Emily Knight

detritovore: an organism that feeds on organic waste

This shows a beetle that is know as a detritovore because it feeds on organic waste.

succession: the process in which a biological community changes over time. There are two types of succession. The first type is called primary succession. This is when soil does not hold nutrients and does not have the ability to sustain any type of life. The second type is called secondary succession. This is when there has been a component of the previous community removed, but not all of the life in the environment is disturbed.

This shows soil from my garden and it is an example of secondary succession. At the end of gardening season every year, we pull and clear out all of the plants because they are no longer producing any vegetables. But, even after we have disturbed a portion of the community, there are still weeds that grow every year after all of the other plants have been uprooted, so there are still some nutrients remaining in the garden to help supply the weeds.

seed dispersal: the process in which seeds are separated from the parent plant and are germinated in a new environment.

This shows that seeds can be dispersed by floating down a body of water to a new environment.

territorial behavior: when a species is protecting their territory from another species.

This shows a birds nest that I found in a bush close to my house. Birds are a good example of territorial behavior because they are very protective of their territory. They protect their nests so that they can have a good environment to raise their young.

lichen: plant-like organisms that are symbolic of algae and fungi. Lichen are used by humans for medicine, food, and dye. They are also a sign of pollution in the environment as well.

This shows a lichen that I found growing on a rock.

eukaryote: organisms that contain a nucleus

This shows a shrub I found growing around my house. It is an example of an eukaryote because is contains a nucleus.

lichen: plant-like organisms that are symbolic of fungi and algae. Lichens take an abnormally long time to develop and grow.

This is another example of a lichen that I found on growing on a rock.

Batesian mimicry: The resemblance between two organisms in which one is poisonous and one is not. The organism that is not poisonous adapts similar colors to the poisonous organism. This serves as protection for the non-poisonous species because the predator will recognize the resemblance of the two species and not disturb it.

This shows a yellow jacket that I found dead on my porch. As one probably knows this yellow jacket resembles a honey bee. They are both black and yellow, but yellow jackets have a more venomous sting than a honey bee. Also, while a single yellow jacket can sting repeatedly, a honey bee can sting once, then its body falls apart and it dies. Although honey bees are bigger than yellow jackets, they have the same colors, making humans stay away from them thinking they are a more dangerous species. Since the honey bee is not bothered, it does not have to protect itself by stinging, causing it to die.

seed dispersal: the process in which seeds are separated from the parent plant and are then germinated in a new environment.

Although this is a little gross, this shows bird feces which is another example of seed dispersal by animal. Birds will eat an object that contains seeds, then they will digest the seeds and while they are flying they will disperse the seeds into a new environment.

r-strategist: organisms that are able to adapt to their surrounding environment very easily. Although they have a very short life span, they have the ability to produce large numbers of offspring.

This shows a spider that I found on the side of my garage. This is an example of an r-strategist because it has the ability to produce large amounts offspring at once.

redox reaction: chemicals reactions where the oxidation state has been changed.

This shows rust that has formed on the electric box at my house. Rust is the result of a redox reaction.