BIOL-208 Chapter 2: Chapter 2
28 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
Natural history studies how organisms are influenced by different factors such as climate, soil types, predators, competitors, mutualists, and evolution. Daniel janzen, an ecologist, studied a national park of costa rica. Found that the dry forest once supported plenty of animal dispersers such as horses and camels, which is why the guanacaste tree produced so much fruit. But when those animals became extinct to the area, the trees no longer had a method of dispersing seeds but still produced a lot of fruit to do so. By allowing people into the area with horses and cattle, the dry forest could be restored. Terrestrial organisms are constantly in danger of dehydration due to being surrounded by dry air. Being filled with water on lands of fluctuating temperatures also has risks. In extremely cold temperatures, the water could freeze, forming ice crystals that pierce and destroy cells. In extremely hot temperatures, proteins denature, causing cells to stop functioning.
