Metabolism and adverse conditions

Adverse conditions

Conditions that have a harmful effect on an organism

How do species survive adverse conditions?

Through dormancy (the adaptation to stay and survive the adverse conditions)

How do species avoid adverse conditions?

Through migration (the adaptation to avoid adverse conditions)

Dormancy

To allow survival during a period when the cost of continued metabolic activity would be too high, thus energy must be saved

What four changes happen to an organisms body during dormancy?

• Decrease in body temperature

• Decrease in breathing rate

• Decrease in heart rate

• Decrease in metabolic rate

What are the two types of dormancy?

Consequential dormancy and predictive dormancy

Consequential dormancy

When an organism becomes dormant after the onset of adverse conditions

Predictive dormancy

When an organism becomes dormant before the onset of adverse conditions

What is an advantage and disadvantage of consequential dormancy?

Advantage - an organism can remain active for longer and can exploit any of the available resources

Disadvantage - any sudden adverse conditions could kill the organism before it has had the chance to become dormant

What are three examples of different types of dormancy?

• Aestivation

• Daily torpor

• Hibernation

Aestivation

Sometimes called ‘summer sleep’, this allows survival in droughts or high temperatures

Daily torpor

A period of reduced activity in organisms with high metabolic rates, species such as small birds and mammals show this behaviour to conserve energy

Hibernation

A period of inactivity in mammals associated with low/winter temperatures

Migration

The regular movement by members of the same species from one place to another over a relatively long distance

What two types of behaviours are thought to be migratory behaviours?

Inherited/innate (natural) and learned through experience

How does migration avoid adverse conditions?

By expending energy to relocate to a more suitable environment

What two techniques are used to study migration?

Leg rings and satellite tracking

Leg rings

A metal leg ring contains the birds number and investigators contact details - if recaptured and any information is reported, overall migratory behaviours can be mapped

Satellite tracking

These are glued to the individuals skin or implanted under the skin and the transmitter signals are picked up by satellites - more precise information can be gathered on the migratory routes