7.1 Adaptations, Interdependence and Competition

Question 1

state the levels of organisation in an ecosystem.

Answer 1

individual, population, community, ecosystem.

Question 2

what is an ecosystem?

Answer 2

the interaction between the living components and non-living components.

Question 3

state the factors that plants may compete for.

Answer 3

• light
• space
• water
• mineral ions from soil

Question 4

state the factors that animals might compete for.

Answer 4

• food
• mates
• territory

Question 5

what is intraspecific competition?

Answer 5

competition within a species.

Question 6

what is interspecific competition?

Answer 6

competition between different species.

Question 7

what is interdependence?

Answer 7

different species in a ecosystem depend on each other for various resouces, if one species is removed, the whole community may be affected.

Question 8

what is a stable community?

Answer 8

a community in which all the biotic factors (the different species) and all abiotic facotrs are balanced so that population sizes remaqin relatively constant.

Question 9

what are abiotic factors?

Answer 9

non-living factors.

Question 10

statre the abiotic factors that may affect an ecosystem.

Answer 10

• light intensity
• temperature
• moisture
• soil pH and mineral content
• wind intensity and direction
• carbon dioxide level
• oxygen level

Question 11

why might light intensity affect an ecosystem?

Answer 11

different species of plants may have different optimum light intensities for growth.

Question 12

why does temperature affect an ecosystem?

Answer 12

different species of plants and animals may have different optimum temperatures for growth and survival.

Question 13

how does soil pH affect an ecosystem?

Answer 13

certain plants may grow better in either alkaline or acidic soil.
soil pH may affect the appearance of the plant e.g. colour of hydrangea.

Question 14

how does moisture level affect an ecosystem?

Answer 14

may plants cannot survive in waterlogged soil as their roots cannot respire.
certain plants are adapted to high moisture levels.

Question 15

how does wind intensity affect an ecosystem?

Answer 15

plant seeds are more likely to germinate in locations with lower wind intensity, which may also attract animals that depend on the plant to live nearby.

Question 16

how does soil mineral content affect an ecosystem?

Answer 16

most plants require a high level of soil minerals to grow well.

Question 17

give an example of a type of plants that have adapted to low soil mineral content.

Answer 17

carnivorous plants catch insects to compensate for the low level of soil mineral content.

Question 18

how does carbon dioxide concentration affect an ecosystem?

Answer 18

higher carbon dioxide concentration leads to more plant growth,.

Question 19

how does oxygen concentration affect an ecosystem?

Answer 19

aquatic animals cannot survive in areas with low oxygen concentration.

Question 20

state the biotic factors that may affect an ecosystem.

Answer 20

• food
• new predators
• new pathogens
• competition

Question 21

what are adaptations?

Answer 21

features that enable organisms to survive in theior living environment.

Question 22

what are organisms living in extreme environments called?

Answer 22

extremophiles.

Question 23

give 3 examples of extreme living environments.

Answer 23

• high temperature
• high pressure
• high salt concentration

Question 24

state an example of where extremophile bacteria can be found.

Answer 24

in deep sea vents.