Question

2. The concepts of biological evolution can be explained using examples explored in community ecology. Provide one such example and explain how evolution applies to that concept.

Answer 1

Community is mixture of two or more species co inhabiting a geographical area. It may include plants, animals, insects and also microorganisms. Biological evolution can occur at multiple levels. In community set up, evolution occurs due to inter and intra species interactions such as commensalism, mutualism and predation. Let us take the example of flower and bee. Flower and bee ar in mutualistic relationship with flower providing nectar and bee helping in pollination. But how this could have developed? Natural selection has driven the mutualism. Flowers happen to produce hector and bees happen to get attached to it. Result in benefit to both. Along with bee , ants can also take part in this relationship positively. When ants feed on plants other than flower nectar, the relation turns sour and balance breaks down. Under such cases plants evolve to change the flower colour and position to escape the ants or it may loose out and be killed by ants. Again evolution takes place to produce a scent or pheromone which keeps the ants away from the plants. Thus evolution works to shape the community on real time basis.