B4.1 Adaptation to environment

Question 1

a habitat

Answer 1

where species live

Question 2

a niche

Answer 2

a complete description of a species ecology

Question 3

how are ecosystems formed

Answer 3

communities form the biotic part of an ecosystem while abiotic is non living part
interactions between these two form ecosystems

Question 4

microhabitat

Answer 4

the occupied area within an ecosystem is extremely small
conditions within are likely to be very different from conditions in surrounding habitat

Question 5

xerophytes

Answer 5

plants able to survive in water lacking environments
they are also able to survive in cold regions and windy areas

Question 6

in which environment are plants susceptible to increased water loss

Answer 6

windy or hot due to increased evaporation or differences in water concentration between leaf and air

Question 7

marram grass and its adaptations

Answer 7

is a xerophyte with rolled leads so the stomatas are on the inside. Makes the insides humid and reduces concentration gradient between air and tissue and evaporation is lowered
inner epidermis is hairy to trap water and limit air movement

Question 8

features of mangrove swamps

Answer 8

found in tropical coastal areas with high rainfall and constant insolation
grow in saline and oxygen deficient environment
have limited productivty compared to other tropical ecosystems

Question 9

aerial roots in mangroves

Answer 9

absorb oxygen directly from the air and survive when the forest floods.
also creates stability

Question 10

how are mangroves adapted to salinity

Answer 10

have adaptations to limit access of salt and to remove it once present in the plant

Question 11

limiting biotic factors

Answer 11

include interactions between organisms

Question 12

limiting abiotic factors

Answer 12

physical components of the environments

Question 13

limiting factors in plants

Answer 13

light water nutrients carbon dioxide and temperature

Question 14

limiting factors in animals

Answer 14

includes food space mates and water

Question 15

limits of tolerance

Answer 15

critical minimal and critical maximum limits are a species or population limits of tolerance

Question 16

range of tolerance

Answer 16

the range between the limits of environmental factors within which species can survive

Question 17

optimum zone of tolerance

Answer 17

conditions that favour maximum fitness, growth, abundance and survival

Question 18

zones of stress

Answer 18

on either side of the optimal zone, where fewer individuals occur and survival is lower

Question 19

zones of intolerance

Answer 19

none of the organisms can survive

Question 20

pompeii worm

Answer 20

lives in deap sea hydrothermal vents, one of the hottest areas on earth
live in tubes to protect bodies and also live very deep in high pressures
it s a thermophilic species that have limits of tolerance
also have bacteria that helps them be resistant

Question 21

halophytes

Answer 21

plants that can grow in soil or water of high salinity

Question 22

glycophytes

Answer 22

plants that are not salt tolerant

Question 23

transects

Answer 23

arbitrary lines through a habitat
used to study the distribution of animals and plants along environmental gradients

Question 24

quadrats

Answer 24

used to sample plants algae and other immobile organisms along a transection

Question 25

a line transect

Answer 25

made by placing a tape measure in the direction of the gradient

Question 26

belt transect

Answer 26

a band of chosen width placed along the gradient

Question 27

continuous transect

Answer 27

when the whole transect is sampled

Question 28

interrupted transects

Answer 28

when samples are taken at equa points along the gradient

Question 29

why is the shore an area of great diversity

Answer 29

due to tide and other factors almost all species are of marine origin

Question 30

exposure as an abiotic factor

Answer 30

influences the distribution of organisms on the seashore brings the threat od drying out and wider extremes of temperature than those experienced during submission

Question 31

reef building corals and zooxanthellae

Answer 31

they have a symbiotic relationship with the unicellular algae zooxanthellae

Question 32

why do coral reefs occur quite close to air

Answer 32

since the algae requires sunlight

Question 33

what can temperature increase do to choral reef

Answer 33

corals live at the uppermost boundary of their temperature tolerance and even 1 degree increase can cause the algae to leave

Question 34

what happens to coral reef when zooxanthellae leaves

Answer 34

known as bleaching because the coral is white and there is no algae to produce glucose causing coral to starve

Question 35

what other factors contribute to the destruction of coral reefs

Answer 35

increasing carbon dioxide makes water more acidic but coral reefs are basic sea levels rising can cause less sunlight to reach the coral so lower rate of photosynthesis

Question 36

what factors affect the type of ecosystem that develops

Answer 36

temperature precipitation insolation

Question 37

what elements of climate can affect ecosystem

Answer 37

air pressure, humidity, cloudiness and wind

Question 38

what are biomes

Answer 38

groups of ecosystems that share similar abiotic conditions and thus develop similar communities through convergent evolution

Question 39

a climograph

Answer 39

a graphical model that shows the relationship between temperature, precipitation, and ecosystem type they show the likely ecosystem found under certain conditions

Question 40

what is productivity

Answer 40

rate of storage of energy in plant biomass through photosynthesis

Question 41

tropical rainforest features

Answer 41

highest productivty found between the tropics rainfall is high, insolation constant and temperatures warm complex structures with number of layers

Question 42

temperate ecosystems features

Answer 42

vary from evergreen forests to grasslands highly productive for part of the year seasonal variation varies sunlight and limits overall productivity rainfall and temperature are also seasonal, reduced productivity means less energy

Question 43

taiga

Answer 43

coniferous forests consisting of pines found near artic circle extreme cold and harsh winds with low rate of precipitation short growing season summers are short and temp below 0 snow cover reflects solar radiation and increases cooling

Question 44

grassland features

Answer 44

found on every continent develop where there is not enough precipitation to support forests, but enough to prevent deserts wide diversity of grass but low productivity wildly fluctuating temperatues limits survival of organisms rate of water usually in balance with rate of evaporation

Question 45

tundra features

Answer 45

found in colder ecosystems where water is ice and not available to plants, reducing productivity highly stressful with low temp and rainfall only moss and liches able to survive insolation is low and temperatures are low most of the year, affecting photosynthesis, respiration and decomposition soil can also be frozen only summers allow for plant growth due to constant sunlight

Question 46

hot desert features

Answer 46

high average temperatures and very low rainfall which can be unevenly distributed lack of water limits photosynthesis and rates of productivity are low temperatures at night also drop making survival difficult

Question 47

three methods used to live in a hot desert

Answer 47

expire evade endure

Question 48

camel features and adaptations

Answer 48

can tolerate high body temperatures thick fur for shade and thin fur for easy heat loss increased SA for heat loss large flat feet to reduce pressure on sand fat in hump can be converted to water slit nostrils and eyelashes help to keep the sand out of eyes and noses

Question 49

cacti features and adaptations

Answer 49

no leaves and photosynthesis occurs in stem to reduce SA Reduce SA to limit water loss through transpiration thick waxy cuticle to prevent water loss able to store water and covered with needles for protection widespread root systems ensure maximum water absorption

Question 50

scorpions features and adaptations

Answer 50

nocturnal arthropods to avoid hot daytime have wide range of prey and venemous stings ambush prey to save energy exoskeleton gives protection and prevents water loss low food and water needs able to detect sand movement

Question 51

kangaroo rats

Answer 51

hides in burrow during daylight can survive without access to drinking water excrete extremely concentrated urine and produce no sweat

Question 52

pitcher plants features and adaptaions

Answer 52

carnivourous found in canopy or areas with nutrient poor soils can photosynthesize but lack other nutrient they catch and digest insects large ones uses the faeces of small mammals as source of nourishment

Question 53

flying lizards features and adaptations

Answer 53

developed adaptation to glide from tree to tree floor has many predators and being on the tree allows them to avoid folds of skin act as wings when stretched tight

Question 54

gibbons features and adaptations

Answer 54

elongated forearms to help them swing tree to tree hook like fingers and highly mobile shoulder joints to help with swinging never have to descend to floor

Question 55

orchid mantis features and adaptations

Answer 55

mimics look of orchid legs resemble flower petals attracts pollinators and uses forelimbs to kill prey young resemble the unopened buds to a flowering tree species