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Competitive Relationships and Predator and Prey

Competitive Relationships and Predator and Prey

Assessment

Presentation

Science

6th Grade

Practice Problem

Medium

NGSS
MS-LS2-4, MS-LS2-2, MS-LS2-1

+1

Standards-aligned

Created by

Michael McCrory

Used 154+ times

FREE Resource

14 Slides • 9 Questions

1

Competitive Relationships

And Predator and Prey

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2

Competition

  • Competition is when two or more parties strive for a goal that cannot be shared. One gains and the others lose.

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3

4

Competition within a Population

  • Competition is often seen between members of the same population, even siblings. 

  • Many organisms produce far more offspring than can survive in their environment.

  • These maple saplings will all compete for the same sunlight, water and space.

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5

Wolf Competition

  • Wolves compete for rank within their pack

  • Competition also happens between packs for territory, for example.

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6

Stressful Conditions

  • Sometimes competition among members of the same population occurs only during stressful conditions.

  • If the population is small, plenty of resources are available for each rabbit.

  • If the population increases competition occurs for all resources.

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7

Poll

Do you understand how competition works in ecosystems?

Yes sir!

Mostly

A lil

Not at all

8

Questions?

9

Competition between populations

  • Competition also happens between members of different species.

  • In the desert, many plants compete for water.

  • Sagebrush and creosote bushes make chemicals that poison any plant growing too close to them.

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10

Predator and Prey

  • Any animal that eats another animal is a predator.

  • An animal or organism taht is eaten by another is know as prey.

  • Plants are not known as prey, so herbivores are never known as predators.

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11

Competition Among Predators

  • In any given ecosystem, there are often many predators competing for a limited amount of prey.

  • If there is a small amout of prey, this can lead to agression between the different predators.

  • Of course, the opposite is also true.

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12

Predator-Prey Cycles

  • There is a close relationship between the population of predators and prey.

  • When the prey population increases, the predator population will increase in the coming years.

  • The increase in predators will cause the prey population to go down.

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13

Predator-Prey Cycles

  • The repeated pattern of change in population is calles a predator-prey cycle.

  • Notice at the end of the chart, how the moose population rises as the wolf population declines.

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14

Competition in a Community

  • Resources in an ecosystem might be limited, and organisms in that community might be forced to compete with each other.

  •  This includes predators competing for prey or herbivores competing for plants. 

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15

Multiple Select

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What other factors, besides the moose population, could have affected the small rises in the wolf population at the beginning of the graph?

1

A rise in the rabbit population

2

Laws against hunting wolves.

3

a decrease in the population of small rodents.

4

Laws encouraging the hunting of wolves.

16

Multiple Choice

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How do foxes affect the bison?

1

Foxes are predators, and bison are their prey.

2

Foxes keep the number of prairie dogs down.

3

Foxes keep the number of wolves down.

4

Foxes don't affect the bison.

17

Multiple Select

Which of the following involves two organisms competing for the same resource?

1

Foxes and bison compete for prairie dogs.

2

Wolves and foxes compete for prairie dogs.

3

Foxes and wolves compete for prairie grasses.

4

Prairie dogs and bison compete for prairie grasses.

18

Multiple Select

Name a predator-prey relationship in this community.

1

foxes, wolves

2

bison, prairie grasses

3

prairie dogs, bison

4

wolves, prairie dogs

19

Do Predators Benefit Prey?

  • Usually a predator is harmful to prey.

  • But, predators keep the prey population small enough to have ample food available.

  • When enough food is available, the prey population is healthier.

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20

Multiple Select

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Imagine a population of rabbits in the woods. What resources do they need?

1

grasses

2

space

3

shelter

4

toys

21

Multiple Select

Imagine a population of rabbits in the woods. Who are they competing with for resources?

1

One another

2

grasshoppers

3

white tailed deer

4

groundhogs

22

Multiple Select

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Imagine a population of rabbits in the woods. What predators are they hunted by?

1

chipmunks

2

wolves

3

hawks

4

deer

23

Multiple Choice

Wolves and hawks both eat rabbits. What type of competition is this?

1

Competition within a species.

2

Competition between species

3

Stress competition.

Competitive Relationships

And Predator and Prey

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