B15-adaptations,interdependence And Competiton Flashcards
(13 cards)
Levels of organisation in an ecosystem
Individual organism-a single member of species
Population-a number of individuals of the same species living in the same areas at the same time
Community-multiple populations living and interacting in the same area
Ecosystem-the interaction between a community (the biotic) and abiotic parts of environment
Competition and adaptation
Competition:
-if a group of organisms all need the same resource in order to survive and reproduce but there is a limited amount of resource available,they are said to compete for resource
-competition can be between members of the same species or between members of different species
Adaptation:
-if an organism has certain features, behaviours, or other characteristics that help it to survive and reproduce in its habitat, it is said to be adapted to its habitat
Competition in plants
Light-plants require light for photosynthesis in order to produce glucose, which provides them with energy for growth
Space-plants require space above soil (so leaves can absorb maximum sunlight) and below soil (so roots can absorb water and mineral ions)
Water-essential for photosynthesis and therefore plant growth
Mineral ion-require various mineral ions such ad nitrate ions (used to make proteins) and magnesium ions (used to make chlorophyll)
Comeptition in animals
Food-food provides animals with energy they require for growth and reproduction
Mates-animals require mates in order to reproduce and pass on their genes
Territory-some animals compete for territory. This is an area of habitat that provides an individual with resources such as water,food,shelter and mates
Interdependemce
-within a community,each species depends on other species for food,shelter,pollination,seed dispersal etc
-if one species is removed it can affect the whole
-this is called interdependence
-a stable community is one where all species and environmental factors are in balance so that population sizes remain fairly constant
Abiotic factors that affect communities
Light intensity:
-light is required for photosynthesis
-the rate of photosynthesis affects the rate at which plant grows
-plants can be food sources or shelter for many organisms
Temperature:
-temperature affects the rate of photosynthesis
Moisture levels:
-both plants and animals need water to survive
Soil pH and mineral content:
-soil pH affects the rate of decay snd therefore how fast mineral ions return to soil
-different species of plants thrive in different nutrient concentration levels
Wind intensity and direction:
-affects the rate of transpiration in plants
-transpiration affects the temperature of plant, and the rate of photosynthesis because it transports water and mineral ions into leaves
Carbon dioxide levels:
-co2 affe ts rate of photosynthesis in plants
-also affects the distribution of organisms as some thrive in high CO2 environments
Oxygen levels for aquatic animald:
X-levels in water vary greatly, unlike oxygen in air
-most fish need high concentration of oxygen to survive
Biotic factors that can affect community
Availability for food:
-mor food means organism have a higher chance of surviving and reproducing. This means their population can increase.
-rainforest ecosystems have rich food supply and allows many species to live there. Deserts have a poor food supply and this allows fewer species to live there
New predators:
-in balanced ecosystems, predators catch enough prey to survive but not so many that they wipe put the prey population. If a new predator is introduced to ecosystem, it may become unbalanced
New pathogens:
-if a new pathogen enters and ecosystem. The populations living there will have no immunity or resistance to it and the population may decline or be wiped out
Competition:
-if two species compete for the same resources and one is better adapted to take advantage of these resources, then that species will out compete the other. This may continue until there are too few members of the lesser adapted species to breed successfully
Types of adaptation to environment table
Structural:
-a physical part of feature of an organisms
-the white fur of a polar bear provides camouflage in the snow so it has less chance of being detected by prey
-seals have a thick layer of fat to insulate them against cold conditions they live in
Behavioural:
-the way an organism behaves
-cold-blooded reptiles bask in the sun to absorb heat
-rabbits dig burrows in which to live and raise offspring
Functional:
-Biological processes within an organism
-snakes produce venom to kill prey
-mosquitoes produce chemicals that stop animals blood clotting when they bite, so that they can feed on more easily
Adaptations to the cold regions
-animals here often have a small surface area:volume ratio to minimise heat loss to their surroundings (rounded dhape of penguins/seals,small ears of arctic fox)
-a thick layer of fat (seal blubber) or fur (polar bears) insulates against cold
-these are examples of structural adpatations
Adaptation to desert regions
-some desert animals have specially adapted kidneys which produce very concentrated urine, helping the animal retain water-this is a functional adaptation
-some are only active in the early mornings, late evenings or at night when it is cooler-this is a behavioural adaptation
-some animals have structures to increase their surface area:volume ratio to aid heat loss (large ears of African elephants)-structural adaptations
Camouflage
Arctic foxes have brown or grey fur in summer, blending into plants, and white fur in winter, blending into the snow.
Lions and lionesses have sandy-coloured fur that matches the dry grasses of the African savannah, helping them stalk prey.
Adaptations in Dry Climates
Extreme adpatations
Thermophiles live in extremely hot environments, such as volcanic springs, where they have heat-resistant enzymes that do not denature at high temperatures.
Cold-adapted bacteria thrive in ice and glaciers at temperatures as low as -15°C.
Halophiles are bacteria that survive in extremely salty environments, such as the Dead Sea. Their cytoplasm is adapted to prevent water loss due to osmosis.
Not all extremophiles are microorganisms. Some worms and fish have specialized adaptations for surviving in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, where extreme pressure, high temperatures, and lack of sunlight create challenging conditions.
Plant adpatations
Changing surface area:
-when it comes to stopping water loss through the leaves, the surface area to volume ratio is very important to plants
-a few desert plants have broad leaves with large surface area. These leaves collect the drew that forms in the cold evenings. They then funnel the water towards their shallow roots
-in dry environments have curled leaves to reduce the surface area if leaf. This traps a layer if moist sir around the leaf to reduce the amount of water the plants loses by evaporation.
-some desert plants have a small fleshly leaves with a thick cuticle to keep water loss down. This cuticle is a waxy covering on leaf that stops water evaporating
Collecting water:
-extensive roots that spread over a very wide area, roots that go down a very long way or both.
-These adaptations allow the plant to take up as much water as possible from the soil
Storing water:
-storing water in tissues
-some plants use fleshy leaves to store water, while other plants use stems or roots
