Topic 16 - Adaptations, Interdependence and Competition Flashcards
What do organisms live in?
Complex communities.
What is called when one species relies on another?
Interdependence.
What abiotic factors affect communities?
- Light intensity, moisture, temperature, pH,
Wind intensity and direction, oxygen availability.
What biotic factors affect communities?
-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.
What do we use to measure distribution and abundance of organisms? What are the two types of usage of this device?
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.
What are the 4 types of average used to quantify means in data?
Mean, mode, median and range.
What are the 3 things that animals compete for?
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.
What are adaptations?
Changes an animal makes to better suit its environment to ensure survival.
What are the types of adaptations an organism may have?
-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.
What are extremophiles?
Organisms that live in the most extreme conditions on the planet.
What is camouflage?
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.
How do animals survive in extremely dry conditions?
-Large SA to vol ratio to avoid water loss.
-Fat stores that can be used as food/water in times of desperation.
Why would a cactus have vast and deep roots?
To take in as much water by active transport in the soil as possible and reach down into aquifers to gather water.
What two other adaptations do cacti have to survive in their habitat?
-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.
What is an example interdependence?
Plants produce food by photosynthesis
Animals eat plants
Animals pollinate plants
How do you calculate the mean from quadrat sampling?
Add up all of the results and divide by the number of results.
What is mathematical sampling known as?
Quantitative sampling.
How do you find the range from quantitative sampling?
Subtract the lowest value from the highest.
How do you calculate the median in quantitative sampling?
Place all of the results in order from lowest to highest and find the middle result.
What is the difference between random and transect sampling?
Random sampling measures random parts of a certain area, whereas transect sampling measures a change in an area.
What makes a successful competitor in the natural world?
An animal that is adapted better at finding food or a mate than the other members of its own species.
What do plants compete for!
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
How do plants cope with competition?
They have adaptations to help them avoid competition
How do plants spread seeds as far as possible?
They use the wind to help move seeds
What animal adaptations are there?
Herbivores have teeth for grinding up plant cells
Carnivores have teeth adapted for tearing flesh or crushing bones
What other adaptations are there?
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.
What types of adaptations are there?
Structural adaptations
Behavioural adaptations
Functional adaptations
What are functional adaptations?
Processes like reproduction and metabolism
What is an example of a behavioural adaptation?
Migration patterns
What is a structural adaptation?
A change in the shape or colour of an organism
What problems are there in dry climates?
Coping with a lack of water
Stopping your body temperature from getting too high
What examples of plants with specialised adaptations are there?
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.
What do plants that live in very arid conditions have?
Extensive root systems that spread over a very wide area allowing it to take up as much water as possible.
How do cacti cope with dry conditions?
They store water in their tissue.
