ECOLOGY AND ANIMAL DIVERSITY

Biotic and abiotic aspects of life are grouped together and exist in an ecosystem. Ecosystems can be diverse or simple depending upon the limiting reagents for each organism. Some animals can also drive others away, while other animals must have each other in order for survival. Two animals that do live together are the American Dog tick and the domestic dog. Each animal is limited in population size and growth by different factors.

One factor limiting the population of the tick is resource availability. Several ticks cannot reside together due to the lack of nutrients available in their habitat. These animals are considered to be opportunistic organisms. For example, ticks have a short life span, have a large number of progeny, have few reproductive episodes during their generation, and are small in size. Ticks are often found living alone, causing them to face little or no competition from other species. As stated before, the only problem ticks face is trying to find an abundant source of nutrients in their environment.

On the other hand, dogs face a different problem reference to population growth. Dogs are density-dependent animals, meaning that intraspecific competition limits their availability for population increase. In the case of domestic dogs, most owners do not own more than two to three dogs. This limits the chances of fighting between the animals for food and water. Dogs resemble the equilibrium life history, due to the fact that they are larger animals, have a relatively long life span, give birth more than once in a lifetime, however there is a smaller number of progeny. Dogs also must care for their young for a lengthy amount of time, unlike the tick.

Both of these organisms are found in the same ecosystem, usually an ecotone where grasslands and forests merge. A temperate grassland is characterized by large mammals, which prevent woody shrubs and trees from growing. The grassland has relatively cold winters and hot summers. Grasslands have soil very rich in nutrients due to the amount of decaying plant material deposited each year. Small invertebrates are the largest inhabitants of grasslands. In the taiga, coniferous forests, the climate is usually cooler than that of the grassland. Dogs and other related species reside in this ecosystem. The taiga is characterized by longer winters and shorter summers that are usually warm. The ecotone is a mixture of both of these ecosystems, the climate and community resembles that of the grasslands and forests. The dog is usually present in the taiga and the tick is usually present in the grassland, so when the two merge, both animals are found together.

The dog appears to be limited in geographical distribution due to severe weather. The dog is not able to hibernate during long and extremely cold winters, causing the animal to reside in areas that are not characterized by this climate. Also dogs would not live in an ecosystem where they are preyed upon. The dog would stay away from animals much larger then them, causing them to reside in regions their predators are not abundant. The tick would be restricted in geographic expansion due to a shortage of a host animal. Due to the fact that the dog is limited to regions of moderate weather, the tick would also be limited to these areas.

The interspecific interaction that occurs between an American Dog tick and a domestic dog is that of parasitism. This is because one animal is benefiting from the relationship while the other is being harmed. The tick, an ectoparasite, can carry harmful bacteria that enters the dog while the tick is feeding on the dog’s blood. If the dog is exposed to a harmful bacteria, it can be detrimental to the dog’s health.

Since the tick is a parasite, it is considered to be a secondary consumer. Ticks are considered secondary consumers because they consume blood from a living organism, classifying them as carnivores. Carnivores are considered secondary consumers, forcing the tick to be classified as a secondary consumer. Ticks are also eaten by other carnivores which is another reason ticks are secondary consumers. One the other have, the dog is also considered a secondary consumer for several reasons. Dogs are carnivores that eat herbivorous animals, like rabbits and squirrels . Dogs also have existing predators, which are larger carnivores, like humans or lions, that are above dogs on the food web. Both the tick and the dog are considered detritivores because they consume organic material and release inorganic material.

If either the tick or dog became extinct, changes would occur in the ecosystem. For instance, if the tick suddenly died out, an overpopulation in dogs might result. Since the parasite is absent, dogs would be able to have greater success in expanding their population because a threat of disease no longer exists. If the dog were to become extinct, the tick could possibly become extinct also. With a decrease in food abundance, ticks would not be able to obtain their required amount of energy in order to survive. If both the tick and the dog became extinct, the tertiary consumers would have a food loss, which might result in their population decreasing. Also, tertiary consumers may need to relocate in order to find new food sources.

It is obvious that the American Dog tick and the domestic dog have several ecological similarities and differences. Both animals are limited in population growth by different factors, yet remain intertwined do to their unique relationship. The abiotic and biotic components of the ecosystem contribute to the success and failure of each of these organisms.