Ecological isolation, Biology

Assignment Help:

Ecological isolation is based on the fact that population shows preference to one habitat over the other. This extensive forests become barriers to the dispersal of organims living in grasslands. The reverse that priaries being barriers to forest organisms is also true. The red tree mousephenocomys 1ongicaudu.s lives on fir needle trees and feeds on fir needle. It is understandable that for these mice not only priaries but the non-fir forests will also be a barrier for dispersal.

You may recall that in unit of this block we discussed extensively MacArthur's study of five species of warbler birds living in spruce trees. The five species of Dendroica are effectively isolated by ecological factors although they have a similar distribution. As a matter of fact, the ecological and food preference of the different species of warblers are very similar. Under such circumstances one would have expected a severe competition among them. But each species has carved a well defined niche and forages at a particular level in the trees. Differences in breeding dates and occupation of different habitats outside the breeding season are the contributing factors for the minimum competition and niche overlap among the species. There are other instances where potential mates keep away from each other because of their habitat preferences. In these cases there might even be a broad niche overlap and the individuals may exist in the same general area, but the distinctness of sub-species and species is maintained. Dice cited an example from United States where the two sub-species of mice Peromyscus maniculatus have overlapping niches and do not interbreed in nature, although there is interbreeding in the laboratory. Similarly another.study showed that the fresh water and salt water races of the water snake Natrix sipedon may come close together but may not interbreed because of their habitat preferences.


Related Discussions:- Ecological isolation

How much ampicillin can dissolve in 400 ml, How much ampicillin (sodium sal...

How much ampicillin (sodium sal, mw=371.40) would you dissolve in 400 mL of water to make 80 mg/ml solution of ampicillin?

Explain the oligosaccharides (dp: 3-9) - carbohydrates, Explain the Oligosa...

Explain the Oligosaccharides (DP: 3-9) - carbohydrates? Oligosaccharides consists of short chains of monosaccharide units joined by covalent bonds. The glycosidic bond may be α

What is tall t-wave, Q. What is Tall T-Wave? It has been reported that ...

Q. What is Tall T-Wave? It has been reported that tall T-wave during or after exercise indicate inferior wall ischaemia. However, Ellestad reports the findings that tall T-wav

From molecules to the first cell, From Molecules to the First Cell The ...

From Molecules to the First Cell The prebiotic conditions on the earth in all probability were volcanic eruptions, lightning and heavy rains. There was no trace of free oxygen

Protozoans, Protozoans Prokaryotes represent only a few thousand of th...

Protozoans Prokaryotes represent only a few thousand of the estimated 2 million species of living beings known on the earth today. The rest are mostly eukaryotes that form the

Explain requirements and recommended dietary intake, Explain Requirements a...

Explain Requirements and Recommended Dietary Intake? A very small daily intake of vitamin C (10-15 mg/day for an adult) is required to avoid deficiency and stave off scurvy. Ho

Experiment of a study of broken rock, A study of broken rock Break open...

A study of broken rock Break open several rock specimens. Compare the appearance of freshly broken surfaces with the Heather-worn outside of the rock. The rocks may be safely b

Is acetylcholine found in brain, Q. Is Acetylcholine found in brain? Ace...

Q. Is Acetylcholine found in brain? Acetylcholine is found in many parts of the brain having particularly high concentrations in the cerebral cortex, limbic system, basal, foreb

Post-operative care of teeth, Post-operative care of teeth After implan...

Post-operative care of teeth After implant surgery, patients should be warned to expect:  Some swelling and possibly bruising.  Some discomfort which can usually be contr

What is iodoacetate inhibitor, What is Iodoacetate inhibitor Iodoacetat...

What is Iodoacetate inhibitor Iodoacetate is the inhibitor of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate  dehydrogenase.

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd