8. Regulation of Species Range II.
What will you learn in this lecture:
- How moisture, light, and temperature often limit species distribution.
- Ability to explain the main ways in which natural selection has modified organism body plans and physiology to better adapt to the environment.
- To be able to identify and explain the function of xeromorphic adaptations, what is meant by C3 vs. C4 vs. CAM photosynthesis pathways, and how/why these influence species range.
Enrolled students of fall 2024 should watch this lecture before October 8.
What questions should you be able to answer now?
- Why is photosynthesis of some plants more efficient at low light conditions?
- How and why did the different photosynthesis pathways evolve?
- How has the evolution of multiple photosynthesis pathways influenced global life history and distribution patterns?
Useful links and materials:
Chapter 5 in: Krebs, Charles J. Ecology: The Experimental Analysis of Distribution and Abundance.
chapter 6 in: Krebs, Charles J. Ecology: The Experimental Analysis of Distribution and Abundance.
Featured image: Mistaking a xenomorph for a xeromorph can have fatal consequences...