adaptations to environment Flashcards
(11 cards)
Habitat as the place in which a community, species, population or organism lives
A description of the habitat of a species can include both geographical and physical locations, and the type of ecosystem.
A habitat is the place where an organism lives, which could be both in terms of its geographical as well as its physical location within an ecosystem.
Adaptations of organisms to the abiotic (non-living physical factors) environment of their habitat
Include a grass species adapted to sand dunes + adaptations (5)
(density-independent factors)
Plants growing on beach dunes have the challenge of water conservation and tolerance of high salt concentration which hinders water uptake by osmosis. Sand retains little water and it contains little organic matter (which normally helps to store water); Grasses, such as marram grass are good examples for plants which show adaptations to this.
- underground stems
- carbs in root and leaf cells
- thick, waxy covering on leaf (cuticle)
- leaf rolls up/stomata in indentations; keeps humid air and reduces wind exposure
Adaptations of organisms to the abiotic (non-living physical factors) environment of their habitat
Include a tree species adapted to mangrove swamps + adaptations (4)
- The soil is waterlogged, anaerobic and with high salt concentrations (due to the evaporation of water).
- salt glands
- buoyant seeds
- stilt roots
- pneumatophores and cable roots; both absorb O2
Abiotic variables affecting species distribution
Include examples of abiotic variables for both plants & animals. Students should understand that the adaptations of a species give it a range of tolerance.
Plant distributions are affected by temperature, water availability, light intensity, soil pH, soil salinity and the availability of mineral nutrients. Plants have specific adaptations to the abiotic factor in their habitat.
Animal distributions are affected by water availability and temperature.
Range of tolerance of a limiting factor
Students should use transect data to correlate the distribution of plant or animal species with an abiotic variable. Students should collect this data themselves from a natural or seminatural habitat.
Semi-natural habitats have been influenced by humans but are dominated by wild rather than cultivated species. Sensors could be used to measure abiotic variables such as temperature, light intensity and soil pH.
Line transects involve laying a line and recording individuals at regular intervals along it, while belt transects use quadrats placed at intervals along the line to sample a wider area
Conditions required for coral reef formation
Coral reefs are used here as an example of a marine ecosystem. Factors should include water depth, pH, salinity, clarity and temperature.
Low depth - So that light can penetrate and photosynthesis carried out
pH - Above 7.8 to allow deposition of CaCO3 in the coral skeleton
Salinity - To avoid osmotic problems
Clarity - Turbidity prevents light penetration
Warm temperature - Optimal temperature for coral and zooxanthellae
Abiotic factors as the determinants of terrestrial biome distribution
Students should understand that, for any given temperature and rainfall pattern, one natural ecosystem type is likely to develop.
Illustrate this using a graph showing the distribution of biomes with these two climatic variables on the horizontal and vertical axes.
A biome is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community, that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found, and a shared regional climate; Earth temperature and annual rainfall are the two main abiotic factors which determine the distribution of terrestrial biomes.
Biomes as groups of ecosystems with similar communities due to similar abiotic conditions and convergent evolution
Students should be familiar with the climate conditions that characterize the tropical forest, temperate forest, taiga, grassland, tundra and hot desert biomes.
SPEAK ON: TEMPERATURE, PRECIPITATION, SEASONAL VARIATION
Adaptations to life in hot deserts and tropical rainforest
Include examples of adaptations in named species of plants and animals.
Outline the physiological, morphological and/or behavioral adaptations of an animal living in a hot desert. (the fennec fox in the Sahara Desert)
- large ears, which has a large surface area helping the fox cool itself in the warm heat.
- The foxes kidneys have adapted and restrict water loss, their extensive burrowing can cause the formation of dew, which the fox will consumed, then they can receive moisture from the food they hunted.
- The Foxes burrowing and nocturnal day to night life helps restrict the water loss.
- The thick fur helps keep the fox warm on the cold desert nights.
- The sandy colour of their fur also helps to reflect heat in the day time, and also camouflages the fox. The Fennec foxes also has fur on the bottom of their paws which helps them stand the heat of the hot sand within the desert.
Outline the physiological, morphological and/or behavioral adaptations of an animal living in a tropical rainforest. (sloth) 4
A low metabolic rate allows these mammals to survive on a nutrient-poor diet. (leaves don’t have lots of nutrients)
They have a multi-chambered stomach to ferment plant matter and continually growing teeth, which become worn from constant chewing.
The fur grows ‘backwards’ when compared with other animals, to aid removal of rain water and in three-toed sloths can contain cyanobacteria or algae in their fur, giving a greenish tint, perhaps also aiding camouflage.
The long claws are curved so as to take the weight of the animal when hanging, so there is very little effort involved and the claws will be swiped at attackers if they feel threatened.
Outline the physiological, morphological and/or behavioral adaptations of a plant living in a tropical rainforest.
