B16. Adaptations, Interdependence and Competition Flashcards
State the levels of organisation in an ecosystem?
IPCE
Individual,
Population
Community
Ecosystem
What is an ecosystem?
The interaction between the living components and non-living components
State the factors that plant may compete for.
Light
Space
Water
Mineral ions from the soil
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 and all abiotic factors are balanced so that population sizes remain relatively constant
What are abiotic factors?
Non-living factors
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
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
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
What piece of apparatus is used to measure the abundance and distribution of organisms in an area?
Quadrat
When considering the abundance of organisms, what is meant by the term “mean”?
The average number of organisms
How is the arithmetic mean calculated?
Sum of each number of each organism ÷ the total number of each type of organism
When considering the abundance of different organisms, what is meant by the term “mode”?
The most populous organism
When considering the abundance of different organisms, what is meant by the term “median”?
The organism that represents the middle value when the numbers of each organism are arranged from lowest to highest
