The Grizzly Bear
Vincent Bauer
Ecology
March 3, 2017
Mr. Kopanke
The Grizzly Bear, also known as the North American brown bear, or even more rarely as the Silvertip Bear is one of the largest land animals on the planet. It stands about 1.2 meters (4 feet) tall to the shoulder, and 1.8-2.4 meters (6-8 feet) long. When standing, it can stand up to 3.6 meters (12 feet) high. They weigh anywhere from 136 to 362 kilograms (300-800 pounds) , but the largest grizzly bear ever shot by a hunter weighed over 635 kilograms (1400 pounds).
Habitat
While they are at the top of the food chain in their environment, their habitat is greatly decreased from previous years. Grizzly bears could be found anywhere from Texas to California, to Alaska …show more content…
There are three main types of symbiotic relationships; mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. Mutualism is when both of the organisms involved are benefitted by the relationship. Commensalism is when one organism is is benefitted and the other is not affected. Parasitism is when one organism benefits from the relationship, and the other is harmed. Parasites are usually smaller than their hosts, and they harm the host, but do not kill the host. Grizzly bears are affected by all of these different types of relationships. They are in a mutual relationship with berry bushes. The bears use the berry bushes as a source of food, and when the bear excretes, the seeds of the bushes are spread, helping the bush reproduce. Another example of mutualism is between the bears and the entire environment. Bears eat salmon, but over half of the salmon that bears catch end up on the forest floor, and the nutrients from those fish are absorbed by the trees and other plants in the forests. Because of this, scientists are also able to track salmon runs based on the rings of the trees because the rings are thicker when they have a large supply of nutrients from the bears killing fish, and then leaving them on the forest floor. This is also a predator-prey relationship because the bears are killing the eating the fish. Commensalism in grizzly bears is present in their relationship with humans. When humans go camping or hunting, they usually leave food, or after killing an animal, they leave the guts, and the bears benefit from the food left in open places for them to eat. The humans are not affected by the bears eating the leftovers, so this is an example of commensalism. Parasitism is present in grizzly bears because a large percentage of the grizzly bear population has become infected with lice. The lice live in the bear's fur, and survive by drinking
Vincent Bauer
Ecology
March 3, 2017
Mr. Kopanke
The Grizzly Bear, also known as the North American brown bear, or even more rarely as the Silvertip Bear is one of the largest land animals on the planet. It stands about 1.2 meters (4 feet) tall to the shoulder, and 1.8-2.4 meters (6-8 feet) long. When standing, it can stand up to 3.6 meters (12 feet) high. They weigh anywhere from 136 to 362 kilograms (300-800 pounds) , but the largest grizzly bear ever shot by a hunter weighed over 635 kilograms (1400 pounds).
Habitat
While they are at the top of the food chain in their environment, their habitat is greatly decreased from previous years. Grizzly bears could be found anywhere from Texas to California, to Alaska …show more content…
There are three main types of symbiotic relationships; mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. Mutualism is when both of the organisms involved are benefitted by the relationship. Commensalism is when one organism is is benefitted and the other is not affected. Parasitism is when one organism benefits from the relationship, and the other is harmed. Parasites are usually smaller than their hosts, and they harm the host, but do not kill the host. Grizzly bears are affected by all of these different types of relationships. They are in a mutual relationship with berry bushes. The bears use the berry bushes as a source of food, and when the bear excretes, the seeds of the bushes are spread, helping the bush reproduce. Another example of mutualism is between the bears and the entire environment. Bears eat salmon, but over half of the salmon that bears catch end up on the forest floor, and the nutrients from those fish are absorbed by the trees and other plants in the forests. Because of this, scientists are also able to track salmon runs based on the rings of the trees because the rings are thicker when they have a large supply of nutrients from the bears killing fish, and then leaving them on the forest floor. This is also a predator-prey relationship because the bears are killing the eating the fish. Commensalism in grizzly bears is present in their relationship with humans. When humans go camping or hunting, they usually leave food, or after killing an animal, they leave the guts, and the bears benefit from the food left in open places for them to eat. The humans are not affected by the bears eating the leftovers, so this is an example of commensalism. Parasitism is present in grizzly bears because a large percentage of the grizzly bear population has become infected with lice. The lice live in the bear's fur, and survive by drinking