b4.2 ecological niches Flashcards
ecological niche
every species in an ecosystem has a unique role
why do species ned to adapt and specialise for their mode of nutrition within their habitat
need to compete for food to grow, survive and reproduce
obligate aerobes
require a continuous oxygen supply so can only live in oxic environment
obligate aerobes eg
all animals and plant
obligate anaerobes
inhibited or killed by oxygen so can only live in anoxic environment
obligate anaerobes eg
tentanus bacteria
facultative anaerobes
use oxygen if available so can live in both environment
facultative anaerobes eg
yeast
photosynthesis as a mode of nutrition
- energy from sunlight used to fix carbon dioxide
- carbon turned into sugars, amino acids and other carbon compounds
phototropic
can get energy from sunlight but does not use chrorophyll pigments (NOT PHOTOSYNTHESIS)
chemotropic
oxidation of inorganic chemicals
heterotropic
oxidation of carbon compounds of other organisms
archaea characteristics [3]
- unicellular
- no nucleus
- diverse in how they obtain energy for atp production
holozoic nutrition
when food is ingested and digested internally to be absorbed and assimilated
archaea- how they obtain energy
- phototropic
- chemotropic
- heterotropic
animals- how they obtain energy
- heterotrophic
- holozoic nutrition
mixotropic
organisms that arent mutually autotropic or heterotrophic
obligate mixotroph
- cant grow unless they use other methods
- cant synthesise some of the carbon compounds on its own so must consumer others to gain them
facultative mixotrophic
can survive with either mode or both tgt
mixotrophic eg
eugiena gracillis
- facultative mixotroph
- protist can photosynthesise when theres light and also feed on smaller organisms
saprotrophic nutrition
decomposers- break down carbon compounds in dead matter and release them into the environment for other organisms to use
ditritvores
ingest and digest directly
ditritvores eg
earthworm
dentition
use conditions of teeth to deduce the diet of organisms
herbivores teeth
large + flat
- to grind
omnivores
mixture
physical adaptations of predators
vampire bats
large incisors and canines to pierce prey so can feed on blood
chemical adaptations of predators
black mambas
produces venom that paralyses prey so they can swallow it whole
behavioural adaptations of predators
grizzly bears
learn ambush strategies to catch migrating salmon
physical adaptations of prey
buff-tip moths
camouflage to avoid predation
chemical adaptation of prey
caterpillar
toxins w colours to warn predators
behaviours adaptations of prey
blue-striped snappers
swim in a tight group so can easily detect threats + difficult for predator to catch any one individual
adaptations of herbivores [2]
- piercing mouthparts- to reach the phloem
- chewing mouthparts- hew and ingest pieces of leaves
piercing mouthparts eg
anphids
chewing mouthparts eg
beetles
physical adaptations to avoid herbivory [4]
- bark
- lignin- tough to chew - leaves
- waxy cuticles - thorns, spines
- deters larger predators - mimosa plant
- receptors to touch so less appealing
chemical adaptations to avoid herbivory [3]
- insect repellent
- signals to other plants: waxy cuticle thickens, cell wall gets stronger - hormones
- warning system - cotton
- attract wasps that kill the caterpillars
adaptations to harvest light [5]
- trees- dominant leading shoot to reach the canopy
- shade-tolerant shrubs- can survive by absorbing light that reach the forest floor
- lianas- climb through diff trees, no need to build strong xylem in stems
- epiphytes- grow on trunks to receive more light
- strangler epiphytes- climb up trunks and outgrow their branches so shades the leaves and eventually kills the tree
fundamental niche
where u could live
- bigger area
realistic niche
- where u can actually live when u get outcompeted
competitive exclusion
- complete competitors cannot exists
- 2 species cant be in a niche bc they are in competition for food so the stronger one would take over the niche
