Adaptation to the environment

Question 1

Range of tolerance

Answer 1

The range of factors which most species can only survive within

Question 2

Abiotic factors

Answer 2

Temperature
Light
pH
Water
Mineral nutrients
Turbulence/physical damage

Question 3

Temperature

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Lizard temperature maintenance

Answer 4

Behavioural adaptation
Sunbathing to warm up
Sheltering to avoid overheating
Hibernating if they can’t get warm

Question 5

Bird/mammal temperature maintenance

Answer 5

Biological adaptation
Respiration of stored food
Increases need for food
increases range of tolerance

Question 6

Light

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Woodland plant adaptation

Answer 7

Woodland plants have red/blue pigments to make use of green light
Woodland plants can’t usually survive continual bright light

Question 8

pH

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Plant adaptations to pH

Answer 9

Cowslips live in alkaline chalk soils
Most lichens cannot survive in acidic soils
Wrong pH soils denature root cell enzymes

Question 10

Water

Answer 10

All organisms need water to survive
Some species need water for breeding
Some species need water due to an inability to reduce water loss

Question 11

Frog water adaptations

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Mineral nutrients

Answer 12

Animals get minerals from food and water

Most plants can only get minerals from root adsorption

Question 13

Case study- Sundew

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Turbulence/physical damage

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Species interdependence

Answer 15

Factors affecting one species can be modified by another

The survival of one organism can often indirectly depend on the survival of another

Question 16

Altered abiotic factors in a wood

Answer 16

Light levels lowered by canopy
Light absorption in floor and canopy plants
Humidity increased by transpiration
Wind velocity reduced by wind-breaking trees
Decomposition increases nutrient availability

Question 17

Biotic factors

Answer 17

Feeding
Avoiding predators
Symbiotic nutrition
Pollination
Seed dispersal
Disease
Nutrient supply

Question 18

Feeding

Answer 18

Heterotrophs get food from other organisms
Different food require different adaptations to feed effectively
In harsh environments, eating a wide range of foods is an advantage
Rainforests have ideal abiotic conditions for plants to grow so food availability is good

Question 19

Bird beak adaptations

Answer 19

Parrots have strong, hooked bills to pick up and open fruit and seeds
Hummingbirds have long bills and tongues to feed on nectar
Woodpeckers feed on insects in dead, rotting wood

Question 20

Large blue butterfly caterpillars

Answer 20

Feed on wild thyme
Spend winter in a specific red ant species nest
Feed on ant larvae during winter

Question 21

Avoiding predators

Answer 21

Defence mechanisms are adapted
Eg. bad taste, toxins, thorns
Animals can use camouflage
Tree-dwellers are more vulnerable if they come to the ground

Question 22

Symbiotic nutrition

Answer 22

Different species evolved to benefit each other
Algae in coral polyps get safe habitat while polyps get food
Animals cannot produce cellulase so some have bacteria in their guts which have cellulase
Eg. elephants, termites
Lady’s slipper orchid seeds join with mycorrhizal fungi

Question 23

Pollination

Answer 23

Wind pollination doesn’t often work well
Many plants have evolved flowers to attract animals to transfer pollen
Many plants have evolved to attract specific animals using scent, time, colour, shape
Pollinators eg. bees, beetles, moths, bats

Question 24

Seed dispersal

Answer 24

Wind dispersal only works for small seeds or in windy areas
Plants often produce seeds that attract animals
Some seeds are dropped by animals to grow into plants
Eg. squirrels bury acorns and forget them
Some seeds are in fruit which passes through the gut while faeces act as fertiliser

Question 25

Disease

Answer 25

Diseases naturally control populations

Weak individuals are killed, improving the population via natural selection

Question 26

Case study- Squirrel pox

Answer 26

Grey squirrels are immune carriers of squirrel pox
Red squirrels are susceptible to squirrel pox
Where both species are together attempts are made to separate them
Feeding stations are not used to prevent greys meeting reds

Question 27

Nutrient supply

Answer 27

Nutrients in dead organic matter are released via decomposition
Plants can then use the nutrients again
More plants can survive, so food is ensured for other speces

Question 28

Indirect benefits

Answer 28

Species interdependence is often more subtle than feeding
Many hole nesting birds depend on woodpeckers to excavate the holes
Forest elephants make bais for water and salts which get used by other forest species like gorilla
To protect a species, you need to protect the entire community