adaption to enviorment

• Habitat


  The natural home or environment of an animal, plant or other organism
• Species


  A group of organisms capable of reproducing with each other to produce fertile offspring
• Population


  Consists of one species in one location at one time
• Community


  Formed by populations of different species living and interacting with each other in a habitat
• Ecosystem


  A location where a community of organisms interact with each other and the abiotic environment
• Abiotic


  The nonliving environment including air, minerals in the soil, light, and climate
• Adaptations


  Any inheritable traits that make an organism better able to survive and reproduce within its habitat
• Marram grass


  • A xerophyte adapted to survive on sand dunes where water is scarce
• Red mangrove trees


  • Adapted to living in mangrove swamps with unstable, anoxic soil and salt water
• Shelford's Law of Tolerance


  Organisms have optimal survival rates for abiotic factors, and as they move from areas with optimum conditions, there is a decrease in survival rates
• Optimum range


  The range with maximum survival rates
• Zones of stress


  The range with reduced survival rates
• Zone of intolerance


  The range where organisms cannot survive
• Abiotic variables affecting species distribution


  • Temperature
  • pH
  • Available minerals
  • Available light
  • Latitude
  • Altitude
  • Humidity
  • Soil content
  • Breeding sites
  • Aeration of soil
  • Climate
• Belt transects


  Used to investigate the relationship between the distribution of a species and an abiotic factor
• Coral reefs


  • Require specific abiotic conditions for coral and zooxanthellae to survive, including water clarity, depth, temperature, salinity, and pH
• Coral


  • Require clear water, so that the light can reach the zooxanthellae for photosynthesis
• Water depth


  Light is rapidly absorbed by seawater and does not penetrate to great depths. Coral grows best at depths of around 50m, though it varies according to the species of coral. The zooxanthellae provide coral with most of their nutrients, and require light for photosynthesis.
• Temperature


  • Corals thrive in a water temperature range between 16°C and 34.5°C, though it depends on the species of coral. Low temperatures kill the coral, and high temperatures cause the zooxanthellae to be released from the coral, resulting in death of the coral.
• pH


  • Corals survive best within a pH range of 8.0 to 8.3. Ocean acidification is a threat to coral reefs.
• Salinity


  • Coral can tolerate a salinity range of 23 - 42 ppt.
• Whittaker's Climograph


  Predicts the terrestrial biome found in a location according to mean annual temperatures and mean annual precipitation.
• Tropical forests


  Have high rainfall and high temperatures all year round.
• Temperate forests


  Have hot summers and cold winters, and a moderate amount of rainfall.
• Grasslands


  Temperatures vary depending on the location of the grasslands, but they all have relatively low rainfall.
• Hot deserts


  Have hot days and cold nights. All deserts have very low rainfall.
• Taiga


  Have very cold, snowy winters, and warm humid summers. The taiga has low precipitation, which is often snow.
• Tundra


  The tundra is frozen for most of the year, with very short summers. Precipitation is very low.
• Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species producing analogous structures.
• Deserts in the Americas have similar climatic and other abiotic conditions as deserts in Africa. Even though these deserts are geographically isolated, many species have evolved similar characteristics to survive the challenges of living in these desert ecosystems.
• Desert plants such as the cacti from the American deserts and the euphorbia from African deserts are not closely related species, but have developed similar characteristics due to convergent evolution.
• Desert plants


  • Succulence: Many desert plants have fleshy stems and leaves for water storage
  • Reduced leaf surface: Reduced leaf surfaces, such as spines on cacti, reduce water loss through transpiration
  • Deep root systems: Allow desert plants to access groundwater, as well as widespread root systems near the surface to collect any rainfall
  • CAM physiology: A type of photosynthesis, where stomata remain closed during the day to reduce water loss by transpiration. The stomata open at night when it is cooler
  • Thick waxy cuticles: Reduces water loss through evaporation from the plant
• Saguaro Cactus


  • Thick waxy cuticles prevent water loss
  • Spines are modified leaves which reduce surface area for transpiration of water. The spines also provide protection from predators
  • Water storage tissue allows cacti to survive without rainfall for a long time
  • A widespread root system, that allows absorption of any available water
• Desert animals


  • Nocturnal Behaviour: Many desert animals are active at night when it is cooler, reducing water loss. The animals burrow underground during the hottest part of the day
  • Efficient water conservation: Many desert animals produce concentrated urine. Many insects and birds produce uric acid rather than urine, which reduces water loss
  • Efficient Metabolism: Desert animals have metabolic adaptations which allow them to cope with limited food sources, such as low metabolic rates, or the ability to store fat
  • Camouflage: Desert animals are often camouflaged to avoid being seen by predators or prey
• Camels


  • Water conservation: Camels produce very concentrated urine, and their intestines extract a lot of water from faeces
  • Fat storage: Camels store fat in their humps. The fat can be metabolized to produce energy and water when food and water are scarce
  • Large surface area to volume ratio of their bodies: The large surface area allows for efficient heat loss
  • High temperature tolerance: Camels can withstand high body temperatures, reducing the need for sweating to cool themselves down
  • Long Legs: Keep the camel's body above the hot sand
  • Long nasal passages: The nasal passages trap and reabsorb moisture from exhaled air
  • Broad feet: The broad, padded feet of camels allow then to efficiently walk over sandy terrain
• Plants in tropical rainforests


  • Buttress roots: Buttress roots are large overground roots which provide stability, and absorb nutrients from the shallow topsoil
  • Drip tips: The leaves of many plants have elongated, pointed ends, which allows water to run off quickly, preventing waterlogging and the growth of fungi
  • Epiphytes: Grow on other trees, using them for support. They obtain nutrients from the air and rain
  • Lianas: Lianas are vines that grow up the trunks of tall trees to reach the light
  • Mutualistic relationships: Many plants have developed mutualistic relationships with animals for pollination and seed dispersal
• Red meranti (Shorea leprosula)


  • Tall tree: It can access sunlight for photosynthesis as it reaches the canopy layer of the rainforest
  • Fast growth rate: The growth rate allows it to reach the canopy quickly
  • Buttress roots: The buttress roots are overground, and prevent the large tree from toppling
  • Large Leaves: red meranti trees have a broad and dense canopy with large leaves to maximize light absorption for photosynthesis
  • Large quantities of fruit: The large number of fruit increases the chance of reproductive success. Animals like orangutans consume the fruit, helping with seed dispersal
  • Chemical defenses: The leaves of the red meranti contain toxins to deter insects from eating them
• Sumatran Orangutans


  • Long arms and grasping feet: The long arms and feet allow orangutans to move from branch to branch in the tree canopy
  • Opposable fingers and toes: The opposable fingers and toes allow orangutans to grasp tree branches, and manipulate tools
  • Colour vision: Colour vision allows orangutans to recognise edible fruits and potential predators
  • Camouflage: The reddish-brown hair allows them to blend into the forest canopy
  • Intelligence: They are capable of using tools to obtain food
  • Strong jaws and teeth: They use strong jaws for eating unripe fruit
• What are the properties of the components of biological systems?
• Is light essential for life?