B 5 Interdependence and Adaptation Flashcards
(14 cards)
What is interdependence in an ecosystem?
The way organisms rely on each other for resources such as food, shelter, pollination, or seed dispersal.
What is a habitat?
The place where an organism lives.
What is meant by adaptation?
Characteristics that help an organism survive and reproduce in its environment.
What are the three types of adaptations?
Structural, behavioural, and functional adaptations.
Give an example of a structural adaptation.
A polar bear’s thick fur and white coat to blend into snow and insulate from the cold.
Give an example of a behavioural adaptation.
Migration of birds to warmer climates during winter.
Give an example of a functional adaptation.
Desert animals producing concentrated urine to conserve water.
What is an extremophile?
An organism that lives in extreme environments, such as very hot, cold, acidic, or salty conditions.
Why is biodiversity important in ecosystems?
It increases stability by reducing dependence on one species and allows ecosystems to recover from change.
What is a food chain?
A diagram showing how energy is transferred from one organism to another in an ecosystem.
What is a producer?
An organism (usually a plant) that makes its own food using sunlight in photosynthesis.
What is a consumer?
An organism that eats other organisms to obtain energy.
What is a predator and what is prey?
A predator hunts and eats other animals (prey).
How do predator and prey populations affect each other?
They are interlinked – if prey increases, predator numbers rise, then prey falls, and so on.
