GCSE Biology - B16 - Adaptations, Interdependance and Competition

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What is a community?
Made up of the populations of different species which are all interdependant in a habitat.
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What is an ecosystem?
Made up of a community of organsms interacting with the non-living elements of their environment.
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How are animals and plants interdependant ina community?
Pkants produce food via photosynthesis, animals eat plants, animals pollinate plants, animals eat other animals and plants need the nutrients from animal droppings and decay.
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What is interdependance?
When one species is removed or becomes very numerous, it affects the whole community.
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What is a stable communtiy?
one which the environmental factors remain relaively constant and normally so does the population, e.g. in tropical rainforests and mature coral reeds.
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How does light intensity affect communities?
Light limits photosynthesis and so light intesnsity affects the distribution of animals and plants. Some plants are adapted to living in low light areas, for example by having more chlorophyll or bigger leaves.
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How does temperature affect communities?
As it is a limiting factor on photosynthesis. In cold climates, temperature is always limiting and so plants are often small, affecting the number of herbivores that can survive,
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How do moisture levels affcet communities?
If there is no water, there can be little or no life. For example, there are few plants and animals in the desert.
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How does soil pH and mineeral content affect communities?
Most plants struggle to grow in areas of low mineral ions, so this greatly affects the distribution of plants. The pH of soil has a major affect on what can grow in it and a low pH inhibits decay.
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What other abiotic factors affect communities?
Wind intensity and oxygen and co2 availbility.
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What biotic factors affect communities?
Food availability, new pathogens/parasites, new predators and interspecific competition.
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What do animals compete for?
Food, territory and mates.
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Which animals (specifically herbivores) are most successful?
Those that eat a wide range of plants.
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What adaptations do some prey have?
Contain posions that make anything that eats them very sick and these nimals often have warning colours so that predators know to avoid them.
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What makes a successful competitor?
Adaptations to be better at finding food or a mate than the other members of its own species or local specie, be able to breed successfully and even avoiding competition with other species as much as possible.
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How can animals avoid competition?
By feeding in a way that no otehr local animals do or eating a type of food that other animals avoid.
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What do plants compete for?
Light for photosyntheiss to make food. water for photosnthesis, nutrients from the soil to make chemicals they need for their cells and space to grow, allowing their roots to take up as much water and mineralsas possible.
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How do plants avoid competition?
By having shallow roots, taking water from the surface, or by having long roots that go far underground and by growing very early in the year when plenty of light gets through the bare branches of the trees.
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Why do some plants have tendrils or suckers?
These allow them to climb up artificial structures or large trees to reach the light.
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How do plants spread their seeds?
They produce seeds or fruits with special adaptations for flight or to carry the seeds away. They may also use animals, explosive pods and water to carry their seeds as far as possible.
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What do plants need to survive?
Light, co2, water, oxygen, and mineral ions to produce the energy needed to survive.
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What do animals need to survive?
Water, oxgen and food from other living organisms.
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Name some plant adaptations:
Most plants are adapted to get water and mineral ions from the soil through the roots Epiphytes are found in rainforests and have adaptations allowing them to live high above the ground and get water and nutrients from the air through their leaves.
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How are animals teeth adapted?
Herbivores have teeth for grinding up plant cells and carnivores have teeth for tearing flesh/crushing bones.
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How do animals and plants adapt to the environement? Give an example:
Some living in extreme winter temperatures produce a chemical in their cells which acts as an antifreeze, stopping the water in the cells from freezing and destroying the cell.
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What are extremophiles?
Organisms that can survive and reproduce in the most difficult conditions. They are mostly microogranisms.
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What are thermophiles?
Bacteria that can survive at very high temperatures often up to 80 degrees or higher. They have enzymes that don't denature at these high temps.
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What allows some extremophiles to live in extremely salty conditions?
Thes bacteria have adaptations in their cytoplasm so water doesn't move out of their cells into the salty environment via osmosis, In ordinary sea water, they would swell up and burst.
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What main adaptations do animals have?
Structural adaptations like their shape or colour, behavioural adaptations like migration and functional adaptations, like reproduction and metabolism.
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What are the adaptations for animals living in cold climates?
Small SA:V to reduce the transfer of energy to the environment, insulation like blubber (a thick layer of fat) and thick fur. These minimise energu transfers from the so=urroundings to the skin.
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Why is camouflage a useful adaptation?
Makes the animal blend in with the surroudings and therefore less noticeable,e.g. polar bears have a white coat to match the snow and lionesses have a sandy brown coat to match the savannah.
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What adaptations do desert animals have?
Kidneys are adapted to produce very concebtrated urine so they need little to eat or drink. They are also most active in the early morning or evening when it is cooler. Many have large SA;V in order to increases energy transfer to the surrounings.
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What happens relating to water loss if a plant grows in very hot and dry conditions?
Photosynthesis and respiration happen quickly and so plants lose water vapour very quickly.
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Explain the SA:V of plants growing in hot and dry conditions:
Usually leaves have a very small surface area, reducing the area from which water can be lost.
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Give an example of a plant woth specialist adaptations:
Marram grass, grows on sand dunes, has tightly curled leaves to reduce the surface area for water loss and allowing it to survive the dry conditions.
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How are cacti adapted?
Their leaves have been reduced to spines which have a very small surface area so they lose very little water and animals are also discouraged from eating them due to the sharpness of the spines.
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How are plants adapted to collect water?
Have large root systems which allow the plant to take up as much water as possible from the soil.
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How are plants adapted to store water?
When there is lots of water after a period of rai, plants store water in their tissues. Some plants use their fleshy leaves to store water, whilst others use their stems or roots.
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How are the ears of animals living in different climates adapted?
Cold climates - Small ears, reducing cooling through energy transfers to the environment. Hot/dry climate - large, thin ears, helping them transfer energy to the surroundings through their skin and cooling them down.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What is an ecosystem?

Back

Made up of a community of organsms interacting with the non-living elements of their environment.

Card 3

Front

How are animals and plants interdependant ina community?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What is interdependance?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What is a stable communtiy?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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