Successful predation or herbivory relies on three factors.

1.     Successful predation or herbivory relies on three factors. List these factors and for each one, describe an adaptation by prey/plant species that reduce the likelihood/success of that factor and an adaptation by predator/herbivore species that increase the likelihood/success of that factor.

2.     Using the Principle of Allocation, explain the concept of a trade-off. Give an example of a tradeoff involving adaptations or strategies for:

a.      Resource acquisition

b.     Defense against predation or herbivory

c.      Reproduction

3.     

Compare and contrast C3, C4, and CAM photosynthesis. Which of these pathways would be most beneficial for a plant growing in the Sierra Nevada Mountains? The central valley? The Mojave Desert?

4.     Humans have a fondness for sugary and fatty foods. How does optimal foraging theory explain the evolution of this preference? Given our current ecological conditions, what are the consequences of this preference? 

5.     As CO2 began to rise, there was a hypothesis that plants would photosynthesize more, removing the additional CO2 from the air. This has not happened. Use your knowledge of plant resource acquisition to propose an explanation for why increased CO2 in the atmosphere does not significantly increase photosynthetic rates in plants.

6.     Imagine you are doing research on plant populations at Jepson Prairie. How would you determine what resources limit plant growth in this environment?