The Story of Chad and Chet
Chad is a Level 19 dragon. Level 19 dragons can breathe fire, are covered in armor-like scales, and are skilled hunters. In 890 C.E., Chad and the other Level 19 dragons immigrate into the Eastern Woods of Dragonland. The Eastern Woods has plenty of resources, which allows the Level 19 dragon population to grow exponentially for fifty years. In 940 C.E., the Level 19 dragon population reaches its carry capacity of 95 dragons, and they maintain their population remains fairly stable for the next two decades.
Chet is a Level 22 dragon. Level 22 dragons can breathe fire, are covered in armor-like scales, are skilled hunters, and have laser eyes, which shoot lasers via awesome laser eye technology. In 890 C.E., Chet and the other Level 22 dragons immigrate into the Western Forest. With no natural predators and plenty of resources, the Level 22 dragon population grows exponentially until it reaches carry capacity in 930 C.E. Chet and his friends maintain a population of about 85 for a few decades. However, the Western Forest does not have wifi, so they leave for the wifi-rich Eastern Woods.
Unfortunately, the Easter Woods can only support one species of dragons. The Level 19 and the Level 22 dragons spend almost a decade competing for the same resources in an epic battle. Ultimately, Chad and his friends are no match for Chet and the laser-eyed dragons. The Level 19 dragon population begins to starve and die, decreasing its population to Chad, Bif, and Maynard. Outnumbered and outcompeted, Chad and his friends leave the Eastern Woods.
What is a Niche?
A niche is the role or job of a population in an ecosystem. Each population (species) has specific traits that allow it to occupy a niche and use all the niche’s biotic and abiotic factors. However, only one population can occupy a niche. If another population enters an occupied niche, then the two populations will compete for the niche’s resources. Eventually, one population will outcompete the other, and the loser will be excluded from the niche – the competitive exclusion principle.
Competition
Chad and his Level 19 friends occupied a niche in the Eastern Woods that could only support one dragon species. When Chet and his Level 22 friends entered the Eastern Woods, the Level 19 dragons and the Level 22 dragons competed for the same niche. Since the Level 22 dragons have laser eyes, they have an adaptive advantage over the Level 19 dragons and outcompete Chad and his friends. Ultimately, Chet and the Level 22 dragons occupied the niche in the Eastern Woods, and Chad and his level 19 dragon friends were exiled – i.e., competitive exclusion principle.
Both dragon populations thrive when they occupy different niches
The size of a niche can vary from a square centimeter to thousands of square miles. For example, within your large intestine, there are many bacteria populations, each species occupying its niche. However, if a new bacteria enters your colon, it will compete for the resources in one or more niches. If the new population of bacteria wins, then they will occupy the niche.
Biodiverse ecosystems have many niches, while less biodiverse ecosystems have fewer. South America’s tropical rainforests have more resources than the Mojave Desert in California. Therefore, the rainforest has more niches. Also, specific species can affect the number of niches in an ecosystem. For example, an invasive species can outcompete one or more native populations, reducing the number of niches. On the other hand, a keystone species will increase the number of resources in an ecosystem, increasing the number of niches. And human behavior (deforestation) and extreme weather (hurricanes) can alter the ecosystem and the number of niches it contains.
What is Symbiosis?
Now not everything in nature is kill or be killed. The formation of alliances occurs as well. Symbiosis is a relationship between two or more species. Mutualism is a symbiotic relationship where all populations involved benefit. For example, death turtles eat the parasites between the scales of Level 19 dragons. Removing parasites is beneficial to the dragon because it keeps their scales healthy, and it is beneficial to the death turtles because they get a meal.
Wolly the ant provides safety for the aphids (Benny, Benny, Benny, and Maynard), and the aphids cause plants to excrete sugars, which feeds Wolly.
Parasitism is a symbiosis in which one species benefits and the other is harmed. For example, death mosquitos suck dragon blood and carry disease. Therefore, the death mosquito benefits by getting a meal, and the dragon is harmed by disease.
Jenny drinking human blood
What is Ecological Succession?
The environment is in flux, and natural disasters can speed up environmental change. For example, forest fires can destroy all life above the soil, but it does not eliminate the soil. In time, grasses will return to the ecosystem, followed by insects, shrubs, trees, mammals, and reptiles. The destruction of an ecosystem by a fire and the regrowth that follows is an example of secondary succession.
A receding glacier will expose barren rock. Over time, wind and erosion will cover the rock, and then plants and animals will slowly inhabit the ecosystem. The slow growth from barren rock to a thriving ecosystem is an example of primary succession.
