Adaptations, Interdependence and Competition Flashcards
State the levels of organisation in an ecosystem.
Individual, population, community,
ecosystem.
What is an ecosystem?
The interaction between the living
components and non-living components
State the factors that plants may
compete for.
● Light
● Space
● Water
● Mineral ions from soi
State the factors that animals might
compete for
● Food
● Mates
● Territory
What is intraspecific competition?
Competition within a species.
What is interspecific competition?
Competition between different species.
What is interdependence?
Different species in a ecosystem depend
on each other for various resources, if
one species is removed, the whole
community may be affected.
What is a stable community?
A community in which all the biotic factors (the different species) and all abiotic factors are balanced so that population sizes remain relatively constant
State the abiotic factors that may affect
an ecosystem.
● Light intensity ● Temperature ● Moisture ● Soil pH and mineral content ● Wind intensity and direction ● Carbon dioxide level ● Oxygen level
Why might light intensity affect an
ecosystem?
Different species of plants may have different optimum light intensities for growth, rate of photosynthesis may decrease, plants wont grow as quickly, animals that depend on that plant may decrease in population
Why does temperature affect an
ecosystem?
Different species of plants and animals may
have different optimum temperatures for
growth and survival
How does soil pH affect an ecosystem?
Certain plants may grow better in either
alkaline or acidic soil.
Soil pH may affect the appearance of the
plant eg. colour of hydrangea
How does moisture level affect an
ecosystem?
Many plants cannot survive in waterlogged
soil as their roots cannot respire.
Certain plants are adapted to high moisture
levels
How does wind intensity affect an
ecosystem?
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
How does soil mineral content affect an
ecosystem?
Most plants require a high level of soil
minerals to grow well.
Give an example of a type of plants that
have adapted to low soil mineral content.
Carnivorous plants catch insects to
compensate for the low level of soil mineral
content.
How does carbon dioxide concentration
affect an ecosystem?
Higher carbon dioxide concentration leads to more plant growth.
How does oxygen concentration affect
an ecosystem?
Aquatic animals cannot survive in areas with
low oxygen concentration
State the biotic factors that may affect an
ecosystem.
● Food
● New predators
● New pathogens
● Competition
What are adaptations?
Features that enable organisms to
survive in their living environment.
What are organisms living in extreme
environments called?
Extremophiles
Give 3 examples of extreme living
environments
● High temperature
● High pressure
● High salt concentration
State an example of where extremophile
bacteria can be found.
In deep sea vents.
How are camels adapted to live in deserts
- adapted to hot and dry conditions of a desert
- many structural adaptations
- hump stores fat to insulate, allowing heat loss from other parts of the body, reducing sweating
- metabolic reactions can be used to produce water from fat
- thick coat on the upper surface of their body, insulating camel from sun, reduces heat loss from sweating
- leathery inside of mouth, can chew desert plants which can be a good source of water
- long eyelashes to keep dust out of eyes
- close nostrils to keep dust out of nose
- wide flat feet preventing the camel from sinking into the sand
- functional adaptations include
- concentrated urine + dry faeces, reducing water loss
- can tolerate v large changes in temperature, helping them to cope w the intensity of the desert
what are structural adaptations
adaptations to the body shape or structure
what are functional adaptations
adaptations to the body functions of an organism
what are behavioural adaptations
adaptations to the animal’s lifestyle or behaviour, eg nocturnal animals which keeps them away from the heat in the day time
what are the adaptations of the arctic fox?
- very thick white fur, provides insulation and reduces heat loss to the air
- fur on the soles of the feet, reduces heat loss to ice and snow
- very small ears, reduces surface area of fox, reducing heat loss
- coat is camouflage, helps it hunt its prey
how are cacti adapted?
- very small leaves, reducing water loss
- no leaves at all, only spines, which protect the cactus from animals
- extensive shallow roots allowing them to catch as much water as possible after rainfall
- can store water in their stem, can survive many months without rain
