Jasmine Plummer - StemscopediaLinkingLiteracyLimitingFactors

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University of Florida *

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4563

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Biology

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May 7, 2024

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pdf

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5NPRTNPY[Z\NPSUL /JHY[Z\TVUWYXXZY NPSU JSU (HTVUXZY^`_aXZYY[Z\JRT In ±²³´µ over a thousand participants traveled to the Florida Everglades to enter the Python Challenge¶ This event was hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission¶ It had a dual purpose of removing Burmese pythons from the area and raising awareness of the ecological impacts of invasive species¶ The month·long challenge resulted in the capture of ³²´ of the nonnative snakes¶ As its name indicatesµ the Burmese python’s natural habitat is in Burma¶ Burma is a country in southeast Asia¶ It is believed that the rapidly growing python populationµ which is threatening the ecological balance of the Evergladesµ began with the release of a few Burmese pythons by pet owners who no longer wanted the very largeµ carnivorous snakes¶ Their numbers have increased dramatically since the first sighting in ³! ²¶ This is because the pythons mature quickly and can lay up to ³²² eggs at a time¶ It is believed that there are now thousands of Burmese pythons slithering throughout the Everglades¶ Currentlyµ the python is in a phase of exponential growth in this area of Florida¶ Exponential growth occurs when the population of a species is growing rapidly because it does not have any factors that threaten its survival¶ Things such as foodµ shelterµ waterµ spaceµ diseaseµ parasitesµ predatorsµ and nesting sites can limit the size of a population¶ These are called limiting factors Alligator populations in the Everglades are being impacted by competition with Burmese pythons± The Burmese python is not being affected by any limiting factors in the Everglades¶ It is greatly impacting the survival of the mammalsµ birdsµ and even alligators that are native to the ecosystemµ though¶ As an example of predation as a limiting factorµ the Burmese python has been preying on the rabbits normally found in the areaµ to the point that the rabbit population in the Everglades has decreased by !!¸¶ The loss of the once·huge rabbit population has had an effect on the animals that depended on the rabbits as part of their food source¶ It has become a limiting factor for the populations of these larger organisms¶ Space has become a limiting factor for the alligator population in the Everglades¶ The Burmese python is taking over the swampy areas that alligators rely on for survival¶ Although the alligator is a predator of smaller pythonsµ the species is unable to compete for space with the growing population of big snakes¶ Alligator nesting areas have also been impacted by the invasive python¶ If the number of these snakes continues to increase at such a rapid rateµ the population of Burmese pythons in the Everglades will eventually experience limiting factors¶ This will happen when the python population reaches carrying capacity for the ecosystem¶ Carrying capacity is the term used to define the maximum number of a species that an ecosystem can support¶ When a population approaches carrying capacityµ the growth rate will start to slow¶ If the population goes beyond the carrying capacity ² the population will decrease because there are not enough resources available for all the organisms to survive¶ ³
5NPRTNPY[Z\NPSUL /JHY[Z\TVUWYXXZY NPSU JSU (HTVUXZY^`_aXZYY[Z\JRT Unfortunatelyµ in the Evergladesµ this means that numerous species used for food sources will no longer exist in the area¶ The biodiversity of the Everglades ecosystem has already been altered by the introduction of the nonnative Burmese python species¶ Nowµ members of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are fearful that other ecosystems in Florida will be impacted as these pythons move to areas around the Everglades¶ How do limiting factors affect other Florida ecosystems" Florida is home to a variety of land and water ecosystems¶ The overall survival of all the organisms in an ecosystem depends on limiting factors¶ Limiting factors keep populations from going beyond their carrying capacity¶ In a Florida forestµ ecosystemµ spaceµ sunlightµ and nutrients are all factors that limit the populations of native trees and plants from growing any larger¶ In a healthy ecosystemµ the number of trees and plants will not exceed the carrying capacity¶ Each species will be able to continue at a stable growth rate¶ The number of consumers that depend on these producers for foodµ shelterµ and sites for nesting is kept in balance by the larger consumers¶ They act as limiting factors through predation¶ In Florida’s estuariesµ nutrients and shelter for egg laying and protection are some limiting factors for the organisms that live there¶ In a healthy ecosystemµ food webs maintain a balance of the number of producers and consumers that live in the estuary¶ Populations found there are able to survive at their carrying capacity¶ This is because the nutrients and space available to them are not being overused by any one species¶ Large trees and smaller plants share space² sunlight² and nutrients in this balanced forest ecosystem± This Florida estuary is home to many land and water organisms± The limiting factors keep the populations in balance so that the ecosystem is healthy± ±
5NPRTNPY[Z\NPSUL /JHY[Z\TVUWYXXZY NPSU JSU (HTVUXZY^`_aXZYY[Z\JRT Pollution affects the balance of ecosystems±
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