Life Processes In The Biosphere- Adaption To The Environment Flashcards
What must an organism adapt to if they are to survive?
Must be adapted to a range of abiotic and biotic factors that exist in their habitat
How do species become better adapted?
Processes that involve the production of new characteristics by random mutations followed by natural selection
What does natural selection lead to?
Gives an increased chance of survival to better adapted individuals
What will happen to species who are poorly adapted/
They may die if the environmental factors are unsuitable or another species is better adapted
What is a range of tolerance?
The specific range of conditions that an organism can survive in
How will a large gene pool mean there is a higher range of tolerance?
They are more likely to survive environmental changes more effectively as some individuals will be better adapted to the new conditions
How can understanding species adaptations help environmental scientists?
Help understand habitat requirements which is important during decision-making in planning conservation management
Know how to provide certain conditions to increase the chance of survival
Why do environmental scientists need to be careful when altering conditions in conservation?
As a species may have been existing at the extreme of its range of tolerance so changing conditions could make it unsuitable for survival
What factors mainly control species survival and distribution?
Abiotic factors
What happens to a gene pool with genetic diversity over time?
Survival declines when conditions become less suitable fewer individuals within the population are still within their range of tolerance
What are important abiotic factors that affect species distribution?
- Light
- pH
- Water
- Mineral nutrients
Why are biotic factors important?
The survival of a particular species may rely upon the presence or absence of other species
What are some important biotic factors?
Food supply
Pollination
Seed dispersal
Disease
