Adaptation to environment

B4.1:

• Animals can adapt to change, but it takes a long time (lots of natality and mortality together)

• Principle of tolerance limits: species have a tolerance range of biotic and abiotic factors, the middle of which is their optimal range

• Coral reef formation:

  • Coral reefs support over 25% of all fish species in the ocean

  • It is estimated that 85% of coral reefs in the world show some degree of coral reeg bleaching (coral reef bleaching occurs when the photosynthetic algae die)

  • Abiotic limiting factors: water depth (light availablity for zooxanthellae), water temperature, salinity (no freshwater runoff), water clarity, water pH