Adaption for Survivial Flashcards
Why are arctic foxes white in the winter?
So they are camouflaged against the snow and ice and their prey find it more difficult to see them.
State three things that plants compete for.
Three of: Light, Water, Nutrients (mineral ions), space
State three possible ways that a plant might conserve water.
Three of: smaller leaves, water storage tissue e.g. swollen stem stomata situated away from light and wind, curled leaves, waxy leaves.
Why do warning colours prevent some animals being eaten?
The colour signals that they are poisonous or have an awful taste. Once the animal eats it, they won’t try it again.
Why do some animals move North during the summertime and return South in the winter?
The climate further South gets too warm in the summer. It is too cold for them in the North in winter.
Why do some woodland plants grow and flower early in the year?
So that they are able to use the sunlight for photosynthesis and grow. Once the trees have their leaves the smaller plants will receive less light. They will also have more competition for water and nutrients from the soil as the trees begin to grow.
Name an instrument which can record environmental change over a few weeks.
A data logger- a computer attached to sensors.
What is the advantage for some predators to be camouflaged?
So their prey find them more difficult to see. This means that the predator can get closer to its prey before attacking. This makes them more successful at obtaining food.
An elephant has a small surface area to volume ratio. How will this affect the elephant in how climates?
It will transfer energy slowly. This is why elephants have folded skin which increases the total surface area and its large ears will also transfer energy effectively.
A farmer plants some seeds in rows 10cm apart.The plants grow well. He wonders if he should plant them closer next year. Explain why this might not produce better yield.
When the plants are grown closer together there is more competition for light, water and nutrients. This means that individual plants may not grow as well and the overall yield is the same or lower.
Suggest why some animals in a desert spend all day in a burrow and come out at night.
To keep cool/stay out of the sun and to feed. They are also less easily seen by a predator.
Why is it difficult to interpret data about changes in the distribution of animals and plants?
There are many possible variables. It may be obvious that the climate has got warmer but this might lead to other changes. For example, if a plant flowers earlier in the year, the insects which feed on it may not be around to pollinate the flowers. This could lead to the fall in numbers of plants and also in the number of insect which wouldn’t be able to feed on the nectar.
