Adaption

• Ecosystem


  The interaction of a community of living organisms with the non-living parts of their environment
• Individual organism


  A single living thing
• Population


  The total number of organisms of the same species that live in one specific geographical area
• Community


  A group of two or more populations of different species living in one specific geographical area
• Competition


  • Organisms within a community compete for resources to survive and reproduce
  • There are two types - interspecific (between different species) and intraspecific (within the same species)
  • Animals often compete for food, mates, and territory
  • Plants often compete for light and space
• Interdependence


  • Within a community, each species interacts with many others and may depend on other species for things like food, shelter, pollination, and seed dispersal
  • If one species is removed it can affect the whole community
• Hare population increases


  Larger supply for the lynx
• Larger supply for the lynx

  More lynx offspring survive
• Growing numbers of lynx


  Eventually reduce the hare population
• Reduced hare population


  Number of predators (lynx) decreases
• Reduced predator population


  Hare population starts to increase again
• Stable community


  • All species and environmental factors are in balance so population sizes remain fairly constant
  • Example is the cycle of predator and prey populations
• Abiotic factors that can negatively affect a community

  • Carbon dioxide levels for plants
  • Light intensity
  • Moisture levels
  • Oxygen levels for aquatic animals
  • Soil pH and mineral content
  • Temperature
  • Wind intensity and direction
• Biotic factors that can negatively affect a community

  • Decreased food availability
  • New predators arriving
  • New pathogens
  • Competition between species
• Adaptations


  • Features that enable organisms to survive in their conditions
  • May allow an organism to outcompete others and provide an evolutionary advantage
• Types of adaptations


  • Structural (physical features)
  • Behavioural (behaviours that provide advantage)
  • Functional (adaptations related to processes that allow survival)
• Adaptations of organisms


  • White fur for camouflage
  • Large feet to distribute weight on snow
  • Small ears to reduce heat loss
  • Thick fur for insulation
  • Large feet to distribute weight on sand
  • Hump to store fat for energy
  • Tough mouth and tongue to eat cacti
  • Long eyelashes to keep out sand
  • Spines instead of leaves to reduce water loss and deter consumers
  • Long roots to reach underground water
  • Large, fleshy stem to store water
• Extremophiles


  Organisms that live in very extreme environments where most other organisms could not survive
• Extreme environments


  • Very high or low temperatures
  • Extreme pressures
  • High salt concentrations
  • Highly acidic or alkaline conditions
  • Low levels of oxygen or water
• Bacteria that live in deep sea vents are extremophiles
• Deep sea vents are formed when seawater circulates through hot volcanic rocks on the sea floor, having very high pressures and temperatures, no sunlight, and strongly acidic conditions