AP Biology (Ecology) Question?

<p>Hey everyone! So I'm beginning my review for the AP exam lol (self-studier) and I have this old AP workbook. I can't seem to fully understand or answer this question which supposedly is an AP question?</p>

<p>Identify at least one typical plant and one typical animal (not human) of both early and late successional stages in a biome of your choice. Identify the stage(s) of succession in which it would be most likely to find an r-strategist....a K-strategist....and explain why.</p>

<p>Does anyone have any insight for this question? Perhaps, mosses covering a desert biome after a volcano eruption are considered r-strategists? I'm pretty much lost.</p>

<p>The stages of succession (plants-wise) go something like: bareland, grass, shrubs, young trees, and then mature trees. It might be kind of weird applying that to a desert biome, but it could work. You’re right on the moss thing (but deserts are too dry for them), since they reproduce quickly. An r-strategist animal would do something similar, like a bug or fish species. R-strategists would be found more in early successional stages since there is a lot of room to spread out for their numerous offspring.</p>

<p>The K-strategists would then be in later successional stages, where there are more competitors for resources and less room for organisms. A plant would probably be a big tree, and an animal would be a large mammal like a deer. Both produce few offspring, but with high chances of survival.</p>

<p>Oh, I see. I wasn’t thinking correctly. Thanks for your input, it actually cleared up a lot of things I was confused about. I think starting out with the ecology unit was a really good decision.</p>