Topic 16 - Adaptations, Interdependence and Competition

Question 1

What do organisms live in?

Answer 1

Complex communities.

Question 2

What is called when one species relies on another?

Answer 2

Interdependence.

Question 3

What abiotic factors affect communities?

Answer 3

• Light intensity, moisture, temperature, pH,
  Wind intensity and direction, oxygen availability.

Question 4

What biotic factors affect communities?

Answer 4

-Availability of food - when little food is present the communities die out.

-New pathogens can ravage communities that have not been exposed to them.

-New predators can leave communities vulnerable who aren’t used to their threat.

-Interspecific competition for mates, food and territory can lead to decreasing population.

Question 5

What do we use to measure distribution and abundance of organisms? What are the two types of usage of this device?

Answer 5

Quadrat.

• We can use random sampling, picking coordinates in a certain area and using a random number generator and counting the number of organisms at least 50% inside the quadrat.
• We can also use transect sampling to measure the number of organisms in a straight line going away from something to measure change in environment and how it affects distribution.

Question 6

What are the 4 types of average used to quantify means in data?

Answer 6

Mean, mode, median and range.

Question 7

What are the 3 things that animals compete for?

Answer 7

Food - food is needed for energy to survive an thus they fight over it if it is in low supply.

Mates - it is an animal’s instinct to pass on its genetic code and thus finding a mate is very important and Worthing fighting for.

Territory - an animal doesn’t want another animal near its family in case it wishes to cause harm and thus they fight to protect their territory.

Question 8

What are adaptations?

Answer 8

Changes an animal makes to better suit its environment to ensure survival.

Question 9

What are the types of adaptations an organism may have?

Answer 9

-Physical adaptations like carnivores having teeth to grind up meat and tear bones.

-Chemical/physiological adaptations like the release of enzymes in an animal’s to prevent them from catching disease from eating unclean food.

-Behavioural adaptations - not going near certain plants due to a risk caused by them.

Question 10

What are extremophiles?

Answer 10

Organisms that live in the most extreme conditions on the planet.

Question 11

What is camouflage?

Answer 11

A form of adaptation which allows an animal to blend in with its surroundings to avoid predation if it is a prey or to avoid detection if it is a predator. An example of where this is used is polar bears having white skin to fit the icy environment they reside in.

Question 12

How do animals survive in extremely dry conditions?

Answer 12

-Large SA to vol ratio to avoid water loss.

-Fat stores that can be used as food/water in times of desperation.

Question 13

Why would a cactus have vast and deep roots?

Answer 13

To take in as much water by active transport in the soil as possible and reach down into aquifers to gather water.

Question 14

What two other adaptations do cacti have to survive in their habitat?

Answer 14

-They have large water storing tissues to prevent water loss which means it can carry out basic body functions like respiration.

-Their spikes harm predators and prevent them from eating water storing tissue and killing the plant by harming them due how sharp they are.

Question 15

What is an example interdependence?

Answer 15

Plants produce food by photosynthesis
Animals eat plants
Animals pollinate plants

Question 16

How do you calculate the mean from quadrat sampling?

Answer 16

Add up all of the results and divide by the number of results.

Question 17

What is mathematical sampling known as?

Answer 17

Quantitative sampling.

Question 18

How do you find the range from quantitative sampling?

Answer 18

Subtract the lowest value from the highest.

Question 19

How do you calculate the median in quantitative sampling?

Answer 19

Place all of the results in order from lowest to highest and find the middle result.

Question 20

What is the difference between random and transect sampling?

Answer 20

Random sampling measures random parts of a certain area, whereas transect sampling measures a change in an area.

Question 21

What makes a successful competitor in the natural world?

Answer 21

An animal that is adapted better at finding food or a mate than the other members of its own species.

Question 22

What do plants compete for!

Answer 22

Light for photosynthesis to make food

Water for photosynthesis and turgor pressure

Nutrients from the soil to make chemical compounds

Space to grow allowing their roots to take in water and nutrients

Question 23

How do plants cope with competition?

Answer 23

They have adaptations to help them avoid competition

Question 24

How do plants spread seeds as far as possible?

Answer 24

They use the wind to help move seeds

Question 25

What animal adaptations are there?

Answer 25

Herbivores have teeth for grinding up plant cells

Carnivores have teeth adapted for tearing flesh or crushing bones

Question 26

What other adaptations are there?

Answer 26

Some sea birds get rid of all the extra salt they take in by ‘crying’ salty tears from a salt gland.

Animals and plants that survive extreme winter temperatures often produce a chemical in their cells that acts as an antifreeze.

Plants like water lilies have lots of big air spaces in their leaves which float on top of the water to photosynthesise.

Question 27

What types of adaptations are there?

Answer 27

Structural adaptations

Behavioural adaptations

Functional adaptations

Question 28

What are functional adaptations?

Answer 28

Processes like reproduction and metabolism

Question 29

What is an example of a behavioural adaptation?

Answer 29

Migration patterns

Question 30

What is a structural adaptation?

Answer 30

A change in the shape or colour of an organism

Question 31

What problems are there in dry climates?

Answer 31

Coping with a lack of water
Stopping your body temperature from getting too high

Question 32

What examples of plants with specialised adaptations are there?

Answer 32

Marram grass grows on sand dunes. It has tightly curled leaves to reduce SA for water loss so it can survive

Butcher broom lives in shady, dry conditions under woodland trees and in hedgerows.

Question 33

What do plants that live in very arid conditions have?

Answer 33

Extensive root systems that spread over a very wide area allowing it to take up as much water as possible.

Question 34

How do cacti cope with dry conditions?

Answer 34

They store water in their tissue.