Adaptation to the environment Flashcards
Range of tolerance
The range of factors which most species can only survive within
Abiotic factors
Temperature Light pH Water Mineral nutrients Turbulence/physical damage
Temperature
Low temperatures cause the cells to freeze
High temperatures denature proteins
Temperature fluctuations can cause problems with enzyme action
Internal body temperature must be kept constant
Lizard temperature maintenance
Behavioural adaptation
Sunbathing to warm up
Sheltering to avoid overheating
Hibernating if they can’t get warm
Bird/mammal temperature maintenance
Biological adaptation
Respiration of stored food
Increases need for food
increases range of tolerance
Light
Light absorbed via photosynthesis is basis for most food chains
Plants evolved pigments to absorb light in different habitats
UV light is damaging to cells
Amphibians are particularly vulnerable to UV because of thin membranes
Woodland plant adaptation
Woodland plants have red/blue pigments to make use of green light
Woodland plants can’t usually survive continual bright light
pH
Organisms with exposed tissues are vulnerable to pH changes due to enzyme damage
Many plants can only survive within a specific range of pH
Acidic conditions dissolve the exoskeletons of some animals
Freshwater crustaceans cannot survive in acidic water
Plant adaptations to pH
Cowslips live in alkaline chalk soils
Most lichens cannot survive in acidic soils
Wrong pH soils denature root cell enzymes
Water
All organisms need water to survive
Some species need water for breeding
Some species need water due to an inability to reduce water loss
Frog water adaptations
Frogs have a thin skin that must stay wet
Dry frog skin kills the surface cells
Dead surface cells reduce oxygen absorption
Frogs lay egg in water
Toads have a thicker skin so they can live in drier habitats
Mineral nutrients
Animals get minerals from food and water
Most plants can only get minerals from root adsorption
Case study- Sundew
Plants in waterlogged anaerobic soils have a nitrate deficient
The sundew traps and dissolves insects
The insects provide nitrogen via proteins
Dry soils are more aerobic so nitrogen availability will increase
More nitrogen means more competitors can colonise
Turbulence/physical damage
Some species are adapted to survive turbulent conditions without being damaged
Brown seaweed are very flexible and have mucus to reduce friction
Palm trees have thin leaves with veins running lengthways so the leaf can survive if part gets damaged
Species interdependence
Factors affecting one species can be modified by another
The survival of one organism can often indirectly depend on the survival of another