B4.1: Adaptation to Environment

Habitat: where a community, population, species, or organism lives.

  • description of the geographical location, the type of ecosystem, and the physical location within an ecosystem including physical & chemical conditions.

  • organisms are not alone in a habitat, they can have a range of influences on each other.

Abiotic factors: nonliving influences

Sand dunes have little rainfall and few organisms.

  • abiotic factor of sand dunes: sand accumulation

  • adaptations to sand dunes: lyme grass

Mangrove swamps are muddy tropical environments, has waterlogged anaerobic soil, so little oxygen is present, there is high salt concentrations of the water make water retention of organisms difficult due to osmosis.

  • Abiotic factor of Mangrove swamps: high salt concentration of water and little oxygen in soil

  • Adaptions of Mangrove swamps:

    • red mangrove trees have cork around their roots to decrease salt exposure

    • cable roots grow near surface of red mangrove trees surface for oxygen exposure

    • pneumatophores are roots that grow up out of the ground and water to be exposed to oxygen

Plants (Abiotic Variables:

  • temperature

  • water

  • light

  • soil pH

  • salinity

  • mineral nutrients

Animals:

  • temperature

  • water

  • breeding sites

  • food supply

  • territory

What factors affect coral reef formation? Describe these factors.

  • water depth: needs to be about 50m deep so light can still penetrate. Needs to have a certain amount of depth so light can penetrate the algae for photosynthesis.

  • water temperature: 23-29 celsius for healthy coral. climate change can lead to algae leaving and coral bleaching.

  • water salinity: if there is more salt, then there will be problems with osmosis.

  • water clarity: water needs to be clear for light to penetrate

  • water pH: above 7.8 for calcium carbonate to be used in coral skeleton, increased co2 absorption lowers pH and makes skeleton brittle.

What abiotic factors determine type of ecosystem and biome?

  • temperature and precipitation

Biomes

  • Hot Desert: days are hot, nights colder, little precipitation

  • Grassland: medium to high temperatures during summer, cold in winters, moderate precipitation with a dry season

  • Tundra: very low temperatures with short summer, low to medium precipitation

  • Taiga/Coniferous forest: temperatures low with a short summer, medium to high precipitation

  • Temperate Forest: moderate temperatures with warm summers & cool winters, medium to high precipitation

  • Tropical forest: warm temperatures, high precipitation

Hot Deserts Adaptations

Saguaro Cactus

  • wide spreading roots

  • deep taproot to reach water

  • wide water storing stems

  • thick waxy cuticle for less transpiration

  • modified leaves as spines

  • alternative photosynthesis so stomata can close during the day for less water loss

Fennec Fox

  • nocturnal to avoid hot days

  • builds underground den to stay during the day

  • hairs covers pads of their feet for walking on hot sand

  • pale colored coat reflects sunlight

  • large ears radiate heat to keep body temperatures down

Tropical Rainforest Adaptations

Yellow Meranti

  • Grows over 100 ft for less competition

for light

  • Hard dense trunk to stand up to wind

  • Smooth trunk to shed rain easily

  • Oval leaves with tapered tips to shed

rainwater easily

  • Evergreen leaves for year-round

photosynthesis

  • Flowers & seeds in large amounts only

one year out of five so animals do not

feed on them

Spider Monkey

  • Long arms & legs for climbing to reach

    fruit

  • Flexible shoulder for swinging tree to

    tree

  • Feet can grasp branches so arms are

    free for feeding

  • Long tail for gripping branches

  • Larynx developed for communication

    in dense forest

  • Breeding any season since food is

    available