B16 - Adaptations, interdependence and competition

Question 1

ecology

Answer 1

the study of organisms and how they interact with the environment around them

Question 2

habitat

Answer 2

the place where an organism lives

Question 3

individual

Answer 3

one organism of a species

Question 4

population

Answer 4

total number of organisms of one species living in a habitat

Question 6

ecosystems

Answer 6

a community of interacting organisms and their physical environment

Question 7

interdependence

Answer 7

when two organisms are dependent on each other

Question 8

name common examples of interdependence within an ecosystem

Answer 8

• plants produce food through photosynthesis
• animals eat plants
• animals pollinate plants
• animals eat animals
• animals use biological materials to create shelters
• plants use nutrients from animal droppings

Question 9

biotic factor

definition

Answer 9

a factor caused by a living organism

Question 10

abiotic factor

definition

Answer 10

a factor not caused by a living organism

Question 11

name 7 abiotic factors that affect a community

Answer 11

• light intensity
• temperature
• humidity
• soil pH and mineral content
• air movement
• availability of oxygen
• availability of carbon dioxide

Question 12

name 4 biotic factors that affect a community

Answer 12

• availability of food
• new pathogens
• new predators
• interspecific competition (competition between species)

Question 13

quadrat

Answer 13

a square frame used to sample the population of organisms within the area

Question 14

quantitative sampling

Answer 14

a technique where several random readings are taken and the mean is found between them

Question 15

How do you sample a population of daisies with a quadrat?

Answer 15

1. find the area of a location and split it into 1m by 1m squares
2. use random numbers as coordinates to avoid bias
3. sample 10% of the location
4. count the number of daisies in each quadrat
5. find the mean of all samples that were found
6. use the mean to find the estimated amount of daisies in the location

Question 16

How do you sample a population of daisies with a transect?

Answer 16

1. stretch a tape between two points
2. use a quadrat to take samples across the line

Question 17

Why are transects usually used?

Answer 17

To find if there is a biotic or abiotic factor that affects the population of an organism across the transect

Question 18

What do animals compete for?

Answer 18

• food
• territory
• partners

Question 19

What are 2 ways in which animals compete for mates?

Answer 19

• they fight
• they display themselves to gain attention with an adaptation that can make them stand out

Question 20

What do animals compete for?

Answer 20

• food
• territory
• mates

Question 21

What do plants compete for?

Answer 21

• light
• water
• minerals
• space to grow

Question 22

extremophiles

Answer 22

organisms that survive and reproduce in extreme conditions

Question 23

give 2 examples of adaptations in extremophiles

Answer 23

• High heat - adapted enzymes that do not denature at high temperatures
• Salty habitat - adapted cytoplasm so water does not leave cells through osmosis

Question 24

Epiphytes are found in rainforests. What adaptation do they have to help them survive?

Answer 24

They can live high above the ground by taking water and nutrients out of the air.

Question 25

What are the 3 types of adaptations an animal can have?

Answer 25

• structural - shape, colour
• behavioural - migration, basking in the sun
• functional - antifreeze in cells, metabolism

Question 26

give 2 adaptations that animals have in cold climates

Answer 26

• smaller the surface area to volume ratio the easier it is to minimise energy dissipating to the surroundings (physical adaptation)
• large layers of insulation, e.g. blubber and fur (physical adaptation)

Question 27

give 3 adaptations that animals have in hot and dry climates

Answer 27

• functional adaptations in kidneys to produce little urine
• behavioural adaptations to keep cool, walking in the evenings and early mornings
• thinner skin (physical adaptation) dissipate more energy to the surroundings

Question 28

What are the 2 main problems that animals face in the desert?

Answer 28

• coping with a lack of water
• stopping their body temperature from getting too high or too low