Question

Wild turkeys are commonly found around Yolo County, including in the city of Davis. While the adult birds can tolerate a wide temperature and precipitation range, juvenile turkeys (eggs and hatchlings) are more susceptible to cold, especially under wet conditions. Wild turkeys eat a wide variety of foods, including seeds and berries, as well as small insects and other invertebrates. These types of food are especially common in agricultural fields in Yolo County, meaning wild turkeys commonly roost in portions of the county with a high prevalence of agricultural lands. Some regions of the county, such as the town of Winters, are home to wild peafowl, which have similar abiotic tolerances and food sources as wild turkey. Though smaller than wild turkeys, peafowl are aggressive enough to outcompete the wild turkey for food and space.

Which of the following statements are true about the niche of wild turkeys? Select all that apply

The realized niche of wild turkeys is reduced compared to its fundamental niche

The fundamental niche of wild turkeys changes throughout their lifespan

The realized niche of wild turkeys excludes regions inhabited by wild peafowl

The fundamental niche of wild turkeys is influenced by human agricultural activities

The realized niche of wild turkeys is influenced by the amount of precipitation in winter

Answer 1

Wild turkeys have both a fundamental and realized niche, with the latter being affected by competition with wild peafowl and human agricultural activities. Their realized niche may also be influenced by the level of precipitation, particularly for juvenile turkeys.

Step-by-step explanation:

Understanding the Niche of Wild Turkeys

In the context of ecology, the niche of an organism includes both the physical environment where it lives and its role in that environment. For wild turkeys in Yolo County, we can differentiate between their fundamental niche and their realized niche.

The fundamental niche is the potential range of environmental conditions and roles an organism could theoretically occupy and thrive in.

In the case of wild turkeys, their fundamental niche would involve areas where they could find suitable food such as seeds, berries, and small insects, and a range of temperatures and precipitation they could tolerate, as per their adaptability.

However, their fundamental niche does not change throughout their lifespan; it remains the same for juvenile and adult birds, though the juveniles may need extra protection from the cold.

The realized niche is the actual conditions and roles an organism occupies in its environment, often narrower than the fundamental niche due to various limiting factors such as competition, predation, or human activities.

For wild turkeys in Yolo County, it's true that their realized niche is affected by human agricultural activities since these increase the availability of food sources.

Furthermore, the realized niche of wild turkeys can also be influenced by the amount of precipitation in winter because juvenile turkeys are susceptible to the cold under wet conditions.

Competition with wild peafowl in areas like Winters is another factor that affects the realized niche of wild turkeys, potentially excluding them from these regions due to the peafowl's aggressive behavior in competing for food and space.

Therefore, two of the provided statements are true:

The realized niche of wild turkeys is reduced compared to its fundamental niche due to factors such as competition with wild peafowl.

The realized niche of wild turkeys is influenced by human agricultural activities and environmental conditions like precipitation.