests.

Step by step solution

01

Define indirect positive interactions

In ecology, indirect positive interactions between two species occur when they benefit from each other without any direct interaction. Such interactions occur through the presence of a third species, often a predator or a competitor.
02

Provide an example of predatory interaction

An example of predation leading to indirect positive interactions is the interaction between sea otters, sea urchins, and kelp forests in the Pacific Ocean. In this example, the sea otters are predators, and the sea urchins and kelp are their prey.
03

Describe the interaction between the three species

Sea otters are an important predator of sea urchins. When sea otters are present, they control the sea urchin population by consuming them. In the absence of sea otters, the sea urchin population can grow rapidly and consume large amounts of kelp, which can lead to the decline of the kelp forests.
04

Explain the indirect positive interaction

The indirect positive interaction between the kelp forests and the sea otters occurs through the predation on sea urchins. With sea otters preying on sea urchins, the kelp forests can grow and thrive, providing a habitat for numerous marine species, including the sea otters. This is an indirect interaction because the kelp forests and sea otters don't have a direct interaction, but both species benefit from the presence of a common predator (sea otters).
05

Summarize the example

In conclusion, the predation of sea otters on sea urchins results in an indirect positive interaction between sea otters and kelp forests. The presence of sea otters effectively controls sea urchin populations, which allows the kelp forests to flourish, providing habitat for various marine species, including sea otters themselves.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The number of tree species that occur in a hectare of equatorial rain forest in eastern Africa can exceed 250 In contrast, the number of tree species occurring in a hectare of tropical woodland in southern Africa rarely exceeds three. In which forest community (rain forest or woodland) do you think diffuse competition would be the most prevalent? Why?

Contrast symmetric and asymmetric competition. How does the availability of soil nutrients shift the nature of competition from symmetric to asymmetric?

Using Chapter 6 (Section 6.12 ) as your resource, what characteristics might enable a plant species (species 1 ) to tolerate low soil nutrient availability? How might these characteristics limit the maximum growth rates under high soil nutrient conditions? Conversely, what characteristics might enable a plant species (species 2 ) to maintain high growth rates under high soil nutrient availability? How might these characteristics limit the plant species' ability to tolerate low soil nutrient conditions? Now predict the outcome of competition between species 1 and 2 in two plant communities, one with low soil nutrients and the other with abundant nutrients. Discuss in terms of tolerance and competition.

How does the structure of vegetation within a community influence the diversity of animal life?

In the ecologist Mary Power's work, presented in Section \(18.4,\) the top predators appear to control plant productivity by controlling the abundance of herbivores (their prey). Now suppose we were to conduct a second experiment and reduce plant productivity by using some chemical that had no direct effect on the consumer organisms. If the results show that reduced plant productivity reduces herbivore populations, in turn leading to the decline of the top predator, what type of control would this imply? How might you reconcile the findings of these two experiments?
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