B4: Form and Function of Ecosystems Flashcards
What is a habitat?
Place where an organism lives, including the physical conditions/type of ecosystem/where it resides
How specific can a habitat be?
As specific as which part of a tree it lives
What is an abiotic factor?
Non-living aspect of an ecocystem that typically has impact at extremes
Examples of an abiotic factor
Soil/rock/temperature/salinity/rainfall amount
What is an adaptation?
Genetic feature of an organism that provides an advantage for survival/reproduction
What is an ecosystem?
Interacting biotic community + abiotic factors in one area at one time
What is a species?
Group of living organisms capable of successfully interbreeding to create fertile offspring
What is species distribution?
Manner in which a species is arranged in a geographic area/where it lives
How is species distribution usually indicated?
On a map with a key for abundance
What is a limiting factor?
Any abiotic factor that (at extremes) prevents a species from living in an area
What is range of tolerance?
Area between two extremes for an abiotic factor that can still accomodate successful habitation of a species
What is a physical adaptation?
Changes to the physical structure/outward appearance
What is a chemical adaptation?
Changes in the cellular level or functional changes to an internal process
What is a behavioural adaptation?
Learned (requries previous expore) or innate (natural) actions of an organism
What is a population?
One species in one area at a time
What is a community?
interacting populations in one area at one time
How is an adaptation evolved?
Natural selection
Mutation in DNA, causes genetic variation, struggle to survive, survival of the fittest, inheritance of variation
What are physical adaptations of grasses to sand dunes?
Thick, waxy cuticle
Accumulation of fructans in tap roots
Rhizomes that grow upwards as sand accumulates + extends deep into dune
Stomata in furrows/indentations
What are the conditions in a sand dune that grass must adapt to?
Low water availability
High salt concentration
What are chemical adaptations of grasses to sand dunes?
Conversion of materials into fructans (to be stored in root/leaf cells)
Rolling leaves
What is the benefit of a thick, waxy coating on leaves (cuticle)?
Reduce water loss/transpiration
What type of adaptation is a cuticle?
Physical
What is the advantage of rolling leaves for grass to sand dune environment?
Creates a humid area inside the rolled leaf -> less transpiration
What is the advantage of accumulating fructans (carbohydrates) in root + leaf cells for grass to sand dunes environment?
Increases osmotic pressure -> more water uptake