B4.1 Adaptations to the enviroment Flashcards
Habitat
The place where an organism lives, it describes the geographical location, the type of ecosystem, the physical location, and physical and chemical conditions.
Describe the habitat of the species Ranunculus glacialis:
Very high altitudes on mountains in Europe.
- Snow cover during the winter.
- little competition from other plants during short summer.
- Intense sunlight and acidic soils that are moist but also well-drained.
The distribution of a species
Where it lives in the world.
Which division of factors affect the distribution of a species?
Abiotic factors
What is the species distribution of Ranunculus glacialis?
North-western areas in Scandinavia
List the abiotic factors that affect plant distribution:
- Temperature
- Water availability
- Light intensity
- Soil pH
- Soil salinity
- Availability of mineral nutrients
What are some abiotic factors that affect animal distribution:
- Water availability
- Temperature
What is the range of tolerance of salmon?
- Fast-flowing freshwater no more than 3m deep,
- Must have gravel substrates (10mm-100mm)
- Water pH of 5.5 and 8.0
- High oxygen Concentration
How do salmon keep their eggs and sperm from being washed by currents?
They dig a shallow depression in gravel.
Where do biotic factors dominate?
Ecosystems where there are close communities of organisms.
Ex: tropical rainforests
Where do abiotic factors dominate?
Extreme habitats where population densities are low.
Ex: Desert, or Taiga
Sand Dunes
Accumulations of wind-blown sand at the top of beaches.
What are some of the conditions on sand dunes?
- High salt concentration and hindered water uptake.
- Little water retention after rainfall
What are some of the challenges plants face on beach dunes?
- Tolerance of sand accumulation
+ Toleerance of high salt concentration - Water conservation
What are some adaptations of Lyme grass in sand dunes?
- It has underground stems that grow upwards as sand accumulates and extend deep into the dune to obtain water.
- Stomata at the base of hairy furrows wherever humid air is retained in windy conditions.
- Thick waxy cuticle that reduces transpiration
- Fructans accumulates in leaf and root cells and increases osmotic potential and water uptake.
- During droughts sclerenchyma near one leaf surface that prevents wilting and causes the leaf to roll up, creating a humid chamber that is less exposed to wind.
Mangrove Swamps
Trees that develop on the coast in the tropics and subtropics where there are sheltered conditions and mud accumulates. They are flooded with seawater at high tide and the most common species are trees.
What are some of the environmental challenges faced by mangrove swamps?
- Difficult to obtaini oxygen due to waterlogged anaerobic soils.
- High salt concentrations due to flooding with seawater and evaporation that prevents water uptake by osmosis.
What are some adaptations of mangrove swamps?
- Salt Glands —> Secrete excess salt
- Large buoyant seeds —> Drop and disperse
- Stilt roots grow in a downward arch — Butress tree in soft mud
- Cable roots grow close to soil surface — More oxegyn
- Vertical Root branches grow up into air — Absorb O2 for roots in anaerobic soil.
What are some more adaptations of mangrove swamps?
- Suberin root epidermis, reduced permeability to salts, prevents excessive uptake.
- Mineral ions and carbon ions such as mannitol that increase osmotic potential, enabling water absorption from the very saline environment.
Transect
A line or belt between two lines along which data are collected.
How are measurements of the abiotic variable made?
The transect should span the different levels of the variable.
How can measurements of species distribution be made?
- Recording number of inidividuals touching a Line transect. (Link int sampling)
- Measuring abundance by using quadrats at regular intervals along a belt (a belt transect).
- Tallying sightings by observer walking along a line (observational transect)
Coral reefs
Biodiverse marine ecosystems that can only develop where conditions are suitable enough for hard corals.
What are the conditions for coral reef survival?
- water less than 50m deep, so light penetrates.
- 32-42 parts per thousand of dissolved ions to avoid osmotic problems.
- pH above 7.8 so Caco3 can be deposited in the skeleton
- Clear water as turbidity prevents the penetration of light.
- 23-29 degrees so the coral and zooxanthellae remain healthy.