- The cycling of major nutrients is key to the survival of the bengal tiger because it needs to be able to hunt prey in its ecosystem.
The Water Cycle
- The water cycle is key to the bengal tiger’s survival because it needs sufficient drinking water
- Clouds precipitate and that causes rain
- The water is then consumed by animals when they drink
- When they excrete it, it works it’s way back to the rivers and into soil
- The heat will cause the water to evaporate and then the water condenses into clouds
- The cycle then starts over again
Succession
- Succession is when ecosystems gradually change over time.
- There are two types of successional changes: primary and secondary.
- Primary: community changes in an entirely new habitat that hasn’t been colonized
- Secondary: changes in a colonized habitat that has been damaged
- Succession affects the environment because species will have to adapt over time after the changes to their environment
- Succession affects bengal tigers over a long span of time because they will need to learn to adapt to their new ecosystem and learn to hunt for prey
Human Impact
- Humans can both hurt and help the bengal tiger’s habitat
- The main threat to the home of the tiger is deforestation
- Tigers are also hunted on rare occasions for their fur coat
- Organizations such as the WWF work hard to conserve the habitat of the tiger
Plant Adaptations
- In the temperate forest, there are many examples of plant adaptations
- Mosses and ferns will appear and grow on top of other plants to reach sunlight
- Seedlings grow on decomposed logs to get the nutrients from the log
- Precipitation leads to trees growing very tall
Physical and Behavioral Adaptations
- The tiger’s unique coat of striped fur helps it blend into it’s environment and makes it easier for hunting prey
- The tiger also has a very keen sense of hearing, being able to detect infrasound, which is extremely below human’s capable hearing
- The tiger’s distinct roar can be heard from as much as 2 miles away
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"Ecological Succession Summary." Ecological Succession Summary. Offwell Woodland & Wildlife Trust, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.