Ecology

• what is a biotic factor?

  a living thing
• what is an abiotic factor?

  a non living thing
• what do plants compete for?

  light, space, water and mineral ions from the soil
• what do animals compete for?

  food, mates, territory
• What is interdependence?

  When one species is removed, the whole community is affected
• What is a stable community?

  Where all species and environment factors are in balance so that population sizes remain fairly constant
• what are some abiotic factors that can affect a community?

  light intensity

  temperature

  moisture levels

  soil pH and mineral content

  wind intensity and direction

  CO2 levels for plants

  O2 levels for aquatic animals
• what are some biotic factors that can affect a community?

  availability of food

  new predators arriving

  new pathogens
• what are the three types of adaptation?

  behavioural, structural, functional
• what is a structural adaptation?

  an adaptation that affects the shape, colour or part of an organism
• what are some examples of structural adaptations?

  sharp teeth, camouflage
• what is a behavioural adaptation?

  the way an organism behaves
• what is an example of behavioural adaptations?

  playing dead to avoid predators
• what is a functional adaptation?

  Trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce.
• what is an example of a functional adaptation?

  conservation of water through producing little sweat
• what are extremophiles?

  organisms that live in extreme conditions
• what are some examples of conditions that extremophiles live in?

  Extreme temperatures, high pressure, acidic environments, high salt concentrations, and lack of oxygen.