The Catalyst Perspectives Group
Natural Selection
Trophic-level
Biomes and Habitats
Biomes and Habitats
A vital characteristic of all living things is the capability to use a source of energy for their metabolic activities. How organisms are able to produce or acquire the source that fulfills their energy needs varies widely. There are several hierarchical trophic-levels in an ecosystem, comprising organisms that share the same nutritional relationship to the primary sources of energy
Biomes and Habitats
Biomes and Habitats
Biomes and Habitats
The varying habitability of places on earth are broadly characterized as biomes. There are terrestrial (land) and aquatic (water) biomes. For terrestrial biomes, these regions vary based on the climate (i.e., precipitation and temperature). This variation results in conditions that favor different assortments of plants which, in turn, shape the other living things that inhabit that biome. The gradual variation within any given biome creates smaller areas, habitats, that are suited to a unique assortment of living things.
Ecosystem and Niche
Biomes and Habitats
Inter-Specific Relationships
While the physical (abiotic) factors play a role in shaping the assortment of living things in biomes and habitats, the addition of the (biotic) interactions among them in each area, creates different ecosystems. Within each ecosystem, each organism plays a different role in these interactions and occupies a different niche. The forms and functions expressed in each niche are optimally suited for those circumstances.
Inter-Specific Relationships
Inter-Specific Relationships
Inter-Specific Relationships
There is a wide variety of interactions and relationships among the living things in any particular habitat. These relationships vary from conditions that favor both species to circumstances where one species benefits to the detriment of the other.
Adaptive Behaviors
Inter-Specific Relationships
Adaptive Behaviors
To varying degrees, all living things are capable of expressing behaviors (aka Response to Stimuli). As such, all behaviors have potential adaptive value. However, some organisms display greater plasticity in the range of behaviors and the variety of responses that they can express. This broader range of adaptive behaviors enables some organisms to be favored in a wider range of conditions.