B16 - Adaptations, Interdependence and Evolution Flashcards
(41 cards)
1
Q
What are the different levels of organisation in an ecosystem?(4)
A
- Individual organism - single member of a species
- Population - group of individuals of the same species
- Community - all populations of different species
- Ecosystem - community of organisms interacting with physical environment
2
Q
What is the importance of interdependence?
A
- Organisms rely on each other for survival and well being
- Helps maintain a balanced and healthy community
- Facilitate nutrient cycling and energy flow in the community
- Crucal for providing essential ecosystem services like pollination and water purification
3
Q
What is the importance of competition?
A
- Competition drives natural selection - favouring individuals with adaptations that allow them to outcompete others
- Competition helps allocate resources efficiently in the community
- Influences distribution and abundance of species in a community
4
Q
What factors can organisms compete for?
A
- Food
- Water
- Sunlight
- Space
- Mates
5
Q
What is an ecosystem?
A
The interaction of a community of living organisms with the non-living parts of their environment
6
Q
What is a stable community?
A
- A community in which all the spcies and environmental factors are in balance to the population sizes remain fairly constant
7
Q
Within a community what do different species depend on each other for?
A
- Food
- Shelter
- Pollination
- Seed disperal
8
Q
What is interdependence?
A
- Where different species rely on each other for different things
- If one species is removed it can affect the whole community
9
Q
What are abiotic factors?(7 examples)
A
- Distribution of the number of organisms in an ecosystem is affected by abiotic factors(non-living factors)
- Light intensity
- Temperature
- Moisture levels
- Soil pH and mineral content
- Wind intensity and direction
- Carbon dioxide levels for plants
- Oxygen levels for aquatic animals
10
Q
How would light intensity affect number of organisms?
A
- Some plants(cactus) have evolved for optimum growth in bright sunlight
- Other plants have evolved to grow in darker conditions(e.g orchids)
11
Q
How would moisture levels affect number of organisms?
A
- Many plants cannot survive in waterlogged soils as roots are unable to espire, rot and plant dies
- Other plants(e.g pitcher plants) grow best in bogs where moisture is high
12
Q
How would soil pH content affect number of organisms? Plus pH of water?
A
- Azaleas grow best in acidic soils and will quickly die if planted in alkaline soils
- Clematis prefer alkaline soils
- Hydrangea grow in both - blue in acidic soils and pink in alkaline soils
- pH of water can also affect aquatic organisms
13
Q
How would soil mineral content affect number of organisms?
A
- Carnivorous plants(e.g pitcher plants) have evolved to catch insects to supplement the low levels of minerals found in soils
14
Q
How would wind intensity and direction affect the number of organisms?
A
- Many prefer more sheltered locations
- Plant seeds are more likely to settle and germinate there and animals are more likely to live close to where they grow
- Strength of wind also affects growth of individual organisms
15
Q
How can carbon dioxide levels affect plant numbers?
A
- Reactant in photosynthesis - plants need it to survive
- Areas with higher levels of carbon dioxide more likely to have healthy plants growing
- Woodlands have higher carbon dioxide levels, plants living in open areas have evolved mechanisms to overcome a shortage of carbon dioxide
16
Q
How do oxygen levels for aquatic animals affect numbers?
A
- Oxygen from air and produced by aquatic plants dissolved in water
- Healthy lakes and rivers have high levels
- Polluted waters - certain species like sludgeworms - bioindicator species because their presence or absence informs us about condition
17
Q
What are bioindicator species examples?
A
- Clean = stonefly nymph, mayfly larva
- Some = freshwater shrimp, caddis fly larva
- Moderate = bloodworm, water louse
- High = sludeworm, red-tailed maggot
- Very high = no insects
18
Q
What are examples of biotic factors?
A
- Availability of food
- New predators arriving
- New pathogens
- One species outcompeting another so numbers are no longer sufficient to breed
19
Q
How would new predators affect distribution of organisms?
A
- Upset balance of predators and prey
- Cause a rapid decline in numbers of prey which then reduces the food supply for existing predators
20
Q
How would out-competition affect distribution of organisms?
A
- Introduction of new species into ecosystem can result in it out-competing another native species
- Squirrels as an example
21
Q
What do plants compete for in an ecosystem or habitat?
A
- Light
- Water from soil
- Minerals from soil
- Space
21
Q
How do plants compete for light?
A
- Needed for photosynthesis
- Compete by growing quickly to reach it and often shade other plants with leaves
22
Q
How do plants compete for water from the soil?
A
- Water is a reactant in photosynthesis - essential they have a regular supply for photosynthesis to occur
- Some plants have roots which are shallow but extend a long way from tree to maximise the update of water after rainfall
- Some have roots that are deep to find stores of underground water
23
Q
How do plants compete for minerals from the soil?
A
- Minerals required for healthy growth - e.g nitrates and magnesium
- Plants in soils with low minerals(e.g bogs) = evolved different ways of accessing nitrates
- Some like pitcher plants = evolved to be carnivorous and consume insects
24
How do plants compete for space?
- Good space means their leaves are not shaded which maximises photosynthesis
- Gardeners = plant vegetables close together = smaller vegetables produced
25
What factors do animals compete for?
- Food
- Mates
- Territory
26
How do animals compete for food?
- Food for energy and raw materials to complete life processes
- Some birs have evolved to only eat certain types of insect to reduce competition from other species
27
How do animals compete for mates?
- Essential so they can pass on their genes to their offspring
- Evolved to have an innate or natural drive to reproduce, can result in fights
- Benefits population as only the strongest pass on their genes to the next generation as a result of fights
28
How do animals compete for territory?
- Contain all resources and conditions they need to survive(abiotic and biotic factors)
-
29
What are the two types of competition?
- Intraspecific = competition between same species
- Interspecfic = competition which occurs between organisms of different species for a common resource
30
What are adaptations?
Features an organism has to survive in conditions they usually live in
31
What are the adaptations that allow organisms to survive in their specific environments?
- Structural
- Behavioural
- Functional (internal processes)
32
What are the structural adaptations for plants?
- Root systems = wide-ranging, shallow roots to absorb lots of water
- Large leaves = maximise photosynthesis
- Flowers = attract insects to pollinate them
- Formation of spines
33
What are the behavioural adaptations in plants?
- Tropisms = growth responses to environmental stimuli like light, gravity and touch, water
- Catch insects = closing of trap to catch an insect
34
What are physiological adaptations in plants?
- Poison formation for defence = deter herbivores
- control water loss through transpiration, such as waxy cuticles and stomata that can be closed
35
What are the structural adaptations in animals?
- Sharp claws to catch prey, dig burrows or scratch trees to signal territories
- Good vision, hearing
- Prey=eyes on sides of their heads to easily spot predators
- Predators=eyes on front to judge distance to their prey
- Large ears in desert animals help with temperature regulation
36
What are the behavioural adaptations in animals?
- Hunting prey in packs
- Mating rituals to attract = peacocks
- Migration = search for favourable conditions
- Crocodiles use twigs to lure birds
37
What are the physiological adaptations of animals?
- Production of venom = e.g snakes and spiders to defend themselves and kill their prey
38
What are extremophiles?
- Organisms which live in environment that are very extreme(e.g high temperature, pressure or salt concentration)
- e.g bacteria living in deep sea vents
39
What adaptations do animals living in hot environments typically have?
- Thin bodies, longer legs, longer ears to increase surface area to volume ratio
- Thin layer of fat and thin fur
- Produce very concentrated urine and don't sweat
- More active at night and early morning and evening
- Rest in burrows and shady areas
40
What adaptations do plants that live in dry conditions typicallly have?
- Small leaves and thick cuticles to reduce water loss
- Long shallow roots to absorb water quickly from rainwater and deep roots to absorb water from deep underground
- Cells in stem are able to swell to store water when it is available
