Download 19-2 Ecology of Organisms Habitat- the surrounding area that an

19-2 Ecology of Organisms
Habitat- the surrounding area that an organism lives in:
conditions both living and non-living.
Biotic and Abiotic Factors
 Environmental Factors that affect organisms.
 Biotic factors- the living factors that affect
organisms
Examples: plants, food sources, etc.
 Abiotic factors- the non-living factors that affect
organisms.
Examples: sunlight levels, precipitation, salinity,
Wind levels, temperature, rocks, oxygen
concentration, carbon dioxide levels, chemical
levels, pH
Responses to a Changing EnvironmentCamoflauge- a species that blends in with their
environment to avoid predation or to prey on another
animal
Tolerance Curves-how well a species tolerates certain
biotic and abiotic factors
Acclimation- how an organism adjusts to their abiotic
factors.
Example: humans training in high altitudes to build
more red blood cells.
Conformers vs Regulators
Conformers- organisms that do not regulate their
internal conditions; they change as the environment
changes.
Examples: desert lizards, snakes, etc.
Regulators- organisms that DO regulate their internal
conditions:
Examples: mammals and large animals
Dormancy- period of inactivity (USUALLY SLEEPING)
Migration- seasonal movements to avoid unfavorable
conditions ex: pilot whales moving south in the winter,
birds flying south in the winter,
Resources- energy and materials needed for the
survival of the species (food, water, sunlight, shelter)
Niche- the role of an organism (its way of life) in its
environment. The niche includes the acceptable range
of conditions.
Fundamental niche- a range of conditions that a species
can potentially tolerate and the resources it can
potentially use.
Realized Niche-the range of resources and conditions
that a species can actually tolerate or use.
Generalists vs: specialists
Generalist- a species with broad niches (broad
conditions) Example: opossum which can live in many
different conditions.
Specialist- species with a narrow niche (ex: koala bear)