Where do we fit in? This week you are exploring the characteristics of our species and the role we play in our ecosystem. Two terms commonly used to describe an organism’s place in the environment is their “habitat” and their “niche.” A habitat is define

Title

Your Name

Course

Date

Introduction

Here you should introduce your project. This will include indicating the purpose of the project; investigating the characteristics of our species and the role we play in our ecosystem. Then you should provide a brief outline of what you will be discussing. Essentially, you will be comparing your role/job and lifestyle in your current habit with that of a research biologist in a unique habitat. In your introduction, it is helpful to indicate your current niche and habitat and the assigned niche and habitat.

** ALERT : You are comparing your lifestyle and role in the community with that of a research biologist. Do NOT compare yourself to the animal.

Letter of Last Name: Assigned Niche

A-G An Ecologist Studying Penguin Mating in Antarctica (not Arctic)

H-N An Ecologist Studying Elephant Behavior in a Sub-Saharan Desert

O-T A Botanist Studying Endangered Plants in a Tropical Rain Forest

U-Z An Ecologist Studying Kangaroo Behavior in the Australian Outback

****Please note that there are no indigenous people in Antarctica; nonetheless, there are research teams that live there for extended periods of time.

Important Definitions:

Ecologist – A biologist that studies the interrelationships between organisms and their environments.

Botanist – A biologist that studies plants.

Habitat – Is an area inhabited by particular species.

Niche - The role (job), activities and resources used by an organism.

Niche Comparison

Scoring Guide Expectation: Provides a description of personal niche (4 pts) and assigned niche (4 pts).

You should provide a paragraph describing both your personal niche (role/job) and your assigned niche. For example, in your current niche, all of you are students. Many of you are parents and/or a spouse. Also, some of you have full-time jobs, serve in the military and/or volunteer in your community. All of us are consumers. You want to indicate what you do in these roles. For example, as a student, you attend seminars, read assignments and complete homework. Next, you should describe your assigned role. For example, if I am a botanist studying endangered plants in a tropical rain forest, I would need to perform field trips into the forest to identify endangered plants, document the characteristics of the plant by writing and pictures and write-up my research results. I would also need to be knowledgeable my environment and have the ability to track my location by GPS or compass. I would also want to continue to study the literature published by other botanists identifying endangered plants. In addition, as a botanist, I may still be a spouse or a parent; although I don’t know if they would be in the rainforest with me or back home.

Scoring Guide Expectation: List the similarities (5 pts) and differences (5 pts) between your personal niche and assigned niche.

In the next few paragraphs, you should describe the similarities and differences between your personal niche and your assigned niche. An example of a similarity is that in both niches, you have to perform research; one as a Kaplan student and the other as a botanist. Other similarities may be needing to provide for you and your family’s needs. You want to think of additional similarities in how you would live every day in both niches.

Next you should describe the differences between the two niches. One example may be how your get the food you eat. In your current niche, you may likely go to a local grocery store and in the rainforest you may need to bring in everything for your research trip with you and supplement your supplies by eating plants and animals from the rainforest. Also, another difference is how you get to work. You may currently commute by bus or car; whereas in the rainforest, you may be living at a campsite and walking into the rainforest to work. You should think of additional differences in how you would live on a daily basis in both niches.

Habitat Comparison

Scoring Guide Expectation: A description of your personal habitat and your assigned habitat highlighting the similarities (5 pts) and differences (5 pts).

Under this next subheading, you will describe your habitat and your assigned habitat. For your current habitat you should answer the following questions. Where do you live? Is it in an urban city, suburbs or rural area? What is the typical weather like? Are there four seasons? What are the temperatures like? Is it a large population or a small population? Are there well maintained roads and highways and access to transportation? Do people live in homes? Next, you will want to do some research on your assigned habitat. You will then want to answer the same questions. Finally, you should describe the similarities and differences between these two habitats.

Survival Characteristics for Each Niche

Scoring Guide Expectation: Provides a discussion of several characteristics (2.5 pts each; two for each niche) that provide a survival advantage of the individuals who currently occupy both niches (10 pts total).

Next, you will discuss characteristics that would provide you a survival advantages in both niches. What is being referred to here is physical characteristics that provide a survival advantage. What do you have available to you to maintain your health? In my current niche, my work provides free flu shots. Having the availability of flu shots every year provides me a survival advantage in my current niche that allows me to stay healthy. Another survival advantage I have in my current niche is the ability to maintain by health through readily having access to fresh fruits and vegetable, meats, dairy and grains to maintain a healthy diet and the availability of healthcare.

You will want to perform research on what physical characteristics provide a survival advantage in the assigned niche. It is helpful to perform research on the indigenous humans in that area and identify any characteristics that provide a survival advantages. Examples may be skin color due to sun exposure, height, weight, immune system and general health characteristics. For example, I did research on the native forest people and some of the survival characteristics are to be smaller in size and to sweat less. The reason they sweat less is the tropical rain forests have high humidity and therefore the sweat doesn’t readily evaporate to decrease the body temperature (Exploring the Tropic Rainforest, 2002).

Human adaptation

Scoring Guide Expectation: Provide a description of how have humans adapted to the two habitats and niches (10 pts total).

Next, you will discuss how humans have adapted to both niches. For example, my current niche is the Baltimore -Washington DC metropolitan area, people have adapted by either owning a car or using publication transportation including the subway system. In this area, everything is spread out making transportation a necessity. I live about one mile away from my local grocery store and five miles away from work. A car is necessary for me to live my daily life. Another adaptation is the style of homes. My home for example has two air conditioner and heating systems. This is because in the summer it becomes extremely hot and humid and in the winter it becomes cold. There are many ways humans have adapted for a convenient lifestyle in the United States.

For your assigned niche, you will want to perform some research on how people have adapted for living in these environments. For my assigned niche, one way people have adapted to living in the tropical rain forest is to have significant knowledge regarding the plant species. They will know what is safe to eat and what is poisonous. Also, individuals that live in the rainforest have expertise in hunting and fishing in order to be able to live off the land. You will also want to research the type of housing for the assigned habitat. For example, in the Australian Outback, some people live in dugouts where part of the home is underground. This is to deal with the constant high temperatures. Please note that there are no indigenous people in Antarctica; nonetheless, there are research teams that live there for extended periods of time.

Difficulties/Challenges in the Assigned Niche

Scoring Guide Expectation: Provide an explanation of what difficulties might you have living in the assigned niche (10 pts total).

You will want to research what are the difficulties or challenges living in your assigned niche. For example, one of the challenges of living in the rainforest is the wildlife. I would have to be very careful of predators including snakes, jaguars and monkeys. There is also the danger of disease; malaria and yellow fever are a big issue. How do I protect myself? There is also the danger of flash flooding in the rainforest.

Cultural Adaptations in Both Niches

Scoring Guide Expectation: Lists the types of cultural adaptations that have evolved from living in their personal niche and from living in the assigned niche (10 pts total).

You will want to describe cultural adaptations that have evolved from living in your personal niche and that people have developed living in the assigned niche. Typical cultural adaptations for people living in an urban environment in the United States are the availability of fast food; constant use of cell phones and texting for communications; internet access in most homes and coffee shops; the majority of people owning a car; and the easy availability of stores. Also, in urban areas, people have adapted to living around large groups of people with diverse backgrounds.

You will next want to describe the cultural adaptations for those living in your assigned niche. For example, some people that live in the rainforest often make their living by “rubber tapping” where they extract latex from rubber trees without harming the tree (Life in the Rainforest, n.d.). Some indigenous people live in tribes and homeschool their children. They teach them about the rainforest and how to live off the land.

Biological Adaptations in Both Niches

Scoring Guide Expectation: Discusses biological adaptations that have occurred, such as dealing with food spoilage, insect vector control, food, and waterborne illnesses, etc. (8 pts total).

You will want to describe biological adaptations that have occurred in both niches. In my current niche, we use refrigerators to keep our food from spoiling. We also have access to fresh fruits and vegetables at a local grocery store. We also have access to medical and immunizations. In my assigned niche, living in the rainforest, refrigerating food would be an issue. However, having daily access to the natural food products in the rainforest would allow survival. However, you have to have the knowledge and skill set to live off the land. As a botanist studying in the rainforest, there is risk of malaria infection as well as waterborne illnesses. I would avoid infection by using insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, sleeping with netting and using antimalarial medications. How would I avoid waterborne illnesses? You should research how people avoid these types of issues living in your assigned niche.

Conclusion

You should provide a short conclusion paragraph summarizing your main points.

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