Resource Partitioning

After taking a few moments to observe evidence of resource partitioning in trees, I was fascinated to discover that it's a home to many different species. In just the few moments that I spent watching the activity on the tree, I was able to identify many different species of bugs. For example, I saw ants, spiders, and a centipede. It is also possible that if I were able to reach high enough to grab a leaf, I might notice bits of the leaf gone, which would offer greater evidence of insect species. Also, I saw two squirrels chasing one another up the trunk and into the branches of the tree. I also noticed that there were birds in and around the tree, though I could hear them much better than I could see them. I could also identify evidence of different plant species that surrounding the tree. Overall, I could account for many varying types of insect, animal, and plant species.

Autumn Evidence of Resource Partitioning

DUE BY MONDAY 8am, OCT. 12.

In lecture on Wednesday October 7, we discussed the concept of resource partitioning from chapter 5. Groups of 2-3 were given time to go outside and find a tree to investigate for evidence of resource partitioning.

As your chapter 5 assignment, each group* is asked to make a new post that gives a description (and photos if you have them!) of all the different signs that indicate the tree is used as a resource for different species. Be sure to address all the criteria below:

• How many pieces of evidence did you find on your tree?
• Describe the individual pieces of evidence that you observed (post photos where you can!)
• How many species can you account for?
• Can you infer what kind of organism left the evidence you saw? If you don't know the exact species try to make a more general guess (e.g. birds, butterfly/moth/insect).

*Only one person from each group needs to create a post, but all group members names should be included in order to allot credit to the entire group!