ecosystems

• What is natural selection?

  Organisms best adapted to the environment survive, breed and pass on their favourable characteristics
• What is mutation?

  Mutation occurs in each sub-population and may offer selective advantages. Mutation is a random/different change in DNA.
• What is isolation?

  Populations become isolated by a ecological, behavioural or geographical barrier and become two sub-populations.
• What is an example of a ecological barrier?

  Temperature
• What is an example of a behavioural barrier?

  The way they act
• What is an example of a geographical barrier?

  Mountain range
• What is speciation?

  Over many generations each sub-population becomes so genetically different that they become a different species.
• What is variation?

  Variation is brought about as fertilisation is a random process with an element of chance
• The way they act is an example of a behavioural barrier
• A mountain range is an example of a geographical barrier
• what does abiotic mean?

  non-living
• what does biotic mean?

  living
• what are examples of abiotic factors?

  temperature

  light intensity

  pH

  natural disasters

  moisture
• what are examples of biotic factors?

  food availability

  predators

  competition

  disease

  grazing
• pH can be measured using a pH meter
• Light intensity can be measured using a light meter.
• Moisture can be measured using a moisture meter.
• Temperature can be measured a thermometer.
• interspecific competition occurs when individuals of different species compete for a few of the same resources.
• mutation does have the chance to have no effect.